Citroën ë-C3 review

When it comes to electric cars, motoring journalists hear lots of hype about "unparalleled efficiency", "supercar-rivalling performance", "ultra-rapid charging" and so on, yet concepts like simplicity and value for money rarely come up. So the launch of this new Citroën ë-C3 feels like a breath of fresh air.

With the ë-C3 Citroën is offering a small electric car with SUV-inspired styling, a spacious interior, a decent equipment list and a near 200-mile range for less than the price of an entry-level MG4 EV. Only the forthcoming Dacia Spring comes cheaper – and that's smaller and less powerful with a range of less than 150 miles.

How has Citroën produced such a cost-effective package? Well, traditionally, Citroën’s USP has been comfort, but now, under the Stellantis Group, the brand is also focused on delivering maximum value for money. Hence the development of a new Smart Car platform (no, not that one) that's cheaper and simpler to produce.

Citroën ë-C3 video preview

Citroën is also very proud of offering the ë-C3 with basic but essential features. So don’t expect keyless entry, powered seats, a panoramic roof or even a starter button – you need to use a key to turn it on.

It’s all wonderfully sensible, but you do have to wonder whether tech-loving drivers will be well served by that austerity or be better off with, say, a BYD Dolphin or MG4 EV. Read on to find out how the Citroën ë-C3 stacks up against the best electric car rivals...

At launch, the Citroën ë-C3 is available in just one configuration with a 43.7kWh battery that’s good for an official range of 201 miles.

That’s usefully more than you get from a Dacia Spring (149 miles) and not far behind a BYD Dolphin (211 miles in its cheapest guise) or MG4 EV SE (218 miles). In time there will be an even more affordable, smaller-battery ë-C3 with around 124 miles of range.

The 44kWh battery uses the same lithium iron phosphate (LFD) chemistry beloved by BYD. LFD units are typically cheaper to produce than other electric car batteries but are also heavier, and the range offered is more readily impacted by cold weather. That could be a problem in the UK, especially when Citroën won’t be offering an EV heat pump as an option. 

The mercury was hovering around 11 degrees when we tested the ë-C3 and it returned an efficiency of 3.8 miles per kWh, giving it a rough real-world range of around 170 miles. Not groundbreaking, but respectable. For reference, on the same day, an MG4 SE returned 3.6 miles per kWh and an entry-level BYD Dolphin managed 4.0 miles per kWh.

The ë-C3 has just 111bhp on tap and an official 0-60mph time of 10.4 seconds, while an MG 4 SE covers the same sprint in just 7.7 seconds, so we were worried it would feel hopelessly slow. In reality, it’s more than nippy enough from 0-50mph. It’s also incredibly easy to drive smoothly thanks to a linear, well-calibrated accelerator pedal.

While we suspect some buyers will disappointed to learn that the ë-C3 doesn’t feature a one-pedal driving mode or different grades of regenerative braking, we found the base regen setting well-judged. When you lift off the accelerator, the car slows down gently, making it ideal for smooth, unhurried urban dawdling.

If, though, you’re coming in hot toward a sharp bend or junction, you’ll need the brake pedal. And here’s where it stumbles a bit: the pedal has a spongy, vague feel, so getting a seamless stop takes a little extra finesse.

Despite being something of a budget option, the ë-C3 still gets Citroën’s Advanced Comfort suspension (hydraulically cushioned dampers).

It delivers a plush, pillowy ride over most surfaces, although the rear axle sometimes crashes over nastier bumps, and you’ll feel a bit of body roll if you decide to throw it around. Not that you’d buy a compact electric car expecting pin-sharp cornering prowess, mind.

Grip is good, and while the steering is light, it’s accurate enough, allowing the ë-C3 to glide along confidently at speed.

It’s certainly more engaging to drive than an equivalent BYD Dolphin and produces noticeably more grip in iffy conditions. Indeed, the Dolphin’s standard-fit Linglong tyres provide all the grip of a greased-up, er, dolphin. For those hankering after something a bit more fun to drive, the sharper MG4 remains tough to beat.

On the refinement front, the ë-C3 does generate some suspension clunks from the rear axle and you’ll notice a fair bit of tyre roar over coarser surfaces. Not enough to wear you down, but noticeable on a longer journey. Then again, neither the MG4 nor the Dolphin are exactly whisper-quiet companions either.

“The Citroën ë-C3’s official 0-60mph time of 10.4 seconds sound glacial but it’s not a liability in traffic. In fact, it feels rather nippy below 50mph.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The interior of the Citroën ë-C3 is not what you'd call plush but it doesn't feel too austere either. While plenty of hard plastics have been used throughout, the design itself is funky and modern – little motivational labels are stitched into the armrests on the doors, for example.

Our top-spec ë-C3 Max model had an attractive swathe of material across the dashboard. In other words, it’s a much more inviting interior than you’ll find in the monochrome MG4 EV. 

