UK Drive: The Citroen e-C3 is a budget-friendly urban electric vehicle

Citroen is a firm that has built up a reputation of reinventing the wheel. But while its range of cars have often succeeded in delivering plenty of space and practicality, they’ve sometimes missed out on a spark of character.

But, that could soon change with the launch of the new C3, which has evolved from a b-segment supermini into a funky and fresh compact crossover. But to boost its appeal, Citroen is offering the car with an electric powertrain attached to an ultra-low price tag – introducing the e-C3.

This new car is poles apart from the model it replaces. A new body, interior and platform.

The car sits on Stellantis’ ‘Smart Car Platform’, which is also shared with the likes of the new Fiat Grande Panda and Vauxhall Frontera.

The exterior design has some of the latest cues from the firm, including the new front ‘nostril’ with the redesigned chevron Citroen logo.

Also, all models come equipped with Citroen’s ‘Advanced Comfort Seats’ and ‘Advanced Comfort Suspension’ – ensuring the car is as relaxing as possible over a long journey.

The C3 is available with a choice of petrol and hybrid powertrains, but it’s the electric e-C3 model we’re testing.

Under the bonnet, there is a 44kWh battery pack and single electric motor that generates 113 bhp and 124Nm of torque. In terms of acceleration, the car can do 0-60 mph in 10.2 seconds and it can go onto a top speed of 82 mph.

Citroen claims that the car can travel up to 199 miles on a single charge and that 100kW DC rapid charging is compatible, enabling a 20 to 80 per cent top up in 26 minutes.

The e-C3 isn’t going to set the world alight when it comes to a dynamic driving experience.

Instead, this little crossover has been set up to be as comfortable as possible and it really shows.  Citroen’s ‘Advanced Comfort Seats’ do an excellent job of reducing backache on a long journey, and the standard ‘Advanced Comfort Suspension’ makes the car feel as though you’re driving on melted chocolate.

Visibility all round is great too, and you sit up rather high, it’s just a pity that the oval-shaped steering wheel is rather awkward to hold and doesn’t feel natural when manoeuvring in town.

Also, on a twisty road, the car feels nervous with a lot of body roll around the corners and the numb steering doesn’t inspire any confidence at higher speeds. Plus, acceleration isn’t much to shout about either, with the car feeling out of its depth on motorways and dual carriageways.

The e-C3 carries over similar design cues from the firm’s Oli concept car, shown in 2022.

The new chevron logo sits proudly on the front end of the bonnet, while the reverse c-shaped front headlights give it a distinctive look.

The standard roof rails and black plastic wheel arch extensions give the car a rugged yet quirky appearance, and the standard diamond-cut alloy wheels are rather smart.

At the back, there is a rear roof spoiler, LED tail lights as well as a black trim piece that runs along the tailgate.

Our test car’s bright shade of Monte Carlo Blue with a contrasting white roof makes the whole car stand out on the road.

As the e-C3 is priced at the budget end of the market, the interior plastics do reflect this, with a lot of hard and brittle materials used throughout.

However, Citroen has turned it around with funky design touches throughout the cabin with a small and oval shaped steering wheel, physical climate control switches and optional door card tags that say ‘Be Happy’ and ‘Be Cool’ – which adds a little bit of character.

There are also vertically shaped air vents and a nice cloth-effect material on the dashboard.

Storage is more than acceptable; the front door bins are a decent size, and you get two cup holders, a little cut out behind the parking brake and some space under the centre armrest. However, the glove box is puny with hardly any space to store anything in it, but inside does include an imprint of classic Citroens, which is a nice touch of memorabilia.

In the back, the car’s boxy design means that there is plenty of headroom for average-sized adults, and there is sufficient legroom too. The front seat backs include pockets and even phone holders.

In terms of boot space, the e-C3 offers 310 litres or 1,188 litres with the rear seats folded down. That’s less than an MG4 or BYD Dolphin, but more than a GWM Ora 03.

There are just two simple trim levels with the e-C3, which are Plus and Max.

Prices start at just £22,095 for the Plus model, which includes 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and air conditioning.

Our test car is the flagship Max trim, which comes in at £23,795 and boasts a heated windscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, climate control and a reversing camera.

The e-C3 is one of the cheapest new electric vehicles on sale, along with a decent standard equipment list, making it represent excellent value for money.

The e-C3 is a car that offers those who want practicality and quirky styling all wrapped up in a budget-friendly package.

It may be rather bland to drive, and the claimed range of 199 miles won’t suit everyone’s lifestyle.

However, if you’re a first-time EV buyer and want something that is extremely comfortable, well-equipped and has a lot of charm, then the e-C3 is a worthy contender in the compact electric vehicle segment.