The Citroen C3 is finally here! Making its first appearance in Malaysia's shore in 2003, with about less than 200 units on the road, and a long list of of horrible failures, such as the failing actuator of the Sensodrive Automated Manual Transmission, the discolouration of the athermic windscreen, peeling soft-touch plastic surface, etc., let's hope this round the aging Citroen C3 is serious on luring back some confidence. The one we will be having here is the 2nd-generation, which made its debut in 2009 and facelifted in 2013. One will wonder that with a lifespan of about 1.5 years, an all new Citroen C3 will be available, why now? Maybe Naza finally noticed owners of previous C3 are Citroen's lover, who keep the car for the past 12 years, and returning the Citroen Service Centre to upkeep their cars. But the truth is, as an owner myself, we have no choice. There is no residual value in the used car market for the C3, unless we are willing to let it go for couple of thousands, and the complication from the electronic in the car...just scared other third party Ah Beng workshop away!
The new Citroen C3 has not taken any drastic changes in the look department, keeping its artistic roundish profile, and it is the first ever car with a Zenith windscreen in 2009, which stretch all the way back till the front seat position, providing an extreme spacious feel, and for those that like enjoying the moonlight. In our weather, the shade better to be in the normal position, unless we want to save the hair dryer cost and let the sunlight does its job.
Only the Exclusive trim is available, and according to NEM, it should be priced around RM103k. Launching should be in the month of May, but once the government approves the price, new car could then start to deliver even before the launching date. Please, make this car below RM100k. The C3 is categorized as a supermini by Euro NCAP, only achieved 4-star rating in 2009's result. It's sibling, the Peugeot 208, which has a fresher design, has a complete 5-star rating in 2012.
Similar to the Peugeot 208, the Citroen C3 is powered by the familiar VTi unit from the Prince family. It is capable of 120hp/160Nm of power, mated to the old 4-speed gearbox. Again, why? Isn't it time we get the all new Puretech engine and 6-speeder instead? Oh, by the way, please, forget about the ETG6 gearbox, and just bring in the normal torque converter auto. We are also so tired of the Prince engine now.
Interior is dated, especially the single din audio player and climate control. Well, these are dated back to 6 years ago, thus do not expect it looks as good or as cool as the Peugeot 208. At least it has a 7" screen which support navigation, but the map could be lousy, and it is not a touch screen. Comparing to the Citreon DS3, the C3 interior then looks modern, but nothing more fancy than other cars in the same range.
Boot space is very similar to the previous generation of C3, which is 300-litre. However, when the rear seat are folded, the hatchback could still carry quite some huge objects, including some of your Ikea's furniture or the old 29" TV that refuse to "koyak".
Being a Citroen, having a plush comfy padded seat is a must and the C3 does not disappoint here. Though only available in cloth, it is far better than the 2003 C3 which came in light gray colour which did not resist well to dirt, dust and water. All seats, including the rear has 3-points belt and individual headrest. Headrest is always an important safety feature in all European car and you will not see rear seat with in-built headrest like our low cost car here. Proper headrest height could save one live, and prevent whiplash injury...Rakyat of Malaysia, wake up, and start demanding for better safety features in your car.
When you have a big screen, beside having navigation, the next most useful feature will be the reverse camera. No, the C3 will not park itself, but it has 4 reverse sensors and a camera assisting those that failed their parking test. Come on, this is a supermini car, if one cannot park this car, go back to your "Lembu" license, and stop driving on the road.
The C3 sit on 205/45R17 rubbers, with dual tone Clover alloy rims. The spare however is a spare saver temporal tire this round instead of a full size unit, which could translate to fuel efficiency as it is lighter. Rear torsion beam with coil spring suspension is retained.
Want a car that turns head? Get a Citroen. Want a car with no 2nd hand value? Get a Citroen. Want a chubby nice looking car? Get a Citroen C3. On the safety department, albeit the 4-star NCAP rating, the car comes with 6-airbag, ABS, ESP, ISOFIX mount points, sleek daylight running light and variable power steering, just to name a few. If you love the Boomerang headlights on the Citroen C3, go put down your booking and the following keys is yours in coming month. Do note that keyless entry and push start button is not available, thus the traditional key fob.
