At first glance, you might say: “Darling, I’ve shrunk the Avenger!” Visually, the Citroën ë-C3 is very similar to its corporate brother. It is compact but relatively high, with an angular design and upbeat colours (in addition to the boring standard black, white and grey monotony, there is also a pretty baby blue and a bright red).
The similarity is no coincidence, as the ë-C3 is the next evolutionary stage of the Jeep Avenger, Opel Mokka & Co. The basis for most of Stellantis’ current electric cars is the ‘Common Modular Platform’ (CMP), which originated at PSA. It has been further developed into the ‘CMP Smart Car‘ to achieve better technical data at lower prices.
With this technical background in mind, it is hardly surprising that the car immediately looks familiar, not only from the outside but also from the inside. The infotainment has the familiar Stellantis look, and everything from the gear selector to the centre console comes from the Group’s shelf. The quality remained the same despite the significantly lower price. There is a lot of hard plastic, though it is neatly finished, too many glossy surfaces, and a little more fabric upholstery.
Once again, Stellantis has not yet been able to come up with a purpose design, but opted for a multi-drive strategy with the corresponding advantages and disadvantages. For example, there is still no frunk, although there would be plenty of space there.
Instead of the familiar large and colourful speedometer display, there is now a relatively small, monochrome pseudo-head-up display, which does not show its information on the windscreen but directly below it. There are no gimmicks such as a GPS or even infotainment information here, but everything important for an EV: In addition to the speed, that includes the range in kilometres, percentage battery level, odometer and two consumption meters. The potential for distraction is low, and that’s what an affordable car like this needs. At a time when some other car manufacturers are doing away with the speedometer display altogether (e.g. Volvo EX30 and Tesla Model 3), it’s nice that Citroën has made a different decision here.
Bring your own device
The central screen is similarly tidy, providing access to GPS and radio but clearly signalling that you are better off using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Although the navigation system has a proper online search function and solid route guidance, the charging station directory is relatively useless due to the lack of filters. And there is no real charging planner. Instead of offering high-performance hardware in the vehicle, Citroën relies on customers’ smartphones. They have more power anyway, and various apps make EV route planning easy. With that in mind, the company offers an ‘E-Routes’ app that provides route guidance and charge planning on the smartphone while also receiving data on battery status and consumption directly from the vehicle so that the information can be adapted to the real-time situation. In the basic version, the central screen is entirely dispensed with; instead, only a smartphone holder is fitted in the centre of the dashboard. It may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it is a sensible cost-saving measure, considering that many customers prefer using their smartphone rather than the manufacturer’s software.
Good space
When driving, the ë-C3 is surprisingly comfortable and much softer than the older Stellantis EVs, some of which have a somewhat wooden set-up. The space is fine for four seats. Only the centre seat of the rear bench is more of a jump seat due to a bulky centre console and little seat width; you could also call the car a 4+1-seater. Thanks to the relatively high roof, there is plenty of headroom everywhere, and the front seats are high enough for rear passengers to have additional legroom under the driver and front passenger seats. Only the seating area on the rear bench is a little tight, but with an exterior length of only four metres, compromises have to be made somewhere. The small pedals can be a little tricky (and are typically French): With a slightly larger foot, it’s easy to unintentionally press the accelerator and brake pedals simultaneously. The small steering wheel, on the other hand, is pleasant and provides a go-kart feeling.
Consumption and charging: Solid
The acceleration is also acceptable – at 11 seconds from 0 to 100 kph, you won’t win a traffic light sprint, of course, but you can easily keep up in any traffic situation. Only on the motorway does the 83 kW engine feel a little weak at times. The recuperation is pleasant. It is set to the highest level as standard and can be deactivated at the touch of a button. Although it does not slow the car down to a standstill, it is easy to manage with just one pedal in flowing traffic.
