The Citroen C3 turbo is quick in the low end and mid-range. Will make the enthusiasts smile.

Its been just over a year that Citroen made its debut in the Indian market with the C5 Aircross SUV. While the car itself was absolutely fantastic, the optimistic pricing was one thing that was a fly in the ointment. Now with the top down approach, the French car maker is ready to jump into the mass market with the new C3. It will enter into a jam packed space where every manufacturer is fighting for a big slice of the pie. Not going to be an easy task. So what does the new Citroen C3 bring to the table and does it have any aces that make it stand out from the competition. I was in a sunny and rainy Goa to get a first taste of this new kid on the block.

Citroen C3 Exterior

The French have a flair for chic design and its no different with the C3. Yes the design language similarities with the bigger C5 Aircross are apparent but the C3 does have a unique identity of its own. At first when I saw it, I was a little confused as to where exactly will it fit in. But Citroen calls it a hatch with a twist. And the twist is some SUV characteristics. The first SUV trait being 180 mm of ground clearance. That’s more than enough to tackle some rough roads out there. And then there’s the black cladding on the wheel arches as well. Coming to the exterior design itself, up front the Citroen chevron logo is neatly integrated with the slim front grille slats, which flow into the LED daytime running lights. The hexagonal front air dam sits in the centre and is flanked by the sporty front bumper which features foglamps. The headlamps, fog lamps and even the indicators are halogens and not LEDs. The bonnet is sculpted in a muscular manner and I quite liked cuts and chisels throughout the body of the C3. Don’t forget to check out the Citroen logo in the headlamps and tail lamps. While the styling is outright funky and modern, there are a few things that make you feel “oh this feels ancient”. These would be the flappy door handles, exposed steel lock at the driver’s side, indicators on the fenders and the plastic wheel caps on the steel wheels. You can get alloys as an option and the design is quite nice too. Citroen should have offered alloys on the top end model as standard. That said, the C3 will come with a host of customization options which can make your car stand out from the other C3s out there. The C3 comes in four monotone shades and six dual tone options. There are three packs on offer along with two interior trims. The C3 will come in two trim levels: Live and Feel.