All-new Citroen C3 is here! Fourth-gen French supermini gets hybrid tech

• Choice between hybrid and petrol engines
• Suspension designed for comfort
• More affordable than electric e-C3

You’re looking at the all-new Citroen C3, the petrol-powered alternative to the electric e-C3 revealed last October. It’s been comprehensively redesigned for this fourth generation, with a shrunken-SUV design, but retaining the same focus on affordability and comfort.

While order books for both the C3 and e-C3 are open in Europe, customers in the UK will have to wait a while longer to get behind the wheel. When it does find its way to our shores, the new C3 will have some stiff rivalry to contend with – the Dacia Sandero and recently-unveiled MG3 sit in the same sub-£20k price bracket that the C3 is expected to occupy.

What’s new for the 2024 Citroen C3?

First things first, this is an all-new generation of Citroen C3, sitting on a new platform called ‘Smart Car’. Designed to accommodate electric, hybrid and petrol powertrains, it's the same structure that underpins the new Vauxhall Frontera. This lends the new C3 a boxier, upright look with a clear SUV influence – although, at just 4,010mm long, it’s only grown 19mm from the outgoing car.

More noticeable is the near-100mm height gain over the old C3, which is largely down to the increased ground clearance. Citroen claims that this was designed to make getting in and out of the C3 easier, as well as to improve ride quality over speed bumps and potholes. Ride quality has long been Citroen’s forte, and it's doubled down for the new C3 by fitting a set of clever hydraulic bump stops into its suspension to take the edge off rough roads.

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Inside, you’ll find a pair of ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats, packed with more foam than before to further improve comfort. The rest of the cabin is entirely new, with a new 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen sitting centrally in a redesigned dashboard. A head-up display projects driving information onto the base of the windscreen, completely replacing the analogue gauges of the outgoing C3. The interior is rounded off by a fresh material palette and a new steering wheel.

Externally, the C3 wears a whole new outfit, swapping curves and rounded edges for boxier proportions. Inspired by the Citroen Oli concept of 2022, the C3 features LED headlights as standard, along with Citroen’s new oval badge.

What engines are available in the Citroen C3?

The C3 range begins with the 99bhp, 1.2-litre petrol variant, which drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

New for this generation of C3 is an electrified variant. Called the Hybrid 100, this model uses the same 1.2-litre petrol engine alongside a 28bhp electric motor. It’s a mild hybrid system, with the e-motor built directly into the six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Despite its small 48V battery, Citroen claims that drivers will be able to complete up to 50% of their city driving in pure-electric mode.

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How much does the Citroen C3 cost?

UK pricing and specs are yet to be confirmed, but the C3 has gone on sale in Europe costing from €14,990 (approximately £12,800). While we don’t expect that price to directly translate to the UK-bound C3, we know it will cost less than the e-C3, which Citroen says will start from under £23,000.

Read all about the new electric Citroen e-C3 or its twin, the new Vauxhall Frontera…