Citroen eC3

The No Frills Driver’s Car

EVs are gaining in popularity with each passing day, and while adoption is still relatively slow in India compared to North American and European markets, tier 1 and tier 2 cities are witnessing a steady growth in EV sales. And the reason is not just development of infrastructure, but also the availability of more affordable mass market EVs. One such mass market EV is the Citroën ë-C3, which is based on the C3 hatchback and sits in the ₹11–14 lakh segment. But while the French automaker hopes to disrupt the Indian EV market with this offering, it is still largely dominated by the large portfolio of EVs offered by India’s very own Tata Motors. Does the Citroën ë-C3 pack enough to take the battle to the Tata Tiago EV? And is it a wise choice to get an EV like the ë-C3 instead of a similarly priced ICE-powered subcompact SUV?

Citroën ë-C3 Pros and Cons 

Citroën ë-C3 Exterior Design 

It is interesting that in a world where manufacturers go to any length to call their product an SUV (Maruti even calls the tiny S-Presso an SUV), Citroën has chosen to call this a B-segment hatchback. The ë-C3 looks butch and tough, and with the body claddings and tall proportions, we would totally be on board to call this a micro SUV. Citroën has kept the appearance of the ë-C3 identical to the petrol powered C3, and save for some ‘ë’ badging and a cutout for the charging port on the front fender, there’s nothing to signify that this is the electric counterpart of the hatchback. The design of the ë-C3 looks modern and youthful, and while it isn’t a head turner, it surely is eye pleasing. In fact, in a bid to be more colourful, Citroën has added dual tone colour options which allow you to have an orange roof, rear view mirrors, and cladding inserts all over the body with a white or grey finish elsewhere on the car. While it does make the ë-C3 appear youthful, for anyone who doesn’t appreciate orange it will be a big no-no. Don’t worry, you do have the options to not have any orange, anywhere. 

Pay close attention to the exterior, and you will notice that many bits of the design are still left in the past. The door handles are still the flappy style, all lights are bulb-type and not LEDs (except the DRLs), and the rear bumper is not body coloured either — albeit the design does make it look like cladding and therefore, passable. 

Citroën ë-C3 Interiors 

Step inside the cabin of the ë-C3 and you will notice that the interior follows the same philosophy as the exterior. The quality of materials used is good considering its segment, and the hard plastics also have a nice finish. There’s also a big orange insert that runs across the dash which looks premium, thanks to the matte texture, and similar to the exterior if you are not a fan of orange you can opt for a dark grey insert instead. While the fit and finish is good, you will notice a stark lack in features in the cabin compared to rivals. Yes, it does get a 10.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but apart from that, most things seem to be borrowed from the past. While the air conditioner is outstanding at cooling the cabin, the controls are still manual; the instrument cluster only sports a small digital LCD multi-information display (which won’t feel out of place on a scooter); rear window switches are placed behind the handbrake instead of on the doors itself; and there are no adjustable headrests, split rear seatbacks, or a front armrest. 

Look beyond these misses though, and you will notice that the ë-C3 is very practical and functional. There’s multiple storage spaces throughout the cabin, and many nifty touches like a groove around the AC controls to wrap around any loose USB cables, and a small dock for a phone holder, placing your smartphone right next to the screen. The cabin has sufficient space for four adults, and 315 litres of boot capacity is also unchanged from the petrol counterpart, thanks to the entire battery pack being placed between the wheels.

Citroën ë-C3 Comfort 

If you are familiar with the Citroën brand and their first car launched in India — the C5 Aircross — you’ll know that it takes the comfort and ride quality of its cars very seriously. The story is no different with the ë-C3. It glides over uneven surfaces effortlessly, and  bump absorption is also good. Especially for urban environments filled with potholes and broken roads, the ë-C3 makes for a much more comfortable offering when compared to electric rivals such as the Tata Tiago EV.

On the seating front, one of the only drawbacks is that none of the passengers get adjustable headrests. That aside, the seats themselves are very soft and comfortable. The range of adjustability for the driver’s seat is also significant, making it easy to find a position that suits you best. The level of adjustability on the seat also aids ergonomics, and once you find a comfortable position, spending hours here would be a breeze. Thanks to the batteries being placed under the floor, the floor is now raised by 70 mm which does make the seating position at the back a bit knees-up. But there’s enough space to extend your feet under the front seats and get comfortable by stretching out. However, the narrow cabin means that the rear seat is best suited for only two adults. A foldable armrest for the rear passengers is also missing.

Citroën ë-C3 Performance and Handling

The petrol powered C3 made up for its deficits in features with punchy engines and great handling. The ë-C3 is a little different. While the turbo petrol C3 delivers a segment leading power figure of 109 bhp, the ë-C3 has just a smidge more than half of that! That's significantly lower than even the non-turbo C3, and it is very noticeable out on the road. The initial acceleration is still tuned to match ICE cars, so you won't notice much power deficit until you hit 30 km/h. However, as you gain speed, the power tapers off, and there isn't much left to accelerate hard past 60. The top speed of the ë-C3 is also a modest 107 km/h, which is less than the Tiago EV, and in the same ballpark as the tinier and cheaper MG Comet.

