Page 46 - Phonebox Magazine June 2024

Car makers continually try to find new and unique ways to draw your attention to their models and make you want to buy them. Citroen’s C3 is a prime example – it offers ‘Airbump’ door trims to enhance the design – and save you from scratches.
It’s been around for a few years – this latest version was launched in 2020 – but the Citroen C3 still looks fresh and unique. There’s not much else on the road that looks like a Citroen, and the C3’s smart front-end styling, born from a concept experiment called CXPERIENCE, throws the design book out of the window.
Slim side lights sit high on the car’s ‘face’ while large headlamps are positioned much lower in the front. A large grille is placed beneath a neater, Citroen-badged air slot while two further lamps (fog lights) sit nearer still to the road.
Those Airbump trims dominate the side view and the neat design finishes round the back with a stylish rear end complete with big tail lights and integrated back bumper. There are several roof colours to choose from along with optional choices of hue for the bumper inserts and door mirrors. So visually, it’s something to behold.
The Airbump trims do look good (and different) and feature another coloured insert that links to the car’s paint finish. And they could save you from an annoying scratch or dent on your door if you accidentally bump one against a wall or another car.
But the Citroen C3 is about more than just looks and panache. Available in three trim levels, which have recently been renamed You!, Plus, and
Max, the C3 is a spacious and stylish family hatchback, loaded with useful equipment and exciting features.
Standard kit on the mid-range car we tried includes ESP anti-skid system, Hill Start, a tyre pressure monitor, LED lights, remote central locking, cruise control, speed limiter and electric, heated and folding side mirrors.
There are also choices to be made in terms of engine size. Our test car employed the French firm’s PureTech 83 unit, a 1.2-litre 83 hp fuel-injected motor. It’s not the most potent of engines, especially for a car of this size, but it does give a reasonable sense of ‘get up and go’ if you use your right foot and gearbox with gusto. The official 0-62 acceleration time of 12.5 seconds tells its own story.
But the payback from that uninspiring performance is fuel economy that’s knocking on the door of 50 mpg. And that’s a useful return for penny-watching families on a budget. The car we had used a five- speed manual gearbox which, despite it’s rather long throw, did feel solid and precise when selecting a cog. Auto versions are also available. Front seats are large and comfortable and the C3’s suspension is set quite soft which, for most, means a pleasant and smooth drive even over cracked and damaged road surfaces. It does mean that
46 Phonebox Magazine | June 2024
Phonebox Motoring with Tom Johnston