You even get what Citroën calls a head-up display, although it's not the sort you get on pricier cars. Rather than the graphics being projected on to the windscreen, they're on a reflective instrument panel. It’s a neat cost-effective design that places the digital speedo, battery charge level and trip information right in front of you.

It’s also easy to see the instruments over the unconventional oblong steering wheel – Citroën’s take, in effect, on the i-Cockpit set-up in Peugeot car models.

Unlike the BYD Dolphin and MG4, the ë-C3 has a plethora of tactile physical buttons for the climate control and to turn off drive assistance systems such as lane-keep assist. That makes operating them much easier while you're driving.

It's disappointing that Citroën didn’t put a little more effort into the infotainment system, with its murky 10.25in touchscreen and limited applications. Mercifully you get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard. 

In line with its SUV-inspired styling, the ë-C3's driving position is a touch higher than in an MG4 or Dolphin. Combined with tall side windows and relatively narrow pillars, visibility is generally good.

Nervous parkers will also be pleased to hear that rear parking sensors come as standard, while top-spec ë-C3 Max models gain a rear-view camera.

Speaking of the driving position, the seats themselves are worth discussing. Citroën calls them Advanced Comfort Seats and they use a high-density foam that was inspired by the bed industry. We found them to be lovely and plush.

There's no lumbar support adjustment, but we didn't miss it thanks to the supportive shape of the backrest.

“I don’t get on with Peugeots' small steering wheels and raised dials, but Citroën’s version works much better, with the dials unobstructed no matter how I set my seat. However, the steering wheel itself is a little awkward to hold.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The Citroën ë-C3 isn't the broadest car on the road but there’s still enough elbow room up front to keep passengers from awkwardly bumping into each other.

In the back, things get even better – you’ve got more head room than in a BYD Dolphin or MG4 EV, and because Citroën has cleverly stashed the battery under the rear seat, the floor is a sensible height. Translation? You can sit without feeling like your knees are auditioning for Cirque du Soleil.

Leg room is surprisingly generous for a car of this size too. Sure, the Dolphin and MG4 give you a bit more space – as does the Hyundai Inster – but the ë-C3 holds its own. And it’s got three rear headrests (the MG4 has two). You’ll still be rubbing shoulders with three in the back but that’s par for the course, even with pricier rivals like the Dolphin.

When it comes to boot space, the ë-C3 has a modest 310 litres. That’s less than the Dolphin and MG4 but much more than the Ora 03 offers. We managed to fit five carry-on suitcases under the parcel shelf with some space remaining for a soft bag – that’s the same number of cases as we squeezed into the Dolphin and MG4. 

That said, the ë-C3’s boot isn’t particularly clever. There’s no adjustable boot floor like you get in a Dolphin, for example. That’s a shame because the boot opening is quite small and it has a high load lip, which makes loading in heavy items a chore.

There’s also no hidden cable storage compartment under the boot floor or any storage under the bonnet, so the charging cables will have to go in with the rest of your luggage.

When you need more storage space, you can drop the rear seat backs in a 60/40 split. When folded down they leave a step up from the recessed boot floor, rather than creating a long, flat load area, like you find in the Hyundai Inster. 

“The e-C3’s boot looks small on paper, but it is deceptively deep. If you pack carefully there is easily enough space for a family road trip.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

You'll struggle to find a new electric car that undercuts the starting price of the Citroën ë-C3, with it coming in under the entry-level BYD Dolphin, the Hyundai Inster, the MG4 EV and the Ora 03. The Dacia Spring will be cheaper, but that's a significantly smaller car with a much cheaper feeling interior.

It it worth noting that if you go down the route of PCP finance, the ë-C3 in our favourite Max trim is only a few pounds a month less than an entry-level MG4 or and Inster in 02 trim.

Two trims are offered for the ë-C3: Plus and Max. Plus gets the basics, including touchscreen infotainment, LED headlights, comfort seats, comfort suspension and rear parking sensors.

For a small outlay, Max adds 17in diamond-cut alloy wheels, LED rear lights, tinted rear windows, automatic air conditioning, wireless phone-charging, a rear-view camera, electric rear windows, electrically folding and heated exterior mirrors, automatic wipers and automatic high-beam. It’s the one we’d go for. 

DC charging speeds for the ë-C3 are up to 100kW, which is faster than an equivalent BYD Dolphin or Hyundai Inster but slower than an MG4. That will deliver a 20-80% charge (around 90 to 100 miles of real-world range) in 26 minutes, but you have to remember the battery size is fairly modest. A standard 7kW home charger will fully charge the ë-C3 in around seven hours.

Citroën gives you a standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty on the ë-C3. The battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles, with a guarantee that it will be refurbished or replaced if it drops below 70% of the as-new performance in the warranty period.

The ë-C3 has not yet been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP but as standard it comes with lane-keep assist, speed-limit recognition, a driver attention alert system and automatic emergency braking (AEB).

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