Touring Gauteng in the updated Citroën C3

Citroën South Africa recently hosted national media at the upmarket Hotel Sky in Sandton for the launch of the updated Citroën C3.

In recent times, manufacturers have introduced products with minor revisions in what they call a “soft launch.” In other words, a press release and a call from the fleet manager asking when they can drop off the vehicle for you and your team to review.

So to host an opulent event (in typical French style) for a car that has mainly cosmetic updates seemed strange. However, this wasn’t just the launch of the C3 but also an introduction into the new mother ship, Stellantis!

A recent merger between the PSA Groupe and FCA has birthed Stellantis which houses brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Abarth to name those relevant to our market.

Stellantis falls into the world’s top four motoring groups, with Q1 2021 seeing them come out as the sales leader in Europe with a market share of 26,6%. While overall group sold for the first 3 months were over 1,5-million vehicles.

With a strong product offensive still on the cards for 2021, which will see a host of new models from the aforementioned brands, we look forward to seeing what the local arm of the group has in store!

Back to the topic at hand, we piloted the range-topping Shine model which uses a 1.2-litre 81kW 3-cylinder engine and is paired exclusively to a 6-speed auto. There is a cheaper Feel model on offer which employs a naturally aspirated engine with the same displacement to the tune of just 60kW. And you have to change your own gears. Prices start at R269 900 for the Feel and hits R324 900 for the Shine.

So what’s actually new? Well, there’s nothing to report in terms of the oily bits – that’s all carried over from the previous model. Instead, the most notable changes are upfront which include resigned headlights that feature new LED signatures. The front bumper has been incorporated into the headlights while Citroën’s updated logo takes centre stage both front and back.

Some love it others hate it, but the AirBumps are here to stay! If you’ve gotten used to BMW’s new grille, the AirBumps don’t seem like too much of a hurdle to get over. Especially as they are actually practical and protect your car from those who have a little less respect in the parking lots!

Speaking of parking lots, we were leaving the ones in Sandton and on our way out to Hartebeesport. In and around the city, the engine had plenty of punch enabling you to accelerate into gaps with ease. There was however some harsh feedback through the steering wheel over more jarring road surfaces. While the 16-inch alloys look great, they do contribute to a slightly firmer ride than if you had opted for the 15-inches on the Feel model.

On the open road, the engine again impressed as it was able to cruise up to the national speed without breaking a sweat and managed to maintain that speed even when traveling at steeper gradients. The 3-cylinder engine also makes a lovely noise when pushing on!Overall NVH levels were on par for this segment and the niceties fitted to the cabin made our trip that much more enjoyable.

The 7-inch infotainment system is fitted with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while there are a host of other standard features. The C3 also comes with an array of safety features which includes active safety braking, lane keep assist, collision warning and driver attention warning. The seats were a standout for me as they were extremely supportive and cosseting but are only available in cloth.

All-in-all, the C3 remains a solid contender in this segment – with a host of standard features and an enjoyable driving characteristic. Citroën have slightly tweaked the recipe to make the new C3 a more desirable car and in doing so, reminded us why it should be a product certainly worth being on your shortlist.