Citroen C3 Euro NCAP 4 Stars
It's quirky, fun and comfortable to drive. The C3 is one of the most comfortable and refined small cars around. With its dome-like roof and raised driving position it almost has the feel of an MPV. The size of the C3's boot is also pretty impressive. While the 1.1-litre petrol has just 60bhp and is best suited to town use the 1.6 petrol and 1.4 petrol and turbodiesel are perky
performers. The 1.6 diesel provides excellent pace.
The Citroen C3 however is all about innovation - by the bucket load! Including the state of the art SensoDrive gearbox and the economical Stop and Start technology. Citroen has introduced a manual gearbox with Formula 1 style gearshift, with its advanced SensoDrive gearbox which is operated via steering wheel-mounted
paddles. With the Stop and Start system the engine cuts out automatically when the car comes to a standstill in neutral (at a red light for example), but starts up again quietly and instantaneously as soon as the driver takes his or her foot off the brake pedal.
Launched in 2004, the C3 Stop & Start, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15% in heavy urban traffic.
Fuel consumption is impressive for all models and exceptional for the 1.4 diesel with figures of 64.2 combined and 74.3 extra urban it even does over 50mpg around town! Combine this with Co2
emissions as low as 115g/km,a VED band B and exemption from London congestion charge and you really do have a very environmental friendly small car. Even the sporty 1.6 VTR diesel returns an impressive combined 62.8mpg and is within VED band B. Service intervals should also save you money at 20,000 miles on petrol cars and 12,500 miles for diesel.
A four star Euro NCAP rating is just about as good as you'll currently get on a supermini. ABS and side airbags on most models combined with Strong locks and a good immobiliser give a good safe and secure feeling to the vehicle. In their 2002 Security Supertest, the C3 was rated by WhatCar? best in class after it defeated their testers.
Most of the range have a CD player, electric door mirrors and air-conditioning as a minimum, while top-spec models have high-tech features such as rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights. The XTR model has a mock-4x4 look, featuring a chunky body kit and roof rails. The range-topping Exclusive has climate control and cruise control and heated door mirrors. A VTR badge gets you hot hatch looks, front fog lights with gloss black surrounds, sport bumpers and tasteful 16-inch alloy wheels. A special edition Airplay+models add air conditioning, electric door mirrors and a 4GB ipod Nano with docking station!
Dont overlook the C3 Pluriel with its roof that can slide back in sunroof mode, fully back for a convertible or configured as a roadster with the roof bars removed, it really is a fun and cheap way of getting into drop-top motoring. The Pluriel is also one of the safest in its class on the road, with a four-star Euro NCAP rating, it gets a better score than the metal-roofed C3 - It was even tested with the roof off! The roof arches and windscreen pillars are reinforced with aluminium and steel respectively, providing rollover protection for all passengers.
Every new Citroen car offers the benefit of a 3year, 60,000 mile warranty package. There is also a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty against all internal to external perforation to bodywork or underbody.
About the manufacturer
Citroen are taking action at each stage of the product life cycle in an attempt to reduce the effects of their cars on the planet. They are achieving this by managing their industrial sites to high standards, reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant vehicle emissions, and designing recyclable vehicles. Indeed in the space of 20 years Citroen claim to have reduced vehicle
emissions by a factor of between 10 and 20. Whats more they developed the diesel particulate filter system, which destroys the particulates produced by diesel engines.
One of the main natural resources used in the production of cars is water, accordingly Citroen is working hard to reduce this and over the past ten years has invested a total of 2.7 million in
recycling resources. Through this worldwide policy, the Group states it has reduced water consumption per vehicle by an impressive 46% since 1995.
To reduce the amount of waste being dumped in landfill sites etc current Citroens have a recycleability of between 85% and 95%.
The most public and arguably biggest issues facing Citroen (and all other manufacturers) remain the elimination of harmful emissions and the eradication of reliability on the planets ever diminishing natural resources.
To this aim Citroen has already committed toward reducing fuel consumption and co2 emissions through innovations in technologies. Its new HDi engine for example reduces consumption by 20% compared with an indirect injection diesel engine, thereby cutting CO2 emissions by between 90 and 120g/km, depending on the model.
The new Start & Stop system cuts the engine automatically when the car comes to a standstill in neutral (at a red light for example). It then starts up again quietly and instantaneously as soon as the driver takes their foot off the brake pedal. To reduce fuel consumption still further, the Stop & Start system can be coupled with engines that have already been downsized. Launched in 2004, the C3 Stop & Start, can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 15% in heavy urban traffic.
More recently, Citroen committed to develop a mid-range hybrid HDi family vehicle consuming 3.4 litre of fuel and emitting 90g of CO2 per km, with the aim of bringing this vehicle to market at an affordable price by 2010. The advantages of the hybrid HDi are linked to its fuel economy and to its ability to function in all-electric mode in the city. CO2 emissions could potentially be
halved, compared with a petrol vehicle and with the power battery, the vehicle can be driven in electric (zero emission) mode at up to 45 kph with no pollutant emissions and no noise. This is a car that will contribute to quality of life in the city while also being highly versatile.
For more than ten years, PSA Peugeot Citroen has been committed to promoting the use of ethanol in petrol up to 10%. The Group believes that it is the effective way of developing the use of biofuels by widely and rapidly extending it to the entire car range. The implementation of Flex-Fuel technology involves
the adjustment of the engines currently available on the market and PSA Peugeot Citroen plans to launch flex-fuel vehicles in Europe in 2007. These cars will be able to run on all blends of pure petrol and E85 fuel (85% ethanol) and will comply with Euro IV pollution standards. The Group has expertise in this technology, which it has successfully distributed in Brazil since 2005. Today, flex-fuel vehicles make up 80% of Group sales in this market.
The Group is also promoting a type of biodiesel called diester 30, made up of 30% VOME (vegetable oil methyl esters) and 70% diesel fuel. This fuel brings a 22% reduction in particulate emissions from HDi diesel engines. It also helps cut CO2 emissions by as much as 19%.
Finally, a European Directive to address the treatment and disposal of vehicles when they reach the end of their life, was published to the EC Member States in September 2000. To fulfil its obligations under the terms of these regulations, Citroen UK Ltd, has contracted with CarTakeBack.com (CTB), to guarantee that qualifying vehicles will be taken back from the last owner or keeper at no cost.