Practical to make way for funk.
Citroën is certainly gearing up for a fun 2018, as the quirky French carmaker has culled its (relatively) pedestrian C4 Picasso mini-MPV to make way for the more fresh, more fun, more funky C3 hatchback, which will be arriving in October. Aside from its more distinctive styling (which is unashamedly derived from the bigger C4 Cactus, which is no bad thing), the C3 also aims to appeal to a far more youthful set, thanks to a wide range of personalisation options.
As has become the norm for Citroën in recent years, the C3 will arrive with nine exterior paint hues, three contrasting roof colours, and more customisation options than we’d care to count. In total, your C3 could take on no less than 36 forms, ensuring that you’ll never mistake someone elses’ funky French hatchback for your own. The ‘Airbump’ strips that we first saw on the C4 Cactus will also feature on the C3, albeit as an option, should you rather your car take a sleeker look.
Additional features like a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone mirroring and Citroën’s ‘ConnectedCam’ forward-facing integrated dash cam systems have grabbed headlines in European markets, but remain unconfirmed for local offerings. The same status extends to the nine range, which carries a 1.2-litre three-pot petrol (in three states of tune, namely 50kW, 60kW, and 81kW) and a 1.6-litre turbodiesel (available in 55kW and 73kW power outputs). We’d ideally like to see both engines offered locally, as the petrol will likely be a hit with urban drivers, while regular long commuters will appreciate the fuel economy and torque of the oilers.
Gearbox options have also gone without clarification, with the C3 offered in global markets with a six-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual transmission (no automated manual here). We have little doubt that the C3 will be a surefire hit with its target audience, if the popularity of the C4 Cactus is any indication (the first-ever Citroën in our market to have a waiting list). We’re also pretty sure that more details of the Australian-market C3 will be revealed closer to its October debut, so stay tuned as we bring you more updates as they come.
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