New Citroen C3 Collection review: hard to justify when the Max is just £900 more
Citroen's cheapest petrol model has plenty of things that make it an attractive choice, but for under £1,000 more, the highly-equipped Max is even more so
Verdict
The Citroen C3 Collection, at a glance, represents pretty good value for money, with a perky petrol engine, lots of space, a comfortable ride and just enough of the necessities to ensure you don’t feel shortchanged. However, with the Max spec and its heated seats, wireless phone charger and extra safety tech only costing £900 more, we think most people would be better off treating themselves and stepping up the range – especially given the price differentiation will be negligible when it comes to monthly finance or lease costs.
If you’re going to spend less than £20,000 on a new car, you’re limited in terms of options; most cars at this price point are dinky city cars, while most EVs only offer second-car levels of range. But what if you want something that’s cheap to run, but will also offer enough space and comfort for a small family?
Re-enter the Citroen C3, Auto Express’ 2024 Car of the Year, which has received a new entry-level ‘Collection’ spec for 2026. Starting from £19,670, it’s slightly more expensive than the outgoing Plus model, which is now only available on the electric Citroen e-C3, but nevertheless brings a handful of welcome aesthetic and assistance upgrades.
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Immediately noticeable are the ‘Urban Blue’ seats which replace the Plus’ grey fabric offering. These feel pretty premium for a car of the C3’s price and utilise Citroen’s pillowy ‘Advanced Comfort’ design. Combined with the hydraulic bump-stop tech from the French brand’s ‘Hydraulic Cushion’ suspension, even the entry-level C3 offers a level of comfort and composure that goes well beyond the average for a car of its size.
Not that the Collection feels at all ‘entry-level’; sure there’s no heated seats, electronic climate control or built-in sat-nav like range-topping Max models, but standard equipment nevertheless covers all the basics. Over and above the old Plus, the Collection adds tinted rear windows, gloss-black 17-inch wheels, several splashes of red trim and, perhaps more importantly, a reversing camera.
As before, infotainment comes courtesy of a 10.25-inch central touchscreen and a slim head-up display above the steering wheel as in the Citroen Xsara Picasso or, more recently, the BMW iX3. As with the Citroen's main rivals, the Dacia Sandero and the Suzuki Swift, the main screen in the centre is little more than a glorified radio, or a canvas on which to project your mobile phone content via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s pretty responsive to inputs, but does take a while to switch on.
When you do turn on the ignition, however, you’ll notice two things: one, the C3 Collection still uses a traditional flip-out car key and two, there are three pedals in the driver’s footwell. That’s because the Citroen C3 is one of the very few new cars still available with a manual transmission.
For starters, the clutch, while certainly light, is far from limp and it’s easy to find the admittedly high biting point. The shifter, on the other hand, slots into each ratio with a satisfying clunk and is a lot more enjoyable to use than the Renault Clio-derived transmission in the Sandero. A sixth gear also adds to the feeling of refinement on a motorway and is ideal for preserving precious petrol. During our time with the car, we returned a reasonable 47.8mpg – not bad considering the lack of hybrid assistance, nor is it far off Citroen’s claimed figure.
Aside from efficiency, the C3’s pure-petrol engine is a bit of a mixed bag; it feels pretty peppy in lower gears, with a pleasant three-cylinder thrum. Accelerate up towards 70mph, however, and you’ll find it begins to sound a bit like a broken washing machine as it begs for you to choose a higher ratio. It does also emit some vibration into the cabin, but this is by no means detracting and is generally concealed by road imperfections and wind noise when on the move.
The C3’s steering is nicely weighted, if on the lighter side, but isn’t all that direct, meaning the car isn’t all that keen to tuck into a corner at speed. Body lean is kept mostly in check, despite the car’s high roofline for its class, but don’t expect Formula One levels of grip from the Citroen’s thin, fuel-preserving tyres.
Instead, it’s pootling around at a relaxed pace that suits the C3 best and its ability to be used as a couple’s-only car – or even for small families – is only bolstered by the impressive amount of space inside. There’s no centre armrest on the Collection, sadly, although there is a handy, funky-looking, fabric-lined cubby on the dashboard complete with a USB-C charger. Two more of these chargeports can be found in the back, where there’s a good amount of head and knee room for adults, plus two Isofix child-seat mounting points.
The petrol-powered C3 Collection’s 310-litre boot is the same as on hybrid and electric versions. That leaves just about enough space for a large suitcase or the weekly shop, although there is quite a large lip to lift luggage over. If space is more important to you, the larger Citroen C3 Aircross with its 460-litre load area can be had for just over £2,000 more.
| Model: | Citroen C3 100 Turbo Collection |
| Price: | £19,670 |
| Powertrain: | 1.2-litre 3cyl turbo petrol |
| Power/torque: | 99bhp/151Nm |
| Transmission: | Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 10.6 seconds |
| Top speed: | 98mph |
| Economy/CO2: | 52mpg/127g/km |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,015/1,813/1,577mm |
| On sale: | Now |
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