A mid-life revamp for the Citroen C3

CITROEN has given a midlife revamp to their attractive C3 supermini.

And all the talk is of better fuel consumption and three years free servicing for a limited period.

Citroen claim that their new PureTechi VTi petrol engines will give you up to 300 kilometres more range per full tank of fuel. I did a lot of driving in the C3 last week and while I am not great at the maths, the fuel gauge moved very slowly, especially on motorway driving. The efficient stop-start technology obviously helps.

The new exterior features a restyled front end and a new

‘face’ with updated chevrons and bumper-mounted LED daytime running lights. New tail lights combine with new reflectors set underneath the rear bumper for a fresh look.

No doubt about it this is a compact motor at 3.94 metres long and 1.71 metres wide. And with a 10.8 metre turning circle, it’s perfect for urban driving.

It may be compact, but there is room inside for five people. Admittedly there is not huge leg room for the back seat passengers. The seats are black and grey and you get a white roof. The black cockpit shine on the dash gives the interior decor a nice touch.

You get a decent sized boot. Officially the boot space is 300 litres, which makes it one of the largest in its class. And the good news is that there is a full-size spare wheel.

When you sit in the first thing you notice is that there is a lot of glass in your line of vision. The

‘Zenith Windscreen’ is huge and the glass extends back over your head and half way back the roof. The massive windscreen reminded me of a man with what’s known as a

‘high forehead’ or in plain language, going bald.

For a man it’s a great way to get a bit of colour on your forehead; it can be achieved even in Irish summers. I know you can buy a wig, but if only barbers could come up with a sliding roof like the C3 for balding men, then a lot of more of us would be very happy. However my female passengers were not happy as the

‘fold back’ roof meant there was no vanity mirror.

Prices start at e16,045 and clearly Citroen are doing their best to attract new customers with the offer of free servicing for three years. The 1.4 VTi82 version I drove will cost you e18,595. C02 emissions are low and vary from 87g/km to 127 g/km for the top of the range.

The Zenith Panoramic Windscreen is an extra

?¬400, while the reversing camera will add an extra thousand.

This is a cute, lively and economical motor. Over three million versions of the C3 have been sold worldwide since launch in 2002, so it definitely has pedigree.

The only problem seems to be worries about residuals. Citroen has not been great in that department in the past, so you may have to hold on to the car for a long time or buy another Citroen.