Citroen C3

It's not a driver's car, but if you're looking for something that covers bases and has a bit of character, the new C3 will put a satisfied little smile on your face.

• Comfort

  Manages a goodly amount of big-car poise over bumps with compliant suspension, and room up front is fine thanks to a high roofline. But it can be noisy in here and the rear seats are cramp-inducing on long journeys. Lucky you won't be doing any.

  

• Performance

  The new C3 has a large range of four-cylinder engines, from a food-mixer 61bhp 1.1 petrol, through to a pair of 1.4s that come in either 75 or 95bhp formats, to a whizzier 120bhp 1.6VTi nicked from the Mini. Diesels are either a 1.4 or a 1.6, and you can get 70, 90 or 110bhp. The high-selling 1.6HDi with 90bhp mated to a five-speed manual is perfectly acceptable. Strong through the mid-range, the 158lb ft of torque is delivered early and exceptionally quietly. It might not be the revviest of engines, but you certaintly don't feel short-changed even though it's not quick at 11 secs to 62mph. The gearbox and clutch are both light, lazy and easy - a little loose maybe but nothing that'll worry the kind of driver likely to find themselves in a diesel C3 by choice.

  

• Cool

  It just isn't.

  

• Quality

  The interior isn't quite as playful as the outside, but at least the C3 feels as though it was put together by sober people who care. We get a T-shaped dash, with an unfussy centre console and lots of detail. Gone are the tacky digital bits, instead we see analogue instruments that look far more classy. Even better, everything flows happily from one place to another - from the matte dash top, to the graphite plastic of the dash itself to the door cards, nothing feels like an afterthought. Colours are muted, with brief flashes of chrome to liven things up.

  

• Handling

  The steering is accurate and it rides well, too, remaining composed and quiet along uneven surfaces. You won't be surprised to hear that razor-sharp dynamics aren't really on the cards, with progressive understeer the only thing you'll provoke if you start getting excited. But it's perfectly good in almost every situation. Fun? No, not really. But it steers well, stops well, and deals with the bumps. It's fine.

  

• Practicality

  It's not so huge in the back seats, even though the rear legroomis supposed to be 30mm greater than before. However, the huge windscreen means the back seats don't feel as oppressive as most superminis.

  

• Running costs

  No issues here. All the engines are clean and return over 40mpg although the diesels average out at an impressive 65mpg. The CO2 emissions numbers are good with the diesels falling into the £30-a-year bracket.