At a constant 120 kph, the car allows itself 17.5 kWh/100 km – with the 43.7 kWh net battery capacity, that corresponds to a real 250 kilometres on the motorway. That’s perfectly fine for such an affordable car. The LFP battery also proves to be good-natured when charging; instead of the 100 kW from the datasheet, it only accepts 88 kW peak power but keeps this relatively constant and charges from 10 to 80 % in 35 minutes. Again, this is not a benchmark, but it is perfectly adequate for a low-cost entry-level vehicle.
Assistants and software: Beta
Unfortunately, we cannot assess the assistance systems because the test vehicles did not yet have the final production status, and all assistance functions were switched off. So we can only quote the official information here, according to which the ë-C3 will be equipped with a lane departure warning system, cruise control with limiter and traffic sign recognition, among other things. The latter, together with an acoustic warning, has become mandatory in the EU anyway, and Citroën has thankfully installed a well-positioned button with which the chime can be switched off – in most current vehicles, the constant beeping is quite annoying.
Prices and equipment
We tested the more expensive of the two equipment lines; the ‘Max’ version costs €27,800, which is €4,500 more than the basic ‘You’ variant. In addition to the central display, it also has electric rear windows, a reversing camera, a split-folding rear seat and an inductive charging cradle for smartphones. The Max version also has three additional USB-C ports – an essential feature for children whining for their iPads in the back seat. Speaking of children, there are two ISOFIX seats, left and right, at the rear.
In the basic version, the air conditioning and windscreen wipers are not automated but have to be controlled manually. Standard features include rear parking sensors, smartphone steering wheel controls, and a single-phase 7.4 kW AC charger (an 11 kW three-phase charger is available for an extra charge).
A successful second car
After this first test, we are tempted to categorise the ë-C3 as suitable for a primary car. It charges reasonably well and has enough range for everyday use and one or two holiday trips a year. The amount of space is fine for two people with a lot of luggage or three to four people with very light luggage. All in all, the ë-C3 is probably quite adequate for the requirements of the vast majority of drivers.
However, there are two drawbacks. The obvious one first: the combustion engine is at least €8,000 cheaper in both versions. That gives a good indication of what the car is actually worth. And even with the even more affordable version that has already been announced, this gap will only improve to a limited extent, as the version for under €20,000 will probably have to cut back on battery capacity.
LFP: a blessing and a curse
The bigger question mark, however, is whether the LFP batteries are suitable for winter use, because although they are cheap, they need to be warmer. During our test drive through Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Styria, the outside temperature did not fall below 20 degrees – the best possible conditions, so to speak. The range is likely to drop a little in winter, while the charging time will probably increase significantly. That means the ë-C3 loses potential clients.
Anyone dependent on every kilometre of range would be well advised to wait for the test reports from the cold season. Or the other way round: anyone who wants to get the ë-C3 as a primary car will be well advised to take a very close look at it and try it out thoroughly. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an all-round solid second car, you can order almost blindly now because the ë-C3 does pretty much everything right. If you want to get from A to B electrically without any frills, you can’t go wrong with the ‘You’ equipment line; essential things have not been omitted here. The ‘Max’ variant has various amenities, but those who prefer to save €4,500 can do so without major restrictions.
The first European price-performance cracker
With this car, Citroën not only sends a signal to Chinese manufacturers (who sell many cheap BEVs in their home market but have yet to bring one to Europe for under €25,000) but also to the competition within Europe. Unlike the Dacia Spring, the Citroën ë-C3 is not a rickety economy car but a real car, and, unlike VW’s ID.2, it can be ordered NOW.
- SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
- PlatoData.Network Vertical Generative Ai. Empower Yourself. Access Here.
- PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
- PlatoESG. Carbon, CleanTech, Energy, Environment, Solar, Waste Management. Access Here.
- PlatoHealth. Biotech and Clinical Trials Intelligence. Access Here.
- Source: https://www.electrive.com/2024/06/06/let-the-price-war-begin-first-test-drive-with-the-new-citroen-e-c3/