Citroën has some of the best designers in motoring – so why hasn't the French marque made more of its new model? asks MICHAEL McALEER, Motoring Editor
THERE IS NO way to sugarcoat the story of Citroën’s past here: it has had a torrid time on the Irish market over the last five years.
While it offered a wide range of stylish saloons and practical family cars, it was cursed with madcap discounting schemes that crippled used car values and a Competition Authority investigation that led to price fixing charges brought against several dealers.
As a result, the brand has been a bottom feeder in the sales tables for several years, regularly beaten by the likes of Suzuki with half the number of models on offer.
It’s a sad state of affairs for a marque that claims legendary models – the 2CV and DS – and plaudits from French thinkers and fashionistas such as Barthes and Bardot.
And it’s all the more infuriating when you consider that among industry insiders, Citroën’s design department is regarded as a hotbed for talent and innovation. It consistently turns out mouthwatering concept cars that Italian executives would kill for.
Models like the new C5 are strong offerings that give the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen’s Passat a run for their money. Yet, even when the French finally have a real contender in its ranks, it opts for a bizarre self-deprecating ad campaign, suggesting the C5 was good enough to be German – the subliminal message being that French cars are inferior to their Teutonic rivals. That may be true, but what does it say about the brand’s confidence? It’s as if Citroën can’t move forward without running over its own foot.
In January, the firm finally took direct control of Irish operations, hoping to rebuild the brand’s reputation here. It’s far too early to say if its efforts will pay off, but the C3 will supposedly play a critical role in the process. It arrives at an opportune time, for Irish consumers are turning 2010 into the year of supermini sales.
Budget-conscious car buyers are no longer able to justify large purchases: they’re looking to retain comfort while shrinking the mass of motoring metal and lower running costs.
The days when these small cars were tin boxes with nasty, cheap interiors and all the handling traits of a shopping trolley are thankfully over. New superminis are as smart inside as many saloons, as frugal as city cars and retain the load-lugging space of previous family hatchbacks. Buyers in this segment have never had it so good.
That’s great news for consumers, but it means the C3 will have a battle on its hands to win sales over established best-selling models like the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Mazda2.
So what’s the new car like? The design department may be one of the best in the business, but its efforts have never really translated into a radical overhaul of tradition.
The new car is cute and curvaceous, if not as sporty as some rivals. It’s not a huge change from the outgoing model, but it’s cheeky enough to offer a bit of character. For those seeking a little more premium panache, an upmarket version will arrive soon under Citroën’s reinvented DS tagline. The decision to reincarnate the DS moniker with a supermini has appalled some traditionalists, but for most of its potential market the lettering won’t mean much – a statement in itself.
Inside, there are little touches of style, but the overall effect is of regular supermini fare. With two specification levels on offer, our test car is the higher VTR+ trim, complete with panoramic roof and air freshener.
The high roofline is a quirky touch that Citroën has played up in larger models over the years to give the cabin a more open and spacious feel. In the C3 it does just that, and it sometimes feels like you are travelling in a glass bubble as the light streams in.
However, the thrill wore off after a few days and the mechanism to slide the roof back seemed rather flimsy, leaving us wondering what it might be like after five years of sliding back and forth. As for the scented air freshener that feeds into the car’s air conditioning, will owners be bothered replacing the scent when it runs out? Neither feature could be regarded as a key selling point for a car and, ultimately, the interior of the new Fiesta has a far more premium feel than that of the C3.
Practically speaking, the C3 offers decent legroom and bootspace, but again it’s not as spacious as key rivals like the Fiesta or Toyota Yaris, which offer more front and rear passenger space. While the C3 never feels cramped and works well as a suburban runaround, it still measures in below many key rivals.
In terms of handling, steering is light and nimble and the C3 is easy to park, if a little too neutral and lacking in feedback for our tastes. The ride is comfortable, if a little jarring over bumpy roads, while the engine settles at about 3,500rpm in fifth gear at motorway speeds. Engine noise does, however, encroach into the cabin at these speeds. Push on into corners and like most cars in this class the car understeers early, coaxing you to lift off the power.
The engine range on offer is a straight choice between petrol and diesel, both 1.4 litres. It should be a no-brainer: the diesel engine saves you 1.8l/100km on official figures; diesel is on average 10 cent/litre cheaper than petrol these days; the diesel’s lower emissions save you €198 a year on motor tax; and, finally, it’s faster off the starting blocks.
If you are a low mileage motorist – less than 12,000km a year – the petrol will make sense as Citroën is charging €1,000 extra for diesel. But someone doing 15,000km a year will make an official fuel saving of €415, along with the lower tax rate, thereby recouping the €1,000 quite quickly. After that, it’s savings all the way.
That, of course, presupposes that you haven’t considered the rivals on offer. And that’s where Citroën faces a real uphill battle.
The problem for Citroën is that there are more dynamically accomplished rivals on the market. Aside from the aforementioned big sellers, the likes of the Suzuki Swift and Mazda2 are more fun to drive. The Renault Clio is one of the bargain buys in this class if you qualify for scrappage, with a list price of €18,800 for the 1.5dCi Dynamique – falling to just €14,800 after discount. It also offers a more spacious cabin than the C3.
The reality is that the supermini market is loaded with great buys and the C3 struggles to make its mark. From the dynamically superior VW Polo and Ford Fiesta to bargains from Mazda and Renault, it’s difficult to see this pushing the French brand back up the sales tables any time soon. Citroën may need a sales saviour, but the C3 is not it.
FACTFILE: Citroen C3
Engine:1,398cc four-cylinder, five-speed manual transmission, 75bhp @ 4,000rpm and 160Nm from 4,000rpm 0-100km/h: 13.7 seconds
L/100km (mpg):urban 5.3 (53.3); extra-urban 3.8 (74.3); combined 4.3 (65.7)
CO2 emissions:113 g/km
Tax:€104, band A
Specifications:VT – ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, driver and passenger airbags and front side airbags, front electric windows, 15" steel wheels; options pack (€450) adds curtain airbags, cruise control, velour trim. VTR+ – automatic hazard activation in case of rapid deceleration, halogen headlamps, front foglights, panoramic windscreen, air con, tinted windows, 15" alloys, leather steering wheel; options inc Bluetooth (€350)
Warranty:two years unlimited mileage mechanical warranty, three years paintwork warranty, 12-year anti-perforation warranty plus two years Citroën roadside assistance
Price:€17,900 (C3 range starts at €14,900 for 1.4-litre petrol version)