The new Citroen C3 has just gone on sale, and the general feeling is that it is breath of fresh air in the supermini segment, and comes with a competitive starting price of €15,490.
Citroen expects the C3 to shake up the market with what it describes as its highly customisable character and the latest automotive technologies, including a world premiere for ‘ConnectedCAM Citroen’, an on-board HD camera that allows drivers to share their road-trip photos and videos directly with friends and family.
The new C3 is everything you would expect a modern Citroen to be – colourful, stylish, brimming with new technologies, comfortable and with a bold, fun-loving personality.
The new C3 comes with a choice of three well equipped trim levels, Touch, Feel and Flair.
The starting price Touch trim includes a good level of standard equipment, including features such as a USB socket for media streaming and Bluetooth handsfree, safety features, including lane departure warning and coffee break alert, as well as comfort features including cruise control.
Stepping up to Feel trim, from €16,990, brings added styling features such as 16-inch alloy wheels and LED daytime running lights; more intelligent and useful technology including mirror screen with Apple car play and a seven-inch touch screen; and the added comfort of automatic air conditioning.
In addition, Citroen says Irish launch customers can avail of a free style pack worth €500 bringing the distinctive Airbump® and bi-tone roof to the Feel trim level. When a vehicle has a bi-tone roof, other body colour touches are applied. The door mirrors match the colour of the roof, the foglight surrounds also match the roof colour and when a sport red or opal white roof is selected a matching colour highlight appears on the airbump, when a black roof is selected a white highlight appears on the airbump. Then comes the top of the range Flair, starting at €18,990.
The new C3 also offers more options extras that improve the driving experience including voice controlled 3D navigation, a reversing camera, keyless entry and start and blind-spot monitoring.
Finally, the efficient, high-performance powertrain options continue the technological theme with PureTech petrol and BlueHDi Diesel Euro 6 engines as well as the latest generation EAT6 fully automatic gearbox available as part of the range. With this engine line-up sales of petrol engines are expected to increase on the new C3.
The PureTech family of three-cylinder petrol engines represents a real technological breakthrough for the modern petrol engine, and has won the International Engine of the Year (for which I am the Irish juror ) in 2015 and 2016. Compact dimensions, low weight and innovative low friction materials allow PureTech engines to deliver more power, exceptional driving characteristics and incredibly low emissions.
Citroen Ireland’s managing director, Chris Graham, says the new Citroen C3 is available in its dealerships across Ireland just in time for Christmas.
"Without doubt, this is the most significant launch for us in Ireland in the past six years, offering a stand-out new option for customers in the B-hatchback segment. We are very excited about the potential of the new C3, offering such a high level of technology and a host of stylish options at a competitive price. This one is a real show stopper.”
