Small hatchback is reinvented with electric power and an affordable price On sale Early 2024 Price from £22,000 (est)
George Hill george.hill@haymarket.com
FIRST LOOK
DO YOU THINK most electric vehicles (EVs) are too big and too expensive? Well, the new Citroën e-C3 could be the car to change your mind, because it will be one of the smallest and cheapest new EVs you can buy when it goes on sale early next year.
With prices expected to start at around £22,000, the e-C3 will undercut other relatively affordable EVs such as the BYD Dolphin (from £26,140 when smaller-battery versions arrive next year) and MG 4 (from £26,995) by a substantial margin. Only the Dacia Spring, which arrives in the UK next summer, is likely to be cheaper, costing from around £20,000.
The e-C3 is powered by a 111bhp electric motor and a battery with a 44kWh total capacity, the latter delivering an official range of 199 miles.That’s less than the Dolphin (211 miles in its cheapest guise) and MG 4 SE (218 miles), but more than the Spring (149 miles).
Charging speeds are more competitive, with the e-C3 accepting rates of up to 100kW. So, with a suitably powerful charging point, a 10-80% top-up should take around 30 minutes. That’s quicker than the Dolphin can manage and similar to the MG 4.
Inspired by the chunky styling of last year’s Oli Concept, the e-C3 is the first production model to show off Citroën’s new design direction and logo. It borrows some of the rugged styling cues that make SUVs so popular, including a tall, boxy shape, wheel arch cladding and roof rails, while the headlights are slim LED units.
At 4.01 metres long and 1.57 metres high, the e-C3 is slightly larger than the current petrol-powered C3 – especially in terms of height.This is potentially good news, because space and practicality are below par in the existing model.
The e-C3’s larger size pays dividends when it comes to luggage space, too. At 310 litres, the boot is bigger than those of the outgoing C3 (300 litres) and the Ora Funky Cat (228 litres). And while it’s smaller than the Dolphin’s (345 litres) and MG 4’s (363 litres), there should be more than enough space for a large weekly supermarket shop.
