Citroen C3 1.2 Puretech 110 Flair 5Dr Eat6 Petrol Hatchback

Driving Experience

Though much has changed about this third generation C3, few of the differences can be found beneath the bonnet. Which means that power comes from much the same engine range used by final versions of its predecessor. To be fair, there wasn't a lot wrong with that car's powertrain line-up by the very end. The PureTech three cylinder 1.2-litre unit is frugal and willing, while the 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesels are amongst the cleanest and most frugal engines of their kind in the industry. First up at the bottom of the range is a 1.0-litre 68bhp unit that needs to be revved quite hard if you're to get anywhere near the quoted performance figures. Much better is the 1.2-litre version of this unit which offers either 82 or 110bhp and delivers the same distinctive three cylinder thrum but accompanies it with pokier performance. It also gives you the option of the brand's ETG semi-automatic gearbox. As for the BlueHDi diesel options, well there are two main ones. Most potential buyers will be looking at the 75bhp variant but a 100bhp version of this frugal unit is also offered.

Cost of Ownership

Almost every fashionable type of technology has been thrown at this car to drive its running costs down and, as you'd expect, the best returns can be achieved from the BlueHDi diesel models. Go for the entry-level BlueHDi 75 variant and you can expect over 80mpg on the combined cycle and 92g/km of CO2. If you're able to stretch to the top BlueHDi 100 model, then the figures are nearly as good - 95g/km of CO2 being possible if you're careful. Don't automatically sign on the dotted line for a diesel though, particularly if, like many supermini owners, you don't cover a huge number of annual miles. In the PureTech petrol range, the entry-level 68bhp 1.0-litre unit delivers around 65mpg on the combined cycle and 108g/km of CO2, while even the far pokier 1.2-litre VTi 82bhp unit manages the same CO2 showing and over 60mpg in regular use.

By Jonathan Crouch

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