February 2023 - Citroen C3 Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Citroen variants explained includes the February 2023 introductory launch prices of the Citroen C3 and accordingly-updated buying recommendation for each variant.

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Citroen C3 Petrol?

The pros or advantages of 2023 Citroen C3 petrol are:

• Large dimensions of the C3 and high 180mm ground clearance give it an SUV-ish look
• With a fairly long wheelbase, the C3 should offer good leg space and has good under-thigh support too
• The option of a 1.2L turbo petrol engine with class-leading high power and torque output
• Lots of customization options including dual-tone interior and 6 dual-tone exterior colour options
• Fantastic ride quality and comfort over bad roads with mature handling at high speeds

The 2023 Citroen C3 petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Basic feature set for base as well as top variant. Even the Feel variant doesn’t get several must-have features like a tachometer, day/night inside mirror, auto AC, front armrest, split-folding rear seat, rear washer/wiper, rear defogger, LED or projector headlamps and keyless entry.
• No automatic transmission option with either of the 2 engines.
• No diesel and CNG fuel option.
• Tiny sales and service network.
• Unknown long-term reliability considering the new brand, new product with new engines (for India).

What Is The Price Of Citroen C3 Petrol Variants?

The 2023 Citroen C3 with the normal petrol-manual powertrain costs Rs. 5.98 lakh (ex-showroom) in the base Live variant. The Feel variant