04/12/09

• Price13,790
• We like...Fuel economy; ride
• We don't...Rear legroom

New supermini has a windscreen that just keeps going - back. But is it good enough to deserve your cash?If you prefer cars that feel bright and sunshiney inside, you’ll like the new C3. Citrn’s new Fiesta-sized car has a party-piece in a windscreen that, in all bar the cheapest models, extends into the roof to a point just behind the driver and front passenger’s heads.

It’s a nifty idea and it ds make the cabin light and inviting. The further back the glass gs, the more it is tinted and, for those days when the sun glints low, there’s a clever blind that pulls forward to just where the driver’s mirror sits. Then, a couple of visors pull down – just as in any other car. Those don’t swivel to cover the side windows, though.

And, if you pick the option auto-on lights and wipers pack, a rib (which covers the sensor wires) runs back from the driver’s mirror and into the roof.
We’ve not seen the base level C3 – the VT. But the models above it , the VTR+ and Exclusive, are pleasant to sit in and nicely tricked out around the dash, where a contrasting strip of shiny plastic runs across the car while the top of the fascia is clad in expensive-look, squashy rubber. Elsewhere in the cabin the plastics look cheap however, particularly in the glove box and around the handbrake.

Measured against rivals the C3 is modestly sized – it’s a little shorter than a Volkswagen Polo – and this shows in the rear cabin, where leg room is tight if you’re sat behind a 6ft driver. The boot is bigger than most, although it’s narrow and long. The rear seats drop their backs to extend space but their base is fixed, so you can’t make the load bay flat.

There are four petrol engines, a 1.1, 1.4s in 70bhp and 95bhp guises and a 1.6, and two diesels, 1.4 and a 1.6. Of these, the two powerful petrol 1.4s and the diesel of that size are the picks. The petrol spins easily and pushes the little five-door car along well, though it is noisy when revs and sounds ‘busy’ at 70bhp in a car that is otherwise pretty quiet at speed. It rides comfortably, sucking up the bumps easily but showing a sure control over broken surfaces. It will tuck itself neatly and accurately into bends, too.

Meanwhile, the extra weight of the 1.4 diesel motor weights the nose nicely, making the car steer more accurately and with an easy, well-judged weight. There’s not a great deal of power but it gives what it has easily and without clatter. It’s better than the 1.6 diesel which feels little quicker but is noisier.

Soon after launch there’ll be an eco C3, called Airdream+, which’ll use a modified version of the 1.6 diesel boasting 99g/km exhaust emissions and up to 74mpg.

Should you buy one? Possibly. It’s not a bad looker, is fairly priced, drives nicely and is reasonably equipped for the money. It's a decisive leap ahead from the previous C3. Citrn’s offer of a £199, three-years, 35,000-mile maintenance deal is attractive, too. The VW Polo edges it, though for looks, quality and refinement, while the Ford Fiesta is better to drive and has a more imaginatively styled cabin. The choice is yours.

To view and buy new and second-hand C3s, go to motors.co.uk
 

• Engines1.4 HDi diesel
• Power70bhp
• 0-60 mph13.7secs
• Economy65.7mpg
• CO2g/km113
• Insurance groups3E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags4
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: