[octane_100]

I am tempted to check out the turbo version as a replacement to the Grand i10. Though missing features like rear wiper and day-night mirror are appalling, I like the fact that after a long time a car has got its basics right - Engine, Gearbox and suspension.

[Vid6639]

Omkar and me had a lot of fun with the C3 in Goa. There's a few interesting points.

- We were supposed to swap cars with another media publication. First half would be Turbo and second half NA for us. We were getting calls from the other publication to swap. when we reached the hotel back from driving the turbo, all the NA cars were already back but nobody wanted to hand over the turbos. lol. The journos who got the NA car were desperate to swap and take the turbo but no journo with the turbo was in a hurry to return it back.

- The car did get a lot of attention from Punch, Ignis and other hatch back owners in Goa. Rare to see a compact hatch get attention on road.

- The turbo was an absolute hoot to drive and the gearbox shift action is something that I have never experienced so slick from segments higher.

- The dynamics are perfect. It's rare to see a car so perfectly tuned that rides well and you can lean into it decently well in corners.

- I don't care much for the gimmicky features like 360 cam, wireless charging, sunroof etc but there needs to be a variant with:
1. manual day/night mirror
2. rear defogger with wiper
3. steering telescopic adjust
4. tachometer
5. electric orvm adjust
6. reverse camera (screen resolution can easily be the benchmark)
7. projector headlights not the silly H4 reflector

They don't need to offer keyless go with start/stop, alloy wheels can remain optional at dealer level, engine guard can be optional at dealer level, doesnt need a sunroof but the above 7 features are a must if they want to attract buyers to the showroom.

They have the best mechanical package but they stopped half way and didn't give it what it needs to match that chasis and engine.

I hope they price it at a shockingly low price with the omissions else Au revoir Citroen.

They can add features later but why not do what Kia did and what Ford did. Leave it up to the buyers by giving them the options. Once a product is declared a dud no amount of features additions can help them recover.

The comments on the thread cement this point and I hope Citroen is reading. Omkar and myself gave them similar feedback as well during the drive and it looks like we were bang on seeing the replies.

[sups]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Omkar and me had a lot of fun with the C3 in Goa. There's a few interesting points.

Looking at the photos, I have a feeling that the backseat is better in C3 than that of its bigger brother C5 for two people. At least the under thigh support looks better in C3. Can you please confirm that.

Also, are there any hatch or sub-4m SUV styled car in the market now that matches the ride quality of the C3?

[shastryBLR]

Looking at the ongoing recession and the eventual transition to electric. The Citroen looks like a great transitory first- car for people in the 25-30 year bracket.

I planned to get the slavia/ virtus 1.5 dsg, but it doesn't look like a favorable climate to have an auto loan over your head.

If Citroen brings in the turbo with Vid's feature list + ADJUSTABLE headrests , score a 4 star safety rating. I'd be tempted to consider it.

Bhpians - Any idea on when this car will be crash tested?

[SaiSW]

With regards to features (not dynamics), they have cut costs where they shouldn't have and they haven't cut costs where they could have.

I've never in my entire life seen a car with rear power windows in the middle like that. I've seen cars like the santro place front switches in the middle, and that's just a mild inconvenience, placing the rear ones there is a major one AFAIC. If they really loved centrally placed switches then they could've shifted all four of them to the middle. Very strange choice. And they've given two usb ports at the rear, that could've been one. They could've given lesser quality boot floor covers, I don't think anybody even cares about them, they could've given a slightly smaller touchscreen with wires Android auto instead.

Should've learnt from the masters of cost cutting, Hyundai - cut costs where the eye doesn't reach much.

I sincerely hope they add in some sort of a basic accessory pack like the altroz which includes all the basic features which were left out - electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, rear wiper and washer, tachometer, manual/auto dimming irvms, climate control, proper placement for rear power window switches, 2 tweeter addition etc. Like Vid said, i honestly do not care about 360 degree cameras, wireless Android auto, big pano sunroof, keyless sensor based entry, push button start etc etc etc couldn't care less, but manual ORVMs and irvms are a turn off. Over the years, I've gotten used to electrically folding mirrors and adjusting them from one place and I'm totally not interested in stretching out to the passenger side like some yoga move to fold the ORVM/adjust it.

P.S.
Judging from the reviews everywhere online, it's a good car in that it gets the main things right - engine, overall build quality, transmission, ride and handling. All it needs is an altroz-like basic accessory pack, for those who really need the additions I mentioned and this car is set.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by shastryBLR

Bhpians - Any idea on when this car will be crash tested?

Two possible scenarios, one, Citroën has sponsored testing, in which case results would probably be published within two weeks, because the C3 would perform very badly against the new July assessment criteria (as would rivals including the Punch), or Global NCAP could purchase and test a car themselves, in which case I would not expect results this year.

I hope Citroën is listening. This might be one of the "useless" features Citroën thinks customers don't want. Old rumours come to mind and the fact that Vincent Cobée is ex-Datsun does not help.

If the Kiger and Magnite could do it I don't see what should stop Citroën, and I hope Citroën understands that a bad rating will be very negative publicity which is not something desirable for a new brand.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

- The turbo was an absolute hoot to drive and the gearbox shift action is something that I have never experienced so slick from segments higher.
.

Thanks. How would you rate this turbo and gearbox combo against VAG 1 TSI MT, mainly with Polo and Rapid which were tuned aggressively.

