Motors North

Citroën C3 1.4 HDi VTR+

YOU have to be careful when you change a family favourite.

Citroën could have been up against it if it didn’t get the new C3 just right – but after a lot of thought and planning, the replacement for one of its most popular family hatches is a significant improvement on what went before.

The new C3 arrived with Scottish dealers on January 15 and, despite winter weather woes, has established itself as an early sales winner.

At Scotland’s oldest Citroën dealer, Forres-based Pedigreed Cars, the new C3 is doing well.

Initially selling best in 75bhp 1.4 petrol guise with VT trim at £12,690, it is also attracting interest in HDi turbodiesel form where the latest 1.4 HDi offers 70bhp and can stretch a gallon of diesel to around 65 miles.

It’s that kind of economy, linked with willing pulling power and a low Group 3 insurance banding, that has made the C3 range a family choice for the past few year – and the new model seems set to continue the appeal.

I borrowed a mid-range VTR+ for my motorsnorth test – a good value and well-equipped version powered by the 1.5 HDi.

At £13,790 it’s not particularly cheap, but value is high and when you add up its standard features it’s easy to see where the £1,100 premium over the VT goes.

The most obvious difference is the new C3’s trademark feature – a deep windscreen that extends into the roofline and sweeps overhead to give panoramic view.

The VTR+ also delivers air conditioning and smart alloys that are missing on the VT.

It’s that deep windscreen that grabbed my attention from the start. It lets an incredible amount of light into the car and gives the C3 a real feeling of airyness. But there’s a downside – there’s always a downside!

Because it extends almost as far back at the B-pillar, it allows a lot of light into the car. It can be distracting and for most of my time with the car I found myself pulling the standard blind forward to shield my eyes.

But on a dreich Moray day with the blind retracted, the C3’s interior felt light and bright.

In typical Citroën style the new C3 is lightly constructed. Skinning is thin to reduce weight and maximise fuel economy, but the core of the car is strong despite a kerb weight that only just manages to creep over a tonne.

What that means is that road noise is a bit of an issue, which is ameliorated to some extent on the VTR+ by sensible tyres with a deep 65 per cent profile.

Citroën uses Michelin’s new Energy covers in 185/65 form on 16-inch alloy rims. It’s a great choice.

Not only do these energy-saving tyres cut fuel consumption and reduce rolling resistance, but also their construction cushions the car and filters out much of the road noise that might otherwise seep into the cabin. But you can still hear that road rumble over uneven surfaces.

Ride quality is what you’d expect from Citroën. Firm, but siding towards a soft and comfortable feel.

Suspension is spongy with a degree of roll through faster corners missing from many modern family hatches.

But grip from this front drive five-door is good, and the benefit of a car that leans into bends more than most is that it feels comfortable for its passengers.

Visibility is excellent. Not including the panoramic windscreen, the C3 has a lot of glass area to help the driver see round the vehicle in tight parking spots and give occupants a great view.

It’s an important point when you might be carrying younger children who like to see what’s going on.

Compared to the old version, access is much improved. The rear doors open wide and the car’s 1.52-metre height makes it easy to step into.

Seating is average, but leg and headroom is well covered. My main gripe was lack of thigh support from the front seats.

At 3.94 metres overall, the latest C3 is marginally longer than its predecessor. But it’s still handy.

The body is long enough to offer a 300-litre family-sized boot with standard split and fold rear seats that boost cargo capacity when you need to carry an awkward load.

However, the folded seats do not lie perfectly flat with the boot floor and leave a lip.

As a family holdall it has an “ordinary” feel that is perfect for its role. This is an honest people and luggage carrier that is light to drive with no handling vices, easy to park thanks to standard power steering, and comfortable at a legal limit cruise.

The HDi 1.4 is a cracking turbodiesel. Its 70bhp and 118lb.ft of torque at 2000rpm makes it easy to drive, and noise levels are well suppressed.

Buyers are going to be attracted by its astonishing economy potential – 65mpg in the combined cycle and an impressive 53mpg around town.

But don’t expect to go far on a tankful. The C3’s fuel container is just 50 litres – enough for barely 300 miles in an economical cruise.

The thinking here is to cut weight by reducing the amount of heavy diesel most people haul around in full tanks.

That’s sensible enough, but annoying if you have to visit fuel stations more regularly.

I suspect the sister 75bhp 1.4-litre petrol model might make sense for most family buyers. The lower-specified eight-valve 1.4 petrol in VT form costs £11,590 and will average 46mpg on the combined cycle and 35mpg in urban mode.

It’s not nearly as frugal as the HDi, but if you are not driving a high annual mileage and average less than 15,000 miles over 12 months the petrol makes more financial sense.

If you want the VTR+ equipment level, a 16-valve petrol is offered at £13,190 – a perky 95bhp unit with almost as much torque as the diesel, although developing its 100ft.lb at a high 4000rpm.

This excellent petrol engine is marginally more economical than the lower-powered eight-valve sister engine and will average 47mpg in the combined cycle and 36mpg in the urban.

You have to take these “combined” and “urban” figures only as a guide.

The reality depends on your driving style, location and how heavily loaded a car is for most of its use.

I regularly manage to hit and even exceed the combined figures – but that’s driving sensibly on a trailing throttle.

For the record, my time with the C3 1.4 HDi VTR+ gave me an overall average after a couple of hundred miles in Moray and the Highlands of 52.4mpg – not bad given the car’s low mileage and congested A96 driving conditions.

The C3 is a sensible family car with excellent features and great value.

Safety is well covered with ABS braking and front and side airbags – but how disappointing that Citroën still doesn’t offer electronic stability control on the VT or VTR+, even as an option. It’s a woeful omission.

To get ESP you have to go to range-leading Exclusive level – and still pay an extra £300 to secure this superb safety system.

For the record, the Exclusive range starts at £14,090 for a 95bhp 1.4 petrol and reaches £16,140 for a 1.6 HDi turbodiesel with 110bhp.

Rating: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Major improvement on the old C3 but retains the attributes of a practical and roomy five-door family runabout. The 70bhp 1.4-litre HDi turbodiesel is excellent for its size – but the 75bhp 1.4 petrol may be worth consideration as an alternative.

Citroën C3 1.4 HDi VTR+

Price: £13,790
Capacity: 1398cc
Power: 70bhp
0-62mph: 13.7 seconds
Maximum speed: 101mph
Economy: Combined 65.7mpg; Urban 53.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 113g/km
ESP: Not Available
Insurance: Group 3

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Citroën C3 1.4 HDi VTR+