Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroën C3 hatchback (2009-2016) - Practicality & boot space

A large boot and five doors make the Citroen C3 highly practical

Carbuyer Rating

2.4 out of 5

Owners Rating
Be the first to review
Practicality & boot space Rating

3.2 out of 5

The Citroen C3 has tall windows that give you a great view of the road, along with thin pillars either side of the windscreen that have been carefully designed to minimise blind spots at junctions and roundabouts.

It’s also available with a Zenith windscreen, which stretches back over your head to allow more light into the cabin. This comes as standard on higher-range models and is a £300 option elsewhere in the range.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The C3 is 3.9m long, the same length as the Hyundai i20 and slightly shorter than the Renault Clio. It clearly won’t be as easy to park as a city car, but the excellent visibility, light steering and optional rear parking sensors mean you shouldn’t have too many problems.

Citroen C3 interior space & storage

Inside the Citroen C3, the glovebox is smaller than it looks, as half its space is taken up with a fuse box, but there’s better news elsewhere. The door bins and other cubbyholes around the cabin mean there are plenty of places for your phone, snacks and wallet. The door bins could be a bit bigger, though.

A central front armrest (a £159 option or available as part of an option pack), adds discreet extra storage.

Unlike the three-door DS3, the C3 is only available with five doors, making getting in and out of the back much easier. A relatively tall roof also means rear space is pretty good, with decent headroom for such a small car.

Boot space

As well as being more comfortable than the Citroen DS3, the C3 is also more practical thanks to its 300-litre boot. This is also larger than you’ll find in a Ford Fiesta (290 litres), Volkswagen Polo (280 litres) and Peugeot 208 (285 litres). In fact, the boot is only 16 litres smaller than what you get in a Ford Focus. But it’s not class leading – that honour goes to the Honda Jazz, which has 379 litres of space behind the rear seats.

The C3 boasts 60:40 split-folding rear seats as standard, with 1,121 litres of freed up when you drop them down. Unfortunately, they don’t fold completely flat, so large items will need to sit at a slight angle. The boot opening itself is rather narrow, with a high loading lip, so large boxes can be a tight squeeze.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best?

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.2 Turbo Plus 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £17,990

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.2 Turbo Plus 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £17,990

Fastest

  • Name
    1.2 Turbo Plus 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • RRP
    £17,990

Richard is a former editor of Carbuyer, as well as sister site DrivingElectric.com, and he's now Deputy Editor at Auto Express. Having spent a decade working in the automotive industry, he understands exactly what makes new car buyers tick.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

All-new Toyota Urban Cruiser revealed
Toyota Urban Cruiser
News
12 Dec 2024

All-new Toyota Urban Cruiser revealed

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
13 Dec 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Volkswagen Black Editions: T-Cross and Tiguan get a stylish upgrade
Tiguan Black Edition
News
10 Dec 2024

Volkswagen Black Editions: T-Cross and Tiguan get a stylish upgrade

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
21 Oct 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: what does each symbol mean?

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps
Charging station
Tips and advice
23 Jul 2024

Electric car charging stations: public networks, charger types, apps and maps

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
Best electric cars
Best cars
16 May 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024