[Durango Dude]

Citroen has pitted itself against the giant Maruti, whose mix of price, refinement, fuel efficiency and penetration is legendary. Maruti has a hatch for all seasons. It's tough to take on the largest car maker and come out trumps, given the very basic & crude interiors. Not only Maruti, it has a to contend with Tata and Hyundai depending on how they price it. Maruti, Tata and Hyundai have left no stone unturned in the hotly contested hatch segment. On top of it the hatch backs are a shrinking segment in their appeal, of late.

[ajayc123]

After having gone through the review and comments, my impression is that it combines sorted mechanicals with the retro charms from the last 3 decades. I am reminded of features taken from multiple cars starting from the charming maruti 800.

[JediKnight]

I have a 15 year old Renault Logan petrol 1.6. Still drives like a charm and I have gotten to love the car. The French make quirky cars but nobody tunes the suspension like them. They have a quaint mechanical charm to them.

The 1.2 turbo manual looks my kind of hot hatch. Would have picked it up if I had more parking space, features be damned.

[venus1975]

Originally Posted by Omkar

The 1.2L naturally aspirated petrol engine makes 81 BHP @ 5,750 rpm and 115 Nm @ 3,750 rpm:

Would you suggest going with the 1.2 NA as a replacement for a 15 year old Santro? This car will be primarily chauffeur driven and used by a senior citizen couples, who are in their 70's. The key criteria are comfortable rear seats, ease of ingress/egress and good ride comfort within the city.
We tried the Grand i10 but they felt that the rear seats were bit low. They were not happy with relaxed backrest angle either (they prefer to sit upright).

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by sups

Looking at the photos, I have a feeling that the backseat is better in C3 than that of its bigger brother C5 for two people. At least the under thigh support looks better in C3. Can you please confirm that.

Also, are there any hatch or sub-4m SUV styled car in the market now that matches the ride quality of the C3?

The seats are comfortable and have more underthigh support than the C5. However the headrests are useless in the C3 so it's not perfect. But yes comparing it with the C5 itself is a feat.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Thanks. How would you rate this turbo and gearbox combo against VAG 1 TSI MT, mainly with Polo and Rapid which were tuned aggressively.

The 1L TSI in the polo was mad fun but this is more rounded as it has better driveability in town. Also the Citroen has the slicker and more fun to use gearbox. Both are insane fun to drive and if I wanted to choose between the 2 I would pick the Citroen just being the more fresh product. Just wish it didn't have so much features missing.

[BrabarusMark]

Very nice review, going into details that were missed by most video reviewers.

Coming to the car, I genuinely like what they have on offer. A stylish outside and utilitarian interior. Could it have more features? Yes, of course and it should. I have a feeling Citroen might be offering a lot of the "essential" features as dealer accessories to on-board new dealerships. After the lukewarm (or cold) response to the C5 Aircross, new dealers may not have seen the incentive to partner.

Pricing will be key for this car and will eventually determine whether it truly is value-for-money or not. They really have to justify the cost-cutting and then I believe we can see them move units. This car should be a budget modders dream car if it is priced low and the after-market gets plenty of compatible parts.

[dipen]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The seats are comfortable and have more underthigh support than the C5. However the headrests are useless in the C3 so it's not perfect. But yes comparing it with the C5 itself is a feat.

How would you rate the comfort levels (mixed road conditions) in comparison with Punch, Nexon, Baleno, Brezza in regular driving conditions for speeds upto 100 in terms of pitch, bounce, rear seating position and under thigh comfort for upto 2 rear passengers. Does it ride flat absorbing cracks, potholes better than the mentioned cars in a cushioned way. Some reviews say Nexon and some other CSUVs ride better.

The 1L TSI in the polo was mad fun but this is more rounded as it has better drivability in town. Also the Citroen has the slicker and more fun to use gearbox. Both are insane fun to drive and if I wanted to choose between the 2 I would pick the Citroen just being the more fresh product. Just wish it didn't have so much features missing.

Many internet reports are suggesting notchy gearshifts. Is our opinion that the shifts are better than the slick Polo as well. Also how is the Turbo refinement in comparison with the 1.2 K series which is the segment benchmark.

On a side note, Rapid Rider was better loaded than this and priced 7.5 ex-showroom just in 2020 (we understand how prices have risen in last 2 years) even after considering additional taxes for 4+ m size. Hope Citroen does not cross this limit. The feature lack is too much like you have mentioned in your earlier post.

Pricing would also be dependent on what Citroen has set targets considering < 20-30 dealerships. Our wish is to see a Magnite or XUV700 like pricing at launch. But Citroen should use this opportunity to cement themselves in the Indian market. Just shock us in a good way.

Nexon is 9 and 10 lakhs OTR Mumbai with load more features and a proven safety. C3 needs to be definitely way below that to make a business case. However this is a consumer view. Just sharing the lowest 2 variants features of Nexon petrol for reference (XE is 9 OTR and XM is 10 OTR Mumbai).

[OpenRoads]

Excellent review and hats off for the effort to writing detailed review. Loved cruising through the discussion forum. In my personal opinion Citroen C3 is pretty bare bones as far as features are concerned however in terms of practicality it is far better than its competitors. For a moment if we keep the fancy features aside and talk about the riding comfort, handling and engine offering then some might say that they are at par or in some cases better than its close competitors. The design alone is far superior than the rest and I am not talking about the mini SUV look. I am talking about the scooped roof to provide more headroom. The way rear seats can be detached & folded to make it flat surface in the back and so on. The design team has done a great job.