Ferrari 296 vs Citroen C3

What's the difference?

Anyone who says electrification somehow muddies the Ferrari formula is wrong. This plug-in Prancing Horse is among the most potent and direct vehicles I’ve ever driven, and the electric motor only adds to the experience.

The Citroen C3’s plus column contains some big ticket items like a solid standard equipment list, design flair, generous interior space, an eager engine, good safety and a comfy suspension. However, the minus side of the ledger isn’t exactly empty, with entries like steep price, marginal perceived quality, poor cabin storage, sub-par refinement, okay economy, and high ownership costs. 

But there’s no doubt this car delivers a different, adventurous take on the city-sized hatch, and for you, that alone may count for more than any of those things. 

It is hard not to swoon when you gaze upon the 296 GTS, and I say that with no bias - I don’t think all Ferraris have looked this good.

But this is Ferrari at its dreamy, sweeping best, from the tarmac-kissing front — which generates so much downforce and cooling it negates the need for active aero — to its swollen haunches and the glass-topped engine window.

So what’s the difference between this and the GTB? Largely it is the ability to drop the folding roof, meaning you can feel the wind in your hair and that exhaust in your soul. To be honest, though, I reckon it looks better top up...

It’s a cockpit-style driver’s set-up inside, and there’s lots I love and some things I don’t. But let’s start with the steering wheel, which might be one of the best in existence.

It feels magic under the touch, as do the giant flappy paddles which remain fixed in place as you turn the wheel.

It’s also surprisingly comfortable in the figure-hugging sports seats, though climbing in and out of them is not necessarily something you want to do in front of a crowd.

Downsides? There is plenty of tech in the 296 cabin, but it’s all controlled from the steering wheel, making it fiddly and annoying to use.

Also, there are F1-levels of complexity on the control-everything steering wheel, and if I’m being honest, there are some buttons or switches, the function of which I still don’t fully understand.

If Citroen is known for anything it’s daring, innovative design. From the idiosyncratic 2CV, via the sleek DS, to the ultra-cool SM, and angular BX, Citroen boasts a 100-plus year back-catalogue of stunning automotive breakthroughs.

And true to form, the C3 sits left-of-centre with a determined, almost angry expression defined by chrome borders extending from its signature ‘double chevron’ logo above the grille.

A mix of carefully radiused curves, soft organic shapes and whimsical decoration define the rest of this SUV-ish hatch. Rounded rectangles and squares (squircles?) are a recurring theme, forming part of a dent-resistant panel along the car’s flanks and embossed into the door cards inside.

Our white test example sported a (no-cost) contrast red roof colour, the same shade picking out details like the front fog light surrounds, exterior mirror caps and side scuff panels. 

The interior is less bold with a multi-tone grey colour palette broken up by light green contrast stitching on the seats, as well as piano black finish on the centre console and satin chrome highlights around the air vents, instrument panel and door handles.

Plus, the squircle still makes its presence felt in everything from the directional air vents to the speaker grilles and sections of the dash.

Functionality and ergonomics are good with sensible touches like a physical knob for audio volume control (big tick) as well as easy-to-navigate controls for audio, phone and more on the steering wheel.

An unexpected highlight, and regular talking point with people in the car during my week with it, is what Citroen calls ‘Luggage-inspired’ front interior door handles. 

Check out the interior photos. The straps look amazing, are easy to use, and remind me of the handle on my mum’s circa-1965 Olympia portable typewriter.  

What do you want to know around practicality? We’re talking two seats, about 200 litres of cargo space total and a couple of smallish storage spaces in the cabin. And… that’s about it.

Next question, please.

At a fraction under 4.0m long, just over 1.8m wide, and close to 1.5m tall, the C3 is a small hatch that, in terms of practicality, does well in some areas and could do better in others.

On the plus side, there’s plenty of space for the driver and front seat passenger, and rear room is surprisingly generous. Sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I had more than adequate head, leg and knee room.

Three full-size adults across the rear is a short-journey proposition only, but a trio of up to mid-teenage kids will be fine.

The space-efficiency carries over to the boot, with 300 litres of volume available (below the parcel shelf) with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat upright. But beyond that number, the space has been carefully sculpted to maximise usability.

We managed to fit our three-piece (36L, 95L, 124L) luggage set in there, with a small cheat of removing the divider, and could swap them out for the bulky CarsGuide pram, with room to spare. Fold the rear backrest down and available space increases to an impressive 922 litres.

The downside is storage and concessions to comfort elsewhere in the car. As in, a lack of them.

For a start, the dual cupholders in the front centre console confirm the French’s affection for Espresso. You’ll struggle to locate an average size take-away coffee cup in one of those dainty receptacles.

