Citroen C3 review

You’re looking at a starting figure of £18,805, which gets you into the 1.2-litre petrol. The hybrid adds £1,810, while the electric e-C3 adds almost the same again, starting at £22,095, but does enjoy the government e-grant - meaning it undercuts the hybrid by £20 at the time of writing.

Either way, there aren't too many better value rivals out there beyond its Fiat Grande Panda cousin and the pesky MG 3. It otherwise trumps pretty much all else including the Mazda 2, Renault Clio, Toyota Yaris, and Suzuki Swift. Told you it was cheap…

What's on the kit list?

Two trim options are available, with the petrol only available in Plus trim, and the hybrid additionally available in bougier Max trim.

As standard, every version gets 17-inch alloy wheels, two-tone paint, roof rails, electric heated and folding door mirrors, the head-up display dials, advanced comfort seats, advanced comfort suspension, a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, rear parking sensors and cruise control.

Range-topping Max versions add £1,700 and bring front fog lights, heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen, rear privacy glass, Citroen Connected Navigation, wireless charging, and a rear camera. Not to mention electric windows in place of old-school wipers that might, actually, have amused the kids more readily...

The standard colour is light 'Monte Carlo' blue, white is an extra £275, black, grey and metallic blue are £595, and metallic red is £695. We’re not saying we’ll ban you from this website if you get it in white, black or grey, but…

'Petrol or hybrid' might be your biggest decision, but with very similar fuel economy in reality - and the need to cover rather a lot of miles to offset their price deficit in fuel savings alone - the choice should perhaps read 'manual or automatic' instead; that's their biggest difference beyond the option of all that additional equipment. And if you can fit a wall box at home, choosing the (very!) slightly cheaper e-C3 while you can grab a government grant might appeal more than the hybrid anyway...

Oh, and with that September 2025 'stop-drive' notice in mind, make sure any C3 you're buying - new or used - has been fixed in line with Stellantis' recall.