Review – Citroën ë-C3, recommended as a budget EV?
Citroën is a million-dollar hit
A new Citroën C3 must not fail. Otherwise, the French automaker is in big trouble. As many as 30 percent of all new sales are C3 models. So this model has great responsibility. So you immediately notice that Citroën is playing it safe, but clearly capitalizing on the crossover trend. Consequently, the new Citroën C3 is more SUV than ever. Citroën stays true to its values when it comes to comfort. Explain in a moment.
Dimensions
With a length of 4.01 meters, a width of 1.76 meters and a height of 1.57 meters, the new generation Citroën C3 is almost identical to its predecessor in terms of dimensions. However, it is more spacious, including in the back seat where you benefit from extra leg and headroom. The luggage compartment – which has a high lift threshold – at over 300 liters is large enough for weekly groceries or a couple of trolleys. Only in the Max version is the backrest of the rear seat foldable in 60/40 ratio. In the You version, the rear seat is only foldable in one part. Small point of interest.
Driving in electric CITROËN Ë-C3 (2024): is it really worth it? – REVIEW – AutoRAI TV
Interior Citroën C3
On board the new Citroën ë-C3, tranquility prevails above all. Everything looks nice and basic and is also well put together. In the Max, the manufacturer uses atmospheric fabrics and trim on the doors with orange labels with texts like “Have Fun” or “Be Happy. Nice find. The Max also has Advanced Comfort seats with an extra-thick foam layer for extra comfort. These chairs are comfortable, but you do feel like you are óon the chair, due to bulges in the back and seat. Is fine to live with and perhaps this was just the novelty of the car.
Compact steering wheel
The steering wheel also stands out nicely. A two-spoke steering wheel with flattened bottom and a particularly small size. Steers pleasantly and is also comfortable in the hand. Just below the windshield shines a head-up display, according to Citroën. Bit of an exaggeration, as it is simply a digital instrumentation. Regardless of whether or not it is a HUD, the readability and quality of the display is just excellent. It is also recessed nice and deep, preventing sunlight from causing annoying reflections. Smart find! More brands can learn something from this.
Differences You and Max
In the You version of the new Citroën C3, everything looks much more basic. You sit on normal seats (are comfortable, by the way) and the dashboard is finished in hard plastic. Also missing is an infotainment system with 10.25-inch display and support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a luxurious finish on the steering wheel, which in the You simply has a hard plastic finish. You get in the You a so-called Smartphone Station with built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. After your smartphone is placed in the cradle, a special new app automatically launches that allows owners to use their device to create shortcuts to phone, radio, navigation and music app services.
The Max has a My Citroën Drive 10.25-inch touchscreen that is child’s play to operate. The infotainment system provides navigation, phone, radio, app and media functions. Wireless WiFi capability enables smartphone mirroring and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The doors of the You base version are also unfinished, and power windows in the rear are conspicuous by their absence. There the passenger should still just swing old-fashioned. The You also has no induction charger on board, nor is the driver’s seat height adjustable. Surely the latter seems to us to be a must. Reason enough to still go for the Max version. That one simply gives more of the Citroën feel and really looks áf. The You is very basic, though. But, on the other hand, is also competitively priced.
Prices Citroën C3 and Citroën ë-C3
Speaking of those prices, there are two powertrains to choose from for now. An electric ë-C3 with 44 kWh battery pack (sourced from Svolt of China) or a PureTech 100 gasoline engine with six-speed manual transmission. That gasoline version is available as a You from 20,690 euros and as a Max from 24,900 euros. The electric Citroën ë-C3 with 44 kWh battery costs 24,290 euros for the You and 28,790 euros for the Max. EV amounts still exclude SEPP subsidy of 2,950 euros. So that price can still come down if you are private.
Powertrain Citroën ë-C3
The Citroën ë-C3 with 44 kWh battery has an electric motor rated at 83 kW (113 hp) and 120 Nm of torque. This engine variant sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 11 seconds and reaches a top speed of 135 km/h. The 44 kWh battery involves a lithium iron phosphate (LFP – Lithium Ferro Phosphate) battery pack. On paper, this engine variant has a range of 320 kilometers according to the WLTP test standard. During our driving test, the trip computer indicated 305 kilometers of range. So with leisurely driving you should be able to get a long way.
To upload
Interesting: A Citroën ë-C3 with a range of 200 km is scheduled for 2025 with a target price starting at 19,990 euros (tax value) and 20,980 euros, including taxes and road preparation costs. So that’s pretty interesting. An important point to note: every ë-C3 comes standard with a single-phase 7.4 kW on-board charger. Therefore, always pay 400 euros extra for the 3-phase 11 kW on-board charger. Really do it! Saves a lot of charging time and also it is good for the residual value of the car. By the way, the electric Citroën can fast charge at 100 kW. This allows the battery to be charged from 20 to 80 percent in 26 minutes. Then again, that is very neat considering the price of this Frenchman. Through a 1.7 kW home outlet, full charging takes nearly 27 hours.
Driving in the Citroën ë-C3
The driving itself in this Citroën ë-C3 has been excellent. The car genuinely has very comfortable handling. This is due in part to the standard Advanced Comfort suspension with special dampers. These filter out unevenness in the road surface nicely and provide good balance. Thanks to the compact steering wheel, maneuvering this French EV is child’s play. The sound insulation in the wheel arches could really be better, but on the other hand, we also understand very well that Citroën had to save on something. One thing this Citroën is absolutely: comfortable. Compared to competitors in the B-segment, this car is also spacious. You can still sit in the back as an adult person of 1.85 meters just fine.
Conclusion review Citroën ë-C3
So this Citroën ë-C3 could be quite a hit. According to the brand, electric driving no longer needs to be something only the “elite” can take advantage of. Therefore, the mission to make electric driving affordable(er) has been gloriously successful. You just have to ask yourself if you are content with the basic You. Because the Max is in every way a more complete car with probably a much higher resale value as well. Opting for a Dacia Spring Electric is also possible, of course; it is even cheaper. But this ë-C3 is much more car. More spacious, comfortable, complete and usable thanks to a solid range of 320 kilometers (WLTP) on paper. A good move, then, from Citroën. Chapeau. The Citroën ë-C3 is certainly recommended as a budget EV.