The front door bins are long but relatively narrow, and lack a designated spot to hold bottles upright, so I found myself laying drink bottles horizontally along them, which is awkward.

Plus, there’s no lidded storage box between the front seats, so no centre armrest, either. Rather an open tray behind the handbrake lever.

The glove box is modest, there’s a small open cubby below the central multimedia screen that isn’t big enough to hold a phone, there’s just one USB-A port for connectivity/power and a single 12V outlet.

No fold-down centre armrest in the rear, either. There are map pockets on the front seat backs, a single (again, small) cupholder at the end of the front centre console for back-seaters to share, and while rear door pockets are welcome, they’re petite.

Yes, the boot is commodious, but it lacks tie-down anchors to secure loose loads, and the flimsy carpet in there is prone to moving around.

On a more positive note, the spare is a 15-inch space-saver, which is streets ahead of the all-too common inflator/repair kit.

The Citroen C3 is offered in a single Shine grade, and lines up against a slew of similarly city-sized hatches from China, Europe, Japan and South Korea. Think Kia Rio, Mazda2, MG3, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris, and VW Polo. 

But when it comes to its price - $32,267, before on-road costs - you’re looking at primo competitors only, like the Suzuki Swift Sport Turbo ($30,990), Toyota Yaris ZR Hybrid ($32,200), and VW Polo Style ($31,250).

And to tempt you away from those more mainstream options, Citroen loads up the C3 with a solid list of standard equipment.

Aside from the safety tech covered later in the review, this small hatch features keyless entry and start, cruise control, a 10-inch colour multimedia touchscreen (with voice recognition across multiple functions), climate control air, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, six-speaker audio (with digital radio as well as Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity), built-in sat nav, LED headlights and daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, and 16-inch alloy wheels. 

Not too shabby, but bear in mind, as is often the case in this class, the trim is cloth, the front seats adjust manually and the instruments are conventional analogue. 

At this point, it’s important to mention ‘perceived quality’, a term used in various industries to describe the look, touch and feel of a product. And it’s here that the C3 suffers. 

Open the tailgate, look to the pillar on the right-hand side of the rear windscreen (from the inside) and you’re confronted with more than half a dozen spot weld craters that have creased the sheet metal to varying degrees. Not to mention a crude fold of the outside panel onto this interior piece. Perfectly functional, but not a good look.

The elastic cords suspending the cargo divider at the top of the boot space feel as insubstantial as the thin metal hooks they’re attached to, and the finisher matt sitting on top of the engine looks like it won’t stand the test of time. 

There are other examples, but suffice it to say, the overall feel is not in the same league as this car’s main competitors.

Now we're talking. The powertrain here is both tremendous and terrifying, pairing a 3.0-litre twin-turbo-petrol V6 with a rear mounted electric motor, and a 7.5kWh battery, to deliver a total 610kW and 740Nm. That power is fed through an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

Those are, frankly, scary numbers, and enough, Ferrari says, to dispatch 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, and to push on to a top speed of 330km/h.

The Citroen C3 is powered by a small-capacity (1.2-litre), turbo-petrol, three-cylinder engine, driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. 

This little unit punches well above its weight thanks to tech like direct injection, and dual variable valve timing to enhance pulling power. The lightweight (all-alloy) unit produces 81kW of power at 5500rpm and a substantial 205Nm of torque at just 1500rpm.

As well as the ability to start up and slink away silently, the Ferrari 296 GTS’s little battery will deliver a 25km EV-only driving range, and contribute to the overall claimed fuel use of just 6.5L/100km.

Charging is AC only, and the the brand reckons it takes around 90mins to top up using an 11kW charger. The self-charging is on-point, though, with the Ferrari able to quickly recoup energy from braking and the like to top up the battery without needing to plug in.

Citroen’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 5.2L/100km, the 1.2-litre three-cylinder emitting a modest 118g/km of CO2 in the process.

Our time with the car included mainly city and suburban trips, with some freeway running thrown in, and the result was a (dash-indicated) average of 8.0L/100km. Not exactly miserly, and points to the turbo triple having to work pretty hard to keep up around town.

Minimum fuel recommendation is the relatively pricey 95 RON premium unleaded, but you’ll need just 45 litres of it to fill the tank. Using the official consumption figure, that translates to a range of 865km, dropping to around 560km using our real-world number.

The engine is undoubtedly a highlight, and we’ll get to that in a moment, but I first want to talk about the steering in this car.

It might sound like a weird point to get hung up on, but it is sensational, and maybe the best I’ve ever experienced. Generally speaking, super-responsive steering can risk feeling overly sharp and uncomfortable when cruising, but somehow the 296 manages to feel super natural, super responsive, and super engaging, without every feeling sharp or darty. It’s just predictable, responsive, and spectacular. 

Honestly, it is a highlight of a drive experience filled with highlights, with another being the dual-nature of this drop-top supercar. Long before I got anywhere near a twisting road I needed to navigate the usual nightmare that is Sydney, tackling traffic, suburbia, freeways, tunnels and expansion joints galore, and the 296 never felt uncomfortable.

Instead, the 296 slipped into a comfortable kind of lope, never jarring or rough, and eminently easy to get along with. And yet, when you arrive on the right road that veil of sensibility drops, and the Ferrari quickly reminds you of its potential.

For a start, the acceleration is properly, startlingly aggressive. Engage the 'Qualification' drive mode (which unlocks the full might of the Ferrari's electrified powertrain) and flatten your right foot, and you'll find the world suddenly hurtling past your windows, and your knuckles will no doubt whiten as you feel the rear tyres fighting for traction against the onslaught should you try it on anything but the straightest of roads. 

It's addictive, but it's just one element of a near-perfect combination on offer here, with the 296 GTS the stiffest Ferrari drop-top to date, which becomes immediately clear as you start to attack corners with ever-growing confidence.

Grip, stability and stiffness in spades, the GTS delivers. And all accompanied by an exhaust howl so angry and evil it’s hard to believe it’s being generated by a V6.

It’s a thing of very near perfection.

The C3’s compact footprint and relatively light weight (1090kg) make it an urban-friendly option and outputs from the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine are exceptional.

Maximum torque of 205 Nm is plenty of pulling power from such a tiny unit, and with that number arriving at just 1500rpm it should be ideally suited to stop-start traffic. 

And yes, with enthusiast use of the right pedal the C3 gets up and goes pretty well, but refinement isn’t its strongest suit. 

The throttle can be jumpy unless you’re super smooth with it, the three-cylinder engine’s typically coarse note makes its presence felt under load, and the brakes need to be dealt with gently to avoid an overly aggressive stop.

Sure, familiarity and practice will help you get in tune with the car but it’s not a smooth ‘plug-and-play’ drive like the majority of its competitors.

That said, in true Citroen fashion, steering feel is good, the front seats are as comfortable as they are supportive, while the suspension manages to blend plush compliance with excellent dynamic response. Another Citroen hallmark.

The six-speed auto shifts smoothly, with a press of the Sport button encouraging it to shift up later and down earlier for a more urgent response. But the zig-zag (my term, not Citroen’s) shift pattern makes for an awkward shuffle between D, N and R when parking. No doubt you’d get used to it, but I’m not a fan.

Speaking of parking, the C3's diminutive size makes it easy to slot into even tight spots, the standard front and rear proximity sensors, as well as a decent resolution reversing camera helping out, too.

The Citroen C3 scores four out of five ANCAP stars courtesy of testing dating back to 2017.

The sticking point was a sub-par result in Pedestrian Protection, one of the independent safety body’s four main assessment areas (beside Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, and Safety Assist).

Specifically, potential pedestrian head injuries resulting from contact with the base of the windscreen and “stiff” windscreen pillars.

But Citroen hasn’t left the C3 standing still with active (crash-avoidance) tech fitted to the current model including the usual suspects like stability and traction controls as well as more sophisticated systems like ‘Autonomous Emergency Braking’ (AEB), forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, ‘Driver Attention Alert’, a reversing camera (with zoom function), and tyre pressure monitoring. 

That said, although there are parking sensors front and rear, there’s no cross-traffic alert (front or rear), no adaptive functionality on the cruise control, and no lane change assist. Arguably unrealistic to suggest all of these should be included at this price point but it’s worth noting not all boxes are ticked.

If a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags on-board (driver and front passenger front and side, plus full-length side curtain). The hazard lights automatically activate when emergency braking force is applied, but multi-collision brake, which reduces the chances of further impacts after an initial crash, is missing-in-action.

There are three top tethers for child seats or baby capsules across the back seat, with ISOFIX anchor points in the two outer rear positions. 

Standard is a three year warranty, but you can extend that for up to five years. Then, if your car has less than 90,000km on the clock, you can opt into the 'New Power15', which gives you up to 15 years total warranty coverage and is fully transferable.

The first seven years scheduled maintenance is free-of-charge.

Citroen covers the C3 with a five year/unlimited km warranty, which is cost-of-entry now in the mainstream market, and roadside assistance is included for the duration.

Service is scheduled for 12 month/15,000km intervals, with costs capped for the first five workshop visits. The average annual figure over that period is $505, which is way more than double the $205 you’ll pay annually for servicing a Toyota Yaris ZR Hybrid. Sacre bleu!