The quirky Citroen C3 gains some improvements to add more comfort.

Design is a byword for Citroen, and over many decades the French brand has turned out some breathtakingly beautiful cars. From the supremely elegant DS of the late 1950s to the unapologetically boxy BX, it’s always been easy to recognise a Citroen. This trait remains true today, and the company’s C3 supermini has come in for a revamp at the mid-point of its model cycle. 

The most obvious changes come at the front of the car, as it adopts the brand’s new-look face that was first seen on the 2016 Cxperience concept car. The chrome double chevron of the Citroen logo extends into the grille and the outwards in a V-shape that connects with the double-stacked lights. Along the upper section are the LED daytime running lights, and below are the main headlights, which are now upgraded to LED units across the range - that in itself is a big improvement as it provides greater levels of illumination at night. 

Other exterior changes are a bit more subtle; this is only a facelift rather than an entirely new model after all. Along the door panels are what Citroen calls its airbumps, and this time there are three, rather than five. There are also two new vibrant colours - Elixir Red and Spring Blue - that join the existing palette from which buyers can choose. Citroen likes to let buyers personalise a car as much as possible, and it claims that there are 97 different combinations with the C3 when you take into account the option of contrasting roof colours and packs that insert more colours to the bumpers and door mirror caps. You can even go one step further and add different sticker designs to the roof. From the mid-level Flair specification, there are 16-inch alloy wheels as standard. 

The size and shape of the C3 do make it stand out a little bit more in the segment, where it competes against popular rivals like the Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza and Toyota Yaris to name but a few. Unlike these, the Citroen has a bit more of a crossover look and feel to it, as it’s relatively tall and has that chunky plastic cladding around the wheel arches and sills. However, it is a car that is sensitive to colour and specification, so it’s worth spending some time on the configurator to see what’s possible. 

Those exterior dimensions are reflected inside with a clear sense of space and roominess for this class of car. There is a lot of black plastics throughout the cabin, but Citroen has made a decent attempt to lift the ambience a little by incorporating some imprinted design in the door panels. Some flashes of colour across the dashboard also help, and the air vents continue the squared-circle design theme. Optional interior design packs offer wood-like finishes among others to the dash. 

All models get a 7-inch touchscreen display that offers smartphone connectivity. It also now gets a glossy finish to the touchscreen that enhances its appearance and perceived quality. Mid-grade ‘Flair’ models also get a leather steering wheel and reversing sensors, but you’ll need to upgrade further to the Flair Plus to get a reversing camera as standard. Better still is Citroen’s decision to add its advanced comfort seats to the C3. These are more armchairs than seats, featuring thick foam padding to provide unrivalled levels of support and comfort. Wide armrests on the doors and a chunky steering wheel with clearly set out buttons add to the comfort and ease of driving. 

In a world where dash cams are increasingly commonplace, Citroen does offer the option - for £150 - of adding a built-in system called the ConnectedCam. It works just as you night expect, recoding and overwriting as it goes, but if it detects an accident it stops recording to preserve the incident. It also has a shutter button on it which you can use to take a picture if needed. 

Rear passengers don’t get a raw deal either, with very reasonable levels of headroom and legroom, though it is better suited only to have two adults in the back rather than three. A 60/40 split in the rear seats allows you to fold them down, potentially increasing the boot space from 300 litres up to 922 litres. 

Despite the cosmetic changes, the mechanical aspect of the C3 remains unchanged. The range kicks off with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 82bhp. This engine is sufficient if you’re going to be ambling around your local town, but spending the extra to move up to the 109bhp version is money well spent as it gives the car the extra legs for dual carriageway and motorway work. This more powerful engine is also available with an automatic transmission, which is that bit nicer to use but it does command a £1,260 premium. 

If you’re the sort to cover longer distances frequently, then the BlueHDI diesel is the obvious choice. The 101bhp unit can be impressively economical over long runs with Citroen claiming up to 64.2mpg on a combined run, and closer to 75mpg on motorway journeys. With a weight of only 1,090kg, whichever engine you choose in the C3, it will feel like a relatively brisk car. Unlike some of the competition that likes to add sportier suspension in the name of making its car seem more dynamic, the French brand sticks to doing what it does best - comfort. 

Yes, the C3 will exhibit a generous degree of body roll if you carry a bit too much vitesse into a bend, but even then it tends to soak it up with a bit of safe understeer and carries on. The manual gearbox feels longer geared so the Citroen won’t seem especially nippy, but as mentioned above, it’s on longer runs that the C3 acquits itself. The additional benefit of Citroen having engines that perform well from an emissions standpoint adds further weight to its argument as a very sensible and economical car to run.

If a Fiat 500 is too small for you or a Volkswagen Polo is beyond your budget, the Citroen C3 has plenty to offer. It promises frugal running costs and is easily one of the most comfortable cars in the segment, which is good news if you cover more significant distances from time to time. Its slightly elevated driving position means it borders on being a crossover too, which itself brings some added appeal on both an aesthetic and practical front. Choose a brighter colour, and you’ll undoubtedly stand out from the crowd. 

Model: Citroen C3 Flair

Price: £20,555

Engine: 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol

Power: 109bhp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 205Nm at 1,750rpm

0-62mph: 9.4 seconds

Max speed: 123mph 

WLTP fuel consumption: 49.5mpg

WLTP CO2: 129g/km

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