France naturally remains Citroën’s number one market and while sales have trailed Dacia for most of 2025, in October, the gap was down to 940 cars (10,946 versus 10,006). What’s behind this? Not just one model but nonetheless there is a certain car which has become something of a saviour for the brand.
With C3 sales up by 48 per cent in October, the little hatchback was number four in France, pulling ahead of the Peugeot 2008, and behind the Sandero, Clio and 208. Time to borrow one and see just why so many people are buying this small-and-tall model.
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Staying ahead of Toyota and Volkswagen in France
If Stellantis can keep the fresh models coming, Citroën may stand a better chance of catching and passing Dacia at home in 2026. It won’t do it this year but returning to position three would be a great achievement. At least 2025 can be remembered as the year when the French marque was able to bounce back and stay ahead of both Toyota and VW.
What makes the success of the C3 all the more interesting is that this is not a new car. I had somehow not driven one until recently though had crossed paths with its ë-C3 brother. The EV was launched first, announced in October 2023 with the C3 then revealed in October 2024.
Smart platform, smart design
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By GlobalDataBoth electric and thermal variants use the same platform, Smart Car being an evolution of PSA and Dongfeng Motor’s co-developed CMP and eCMP architectures. In fact, so altered is the Stellantis platform that it doesn’t share much with the original IC and EV designs. The cars themselves are almost identical, badging denoting which is electric and which isn’t.
At 4,015 mm long, the C3 slots perfectly into the European B segment, the design being lanky and with a relatively long wheelbase and short overhangs. Engine choice is either a 74 kW (100 PS) and 205 Nm 1,199 cc three-cylinder turbo with six-speed manual transmission or an MHEV producing 81 kW (110 PS).
How and why did 100 become 110 PS?
Stellantis used to quote 100 or 136 PS for its two versions of the 1.2-litre mild hybrid, though in the case of the C3 only the lower of those variants is available. But then it changed the power outputs to 110 or 145 PS whilst maintaining that it was the same engine in each case. Now we know where the mysterious extra oomph comes from.
Previously, the electric boost’s output was not included. Now it is. This has always been 21 kW and 55 Nm, the motor being integrated with a six-speed automatic transmission. Power and torque numbers are combined outputs so a little less than the sum of combustion engine and motor.
The 81 kW (110 PS) and 107 kW (145 PS) 48V MHEVs continue to be in all manner of Stellantis models, including the Peugeot 2008, Alfa Junior and Citroën C5 Aircross. Each is called a Hybrid and a case can be made for that being technically correct. Even so, the motor is more of a supplementary propulsion system rather than something which will propel the car on its own over extended distances.
Sixty or more miles per gallon
The C3 has always been a fairly light car, even in electric form, and yes, even too as a mild hybrid. The work was clearly put in to eliminate non-essential mass and this has paid off in terms of fuel economy.
Any owner can easily average in excess of 50 mpg; even 60+ is possible. Officially, the EV is just over 1,400 kg while the MHEV is about 150 less than that and the IC model only 1,150 kilos.
Standard spare wheel
Supplied for the test in Max trim level, the car I tried had something of a curious specification. I was impressed to find a spare tyre below the 310-litre boot’s false floor and no mention of it as an extra-cost item. So a bit of weight which almost all OEMs would consider non-essential is there. But it gets even more interesting.
Apart from Suzukis, I can’t think of many cars which come without one-touch electric window switches. Usually it’s only the driver’s which gets that function. The C3 Max doesn’t have this function at all. But so what? You start the car with a key and a centrally-positioned landscape format screen is just-right small. So too is the diameter of the steering wheel, and if you have it very low the digital instrumentation isn’t even partially obscured. Why can’t all cars be like this?
Stitched-in messages
I could live without the orange message tags on each door card but perhaps ‘be cool’, ‘have fun’, ‘feel good’ and ‘be happy’ (I swear I am not making this up) will make some owners smile. At the C3 isn’t as horribly beepy as so very many other cars. It largely stays quiet and another nice feature is an abundance of real buttons and dials. Base specification has old-style twist-for-air HVAC controls but Max model grade gets you buttons but also digital readouts. Both systems are perfectly convenient.
A few things perhaps could be improved, such as the always too-slow Stellantis P-R-D-L selector switch. What else? Well, knee room in the rear isn’t exactly class-leading. Still, the seat-backs are fabric rather than unyielding plastic and anyway, this is a small car. It’s also commendably narrow so ideal for British garages. The tailgate opens nice and high though oddly that also means it bumps into the bee-sting aerial: a strange design flaw.
Hustled along, the C3 is nippy enough though it does roll a bit. Yet this is also a very comfortable vehicle. It’s also always keen to maximise energy otherwise lost under braking, take-offs are seamless with the start-stop system near-silent and NVH levels are generally low. The steering is light but not too light and grip from what are sized-for-economy tyres very good indeed. Roads were often wet during my week with the car.
Not only manufactured in Slovakia; now Serbia too
Stellantis made a good move back in April when it added a second production location for the C3 and ë-C3, this being Kragujevac, joining Trnava. Other Smart Car models such as the Fiat Grande Panda were already manufactured there so it was a relatively inexpensive and uncomplicated move to starting making the Citroëns too.
Summary
Pricing is keen, which does explain the sales performance – the C3 is also doing well in Britain – but the model has so many inherent strengths it’s hardly surprising to learn that demand is becoming ever greater. It doesn’t have the same keen dynamics as a Ford Puma but against that, super-comfortable suspension gives the Citroën a special appeal. I can see exactly why a rising number of buyers are choosing a C3.
The as-tested Citroën C3 Max Hybrid 110 e-DCS6 costs GBP22,315 OTR. Top speed is 99 mph, 0-62 mph takes a claimed 9.8 seconds, Combined economy is 56.5 mpg and the CO2 average is 114 g/km (WLTP).