The Citroën ë-C3 is tuned to deliver a comfortable and carpet-like ride, and while the lighter petrol variants still offer dynamic handling to go with the forgiving suspension, the heavier ë-C3 doesn’t. Thanks to the heavy 29.2 kW battery pack, the suspension of the ë-C3 has been re-tuned, and although Citroën has managed to keep the bump absorption rate the same, the body roll has gone up, making this feel a bit lethargic in corners. Having said that, since most mass market EVs will spend 95% of their time in the urban jungle stuck in traffic, the power deficient motor and sedate handling won't be an issue for most people. But given the price hike it commands over the ICE variants, a more spritely motor should've been a part of the ë-C3, even if it came with a 20-30 km drop in range. 

Citroën ë-C3 Battery, Charging, and Range

The C3 is based on Citroën’s CMP platform, which the company says was designed specially for its electrification capabilities. Thanks to this, Citroën was rather prompt in launching the ë-C3 after the C3, and the electric tech underneath the skin is also better placed than in some rivals. Because of the CMP platform’s capabilities, the Citroën ë-C3’s battery pack is just one single unit that sits between the two axles, rather than a split unit with a part of it sitting under the boot. This allows the ë-C3 to still have a spare tyre, as well as identical boot space as the ICE counterpart at 315 litres.

The battery pack itself is a 29.2 kWh lithium-ion unit with high energy density, and paired with its rather sedate 56 bhp and 143 Nm motor can deliver a range of up to 320 km on a single charge, as per ARAI. Real world range figures are around 220 km per charge, which is highly dependent on how you drive the car. 

As for charging, Citroën doesn’t provide an AC wall box home charger, even as an optional extra. So for charging at home, you will be stuck charging with the portable 3.3 kW charger, which can charge the ë-C3 in about 10.5 hours from 10-100%. Using a public DC fast charger will drop the charging time significantly, but Citroën has chosen to opt for slightly slower charging to manage heat better. On a fast charger then, you can charge it from 10-80% in a claimed 57 minutes. Since charge speeds are on the slower side, and discharge speeds are well-managed thanks to a small motor, Citroën has opted to use air cooling for the batteries instead of liquid cooling, making the system simpler and saving cost.

Citroën ë-C3 Key specifications 

Citroën ë-C3 Safety Features

Similar to other areas of the car, safety features in the Citroën ë-C3 are the bare minimum. Dual airbags, ABS, and ESP are part of the package, but there’s not much beyond that. In fact, doors and other areas of the car also feel lightweight, and don’t give you a reassuring feeling. The Citroën C3 that is produced in Brazil was crash tested by Latin NCAP, and it returned an appalling zero stars in the test. The C3 and the ë-C3 produced in India are yet to be crash tested by Global NCAP, but given that most differences between the models are cosmetic, the score is expected to largely be the same.

Citroën ë-C3 Technology and Infotainment

The Citroën ë-C3 may be lacking in features, but Citroën hasn’t cut any corners with the infotainment system. Taking centre stage on the orange (or grey) cladded dash is a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment. The system packs in wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is a great addition for this segment which mostly sees 7- or 8-inch units with only wired connectivity for Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Not just that, but the system is paired to a six speaker setup which delivers beautiful audio quality. The ë-C3 also packs connected car tech with over 35 features. Having said that, a better instrument cluster would have been nice to have. The current MID screen only shows basic information like state of charge and range.

Is the Citroën ë-C3 for you?

Despite the subsidies on EVs, purchasing an EV is still a costly affair. Yes, the running costs on electrics is a lot less than ICE cars, but to recover the large premium you have to pay to get one, you will have to travel a significantly large number of kilometres. That is easily doable in a costlier EV that has a long range and a good amount of power to cruise on highways for hours. But smaller mass market EVs with small power and range figures will largely be restricted to the city, covering fewer kilometres throughout their life cycle. As a consumer then, one should only consider getting an electric hatch over a petrol one if their daily commute is north of 50 km, or if they are really conscious about the environment. 

Talking specifically about the ë-C3, it has its share of strengths and weaknesses when compared to similarly positioned rivals like the Tata Tiago EV. The ë-C3 is the most underequipped EV in the Indian market in terms of features, and the performance figures are also second to last, being slightly better than the MG Comet EV. Unlike the ICE counterpart, handling isn't its strong suit either, and the Tiago EV is a little more entertaining when it comes to cornering. However, where the ë-C3 shines is on the comfort and practicality front. The ride quality of the ë-C3 is second to none in the segment, and the more time you spend in it navigating through pothole-ridden streets, the more you'll come to appreciate it. It also has a significantly larger boot than rivals, and rear seat space and comfort is also much better. The ë-C3 also delivers a longer range than rivals, with a claimed figure of 320 km on a single charge, and real world figures around 220 km. This puts the ball in your court. If you prefer comfort over performance, or if you travel with more than two people in the car, then the ë-C3 would be the right pick for you. However, if you usually commute alone and prefer a slightly more dynamic and involving drive, then you will be better off considering one of its rivals.

Citroen e-C3 Sales Trend