Citroen C3 HDI Exclusive

Australia's most frugal hatch is an acquired taste

 » Get the best price on a new Citroen C3

Road Test - Citroen C3 HDI Exclusive

RRP: $23,990
Price as tested: $24,390 ($400 metallic paint)
Crash rating: four stars
Fuel: diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 4.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 118
Also consider: VW Polo TDI (more here), Fiat Punto (more here), Hyundai i30 (more here).

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

About our ratings

When the rounded, quirky-looking C3 first broke cover, there were great hopes that it would be a 2CV revival, however, like the new Beetle and Fiat 500, it proved to be just another styling exercise on a corporate front-drive platform. A highly efficient new C3 HDi diesel version launched early in 2008 goes some way to changing that.

The C3 HDi turbodiesel arrived as the most frugal, fuel-efficient five-door hatchback on the Australian market and can deliver even greater fuel savings than the Toyota Prius for just over half the outlay. Following the HDi's launch at $23,990 plus on roads, the importers have sharpened pricing even further by including on road costs in that figure, for a further saving of up to $2000 at the time of testing.

It will be revealing to see if that figure needs to be maintained over the long term when it highlights the only catch in the C3 diesel's otherwise unique-selling proposition.

Citroen's C3 is a Ford Fiesta/Mazda2/Toyota Yaris rival or what Australians classify as a Light Car and equate with a $13,990 starting price. However, its over-$20,000 price punches it well into the next segment, the Small Car category. Here, it almost collides with the Hyundai i30 diesel which is not only a larger and more refined car, but also offers an automatic option (something that the C3 diesel doesn't).

The C3 diesel is also not much cheaper than the Ford Focus diesel, which is a far more mature model, sharing its drivetrain with Citroen's $35,990 C4 diesel.

Yet the C3 diesel should deliver immediate savings for those owners who require frugal and reasonably quick medium-to-long distance travel with the occasional need to carry rear passengers and extra luggage. Because the C3 exploits a rounded roofline and more vertical seating position akin to the old Mazda 121 'Bubble', it offers more front headroom and sprawling space than most hatchbacks from the Light Car segment.

Citroen's fuel economy claims stack up across a wider selection of conditions than expected.

Our urban test routine for small cars includes a stop-start horror 4km loop, two or three times a day. Most 1.6-litre petrol models struggle to better 10L/100km during this cycle, but the little Citroen wouldn't budge beyond 5.1L/100km. As soon as this was balanced with some freeway work, the average dropped to just 4.1L/100km. This suggests that it is capable of delivering rural cruising figures in the steady 3-4L/100km range.

The clue seems to be a diesel engine that warms up faster than most, so that it's operating at peak efficiency not long after start-up -- good for emissions and fuel consumption.

More importantly, the C3 is just as capable of staying with the pack in city traffic light sprints, when it can draw on 66kW and 215Nm from its 1.6-litre diesel engine. That torque peak kicks in at just 1750rpm but it feels like most of it is available at lower engine speeds -- once you get past the slight lag from rest. Fortunately, the five-speed manual and a better pedal layout than expected encourage constant use, so you don't have to revisit that lag once on the move.

Outside town, it just goes and goes with incredibly little effort and a subdued ride over uneven surfaces. Thing Citroen of old - almost... Yet you are always aware that there is a bigger lump than usual under the bonnet, which makes the C3 HDi slightly more ponderous in tight corners and generates a turning circle that can only be described as woeful in a car this small.

On the highway, it seems to track straight and true, which would make cruise control a welcome addition. It feels planted at speed with a ride and grip that is more 'Medium' than 'Light' car.

It is also quiet enough for driver and front passenger to hear the connecting rods and levers that run behind the dash area and connect the brake pedal to the master cylinder which remains on the left hand side.

From here, it is a case of assessing whether the C3's basement origins will impact enough on the driving experience to force you to ignore the massive fuel savings and cause you to shop elsewhere. They are worth considering just in case.

The Citroen dash layout is different for the sake of different. The bizarre tacho reading which exploits a horizon scale across the top of the instruments works well enough -- just as well when it is needed for a speed reading. There is no analogue speedo but a huge digital speed readout that is distracting to the point of annoyance as you have to take your eyes off the road for way too long to establish a reading.

The bar graph fuel gauge is another sign of cost-cutting and doesn't work either as the increments are too coarse. This type of readout was discredited back in the 1980s and it's only cost-cutting that is giving them a second life.

The seats are shaped well enough and should be supportive but instead feel strange, an impression caused by the laminated cloth trim which is bonded to the foam cushions.

Further investigation revealed that the cloth grips your clothes so strongly that it prevents the foam attached to it from contouring to your shape. There are two outcomes: they won't breathe well in the summer and eventually the cloth will separate from the padding for a throw-away seat. This, therefore, is one car where the optional leather ($2500) is a must.

At least the front seatbelts are height adjustable.

The hard cabin plastics have an odd blister finish (it replicates exactly what happens when you spray exterior paint in moist conditions -- hardly an effect we'd intentionally replicate). The front passenger underseat drawer is useful but the centre dash storage needs a lip and cover. It is a prime candidate for one of those aftermarket sticky mats.

The rear seat looks inviting enough but it is smaller than it appears. The rear cushion height will also force a tall Aussie into the headlining with reduced whiplash protection from the low seat back.

The exposed metal in the luggage compartment and the rear seat backs says $13,990 yet the soft touch hatch release and a bigger spare than usual say otherwise.

It is unfortunate that these areas are so obvious in the showroom when Citroen has spent good money on details that other manufacturers overlook. It is one of the few cars at any price that still has substantial bodyside protection mouldings and corner rubbing strips.

Although the C3's windscreen pillars are as thick as any other model chasing good crash safety, Citroen has combined them with a more expensive curved windscreen which brings the pillars round to the side where they don't block the driver's forward vision. The small quarter windows and side mirrors mounted well clear of the doors free up important side vision.

This is a car that you can place with confidence in crowded urban conditions then enjoy a panoramic view on the open road.

There is much that is right about the Citroen C3 HDi diesel. Its unique, classy looks are not gender-specific as Citroen does quirky, not cute.

Good headlights and wipers, driver vision, roadholding and its easy-cruising ability make it just as relevant away from the city as in the thick of it. Its main shortfalls can be addressed by ticking the leather option and sourcing a good aftermarket cruise control.

If you're looking for a compact car that can cover a 200km weekend getaway or daily commute to a tree change for around $10 on current diesel prices, with enough grunt to get past a B-double before nightfall, it's worth a look.

 » Get the best price on a new Citroen C3