Citroen C3 2005 News

Citroen’s third-generation C3 five-door hatch has been officially revealed a day after images of the car were leaked online.

Get the sunscreen out because Citroen has the answer for all those sun-worshippers. A panoramic windscreen will be standard on the new C3 when it lobs in Australia in 12 months. The French carmaker has borrowed the panorama windscreen idea from its C4 Picasso people mover, called the Zenith, and given the new C3 an expansive view of the world. Combined with slimmer A-pillars, the exceptionally long windscreen expands the front occupants’ field of vision by up to 80 per cent. But those worried about excessive glare need not worry. The glass has a progressive tint that smooths the transition from the clear frontal view to providing sun protection from above. Like the Picasso, large visors can be flipped forward to block out the sun. A five-door will arrive first in Europe with a coupe and Pluriel convertibles planned. Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd spokesman, Edward Rowe, says it is too early to talk specifications or pricing for the new five-door hatch but he expects it to be competitive. Pricing and drivetrains Pricing is tipped to be close to the current car, around $23,990. Australia is expected to get a range of four-cylinder petrol and HDi diesel units but is unlikely to get the newer frugal three-cylinder engines planned for Europe that emit less than 100g/km of CO2. "These cars are designed for tax regimes that do not exist in Australia," Rowe says. Appearance and fit-out On the outside, the C3 adopts an evolutionary approach to its design but borrows some cues from the DS Concept hatch. It gets a flatter roofline, more pronounced grille and headlight treatment. Inside the trim moves up a notch in quality, with new materials like a thermo-coated colour dash, highlighted with grey or gloss brushed aluminium and chrome detailing. In Europe, the C3 five-door hatch is one of the most compact vehicles in its segment. At 3940mm long, the new car is 90mm longer while width has grown 43mm while luggage space remains around 300 litres. Citroen has managed to keep the C3's weight the same as the outgoing model while its turning circle has been reduced from 10.7m to 10.2m. Equipment Other fuel-saving features are second-generation stop-start systems, plus new five and six-speed electronic gearboxes. In-car features include USB connectivity, iPod compatibility, Bluetooth and satellite navigation on high-end European versions. Citroen has sold more than 2 million C3s globally but apart from Citroen fans here, the car has not sold in strong numbers locally. Last year, just 423 were sold, against a 2007 figure of 696. The current 1.6-litre HDi turbo diesel has hybrid busting fuel economy of 4.4 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of just 120g/km.  

Mini people movers are expected to be the ‘next big thing’ in Europe but don't expect the trend to cross continents. Citroen's C3 Picasso has won major awards in Europe and is set to outsell a host of rivals including the Fiat Idea, Opel/Vauxhall Meriva, Ford Fusion and Nissan Note. But Australian importers Ateco Automotive has gone quiet on a local launch for the baby Picasso. The main problem, says Ateco spokesman Edward Rowe, is the lack of a self-shifting gearbox. Australians increasingly demand automatics and at the moment, Citroen can't supply one. But, says Rowe, there could be hope when Citroen starts its next generation C3, expected late next year. If the new C3 comes with an automatic gearbox, Mr Rowe believes the Picasso variant will make a sensible addition to the marque's Australian lineup. "The mini people mover market is big in Europe, and expected to get bigger, not only because of traffic congestion issues but because they attract a lower tax. "Australia doesn't have that incentive so people ill buy it for different reasons. There is also no rival for the C3 Picasso in Australia so we would be creating our own segment, if you like." The only thing close to the C3 Picasso would be the recently-released Kia Soul. Based on global needs for a space-efficient, frugal and affordable family car, the C3 Picasso looks good on paper. Citroen says it "unites the parallels of cubes and curves" to combine the character of an MPV and hatchback. At 500-litres, its boot is one of the biggest in the business. The split rear seats can fold flat and independently slide forwards. Drop the seats down and luggage space grows to 1506 litres to carry loads up to 2.4m long. Europe sells three trim levels — the entry-level VT; the more upmarket VTR+ that adds airconditioning and alloy wheels; and the Exclusive that gets more luxurious trim plus practical features including a flat-folding front passenger seat and a removable boot light torch. The C3 Picasso, which went on sale in the UK last week, is available with a choice of two petrol engines — co-developed with BMW — the VTi 95 and VTi 120 and two HDi diesels — the HDi 90 and HDi 110 DPFS. Safety starts with ABS brakes with EBD and brakes assist, up to six airbags, Isofix anchor points and a seatbelt monitor system. Electronic stability control with a traction control system is optional.  

The C2 is largely overlooked as smaller-car buyers desiring the chevron badge grab the C3 model instead. The C2 sells only a fraction of the number of the C3 in Australia. After all, each starts at the same $19,990 price and it takes further study to discover the C2 is the better equipped of the two at this entry price. The C2 in the $19,990 VTR trim, for example, includes alloy wheels, climate-control airconditioning, fog lamps, sequential shift automatic transmission and leather-trim steering wheel, which the standard C3 does not. The face-lifted C2 has been revealed in Europe, where nearly 500,000 have been sold in five years. It's picked by a new radiator grille and surround and new front bumper. At present the C2 is sold in Australia only with 1.6-litre petrol engines of 83kW and 90kW power, making them slightly higher tuned than the 80kW base C3. Any diesel engine for the C2 has not been confirmed for Australia but in Europe it offers a 1.6 diesel delivering fuel economy of 4.4 litres/100km. The C2 shares the same platform as the C3 but is 18cm shorter at 3666mm, 6cm lower at 1461mm and on a 14cm tighter wheelbase at 2315mm. It is designed for only two rear passengers but each gets an individual seat that slides forward and back depending on whether priority is for rear legroom or luggage space. Citroen Australia says the updated C2 is due here early next year.  

Industry figures released this week show the real boom in the market has been in four-cylinder cars valued at less than $25,000.Known as the light car segment, sales in the division are up 22.7 per cent for the year to date on last year, while the large car segment is down the same figure. Last month light cars were up by 31.4 per cent on August last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock says this trend has increased over the past couple of years, with a recent acceleration put down to high petrol prices."Well, quite simply because they are more fuel efficient, small and less expensive to purchase in the first place and they're less expensive to run," Sturrock says.A total of 10,806 light cars were sold last month and 77,650 sold this year, which is 14,346 more than last year. Leading the line-up is the Toyota Yaris, with a starting price of $14,990, which recorded 2673 sales in August, taking the total to 18,064 for the year to date.Added to this figure are the remaining 304 Echos that Toyota has sold this year, before the nameplate was changed to be consistent with the Yaris badging used in Europe.Hyundai's small Getz, named Australia's Best Small Car for 2005 by Australia's auto clubs, has also achieved an increase in sales, with 1738 models sold last month, and 13,863 for the year, an 18.4 per cent improvement over the same period last year.Getz prices start at $13,990 and stretch to $18,380. The cheapest car on the market, the Holden Barina, starting at $13,490, has the third highest sales for the segment, with 1091 sales in August and 9567 for the year to date.The Barina is followed by the Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz and Kia Rio, all recording between 5500 and 6800 sales each for the year-to-date and just under 100 sales in August.Sturrock says while fuel prices are contributing to a shift to these cars, good value at a low price is also converting buyers."The small cars now are very well equipped," he says. "Some years ago they were the basic models, but now they're well equipped with safety and anti-theft, occupant protection, airbags and ABS, and they often have Electronic Stability Control."Features in this segment on cars such as the Yaris and Getz include front airbags, an MP3 compatible CD system, airconditioning, power windows, central locking and ABS. Some even come with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and anti-skid technology.Holden's Barina offers airconditioning as standard, a feature that has to be bought as an option in the $34,990 base model VE Commodore Omega. The Hyundai Getz also offers a five-year/130,000km warranty.Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen, says this segment also offers a good alternative to second-hand cars."With the options that you can get on a brand new car, plus the new car warranty, it's quite appealing, especially to younger people," he says. And it seems a wide variety of buyers are purchasing these light cars, from students through to families and retirees.Hyundai spokesman Richard Power says its small cars, the Getz and Accent, are finding a market among a variety of drivers."We get quite a few young people buying it as their first new car and there's loyalty from senior motorists, who don't need a big car any more and are very attracted by the long warranty," he says. Overall, the car market has dropped by 3.4per cent on last year, with 642,383 vehicles sold, a decrease of 22,513 vehicles. August was also down from 2005 by 4516 vehicles.In the small car segment, sales are up 3 per cent year-to-date, with the Toyota Corolla the segment leader with 4147 sales in August and 31,705 Corollas sold this year. But small car sales also experienced a slight drop last month, down 1.3 per cent or 244 vehicles.Sturrock says that although the large car segment is down by 26,461 vehicles, it is still an important part of the market."It has reduced over time from what it was to where it is today," he says. "But it's still about 25 per cent of the passenger car market. You see very strong interest in the new Holden Commodore and the new Toyota Camry, there's been an excellent reaction."WHAT'S SELLINGToyota Yaris 18,368Hyundai Getz 13,863Holden Barina 9567Suzuki Swift 6703Honda Jazz 5936Kia Rio 5579Ford Fiesta 4407Mazda2 3934Hyundai Accent 3593Mitsubishi Colt 1516VW Polo 1337Peugoet 206 1071Citroen C3 486Proton Savvy 357smart fortwo 326Renault Clio 173Citroen C2 139smart forfour 132Fiat Punto 113Daihatsu Sirion 40Proton Satria 9Suzuki Ignis 1*Source: VFacts (light car sales 2006 to end August)Note: Yaris sales includes 304 Echo salesTHE CHEAPIESHolden Barina from $13,490Hyundai Getz from $13,990Proton Savvy from $13,990Toyota Yaris from $14,990Hyundai Accent from $15,990Mitsubishi Colt from $15,990Suzuki Swift from $15,990Ford Fiesta from $15,990Honda Jazz from $15,990Kia Rio from $15,990Mazda2 from $16,335Peugeot 206 from $16,990VW Polo from $16,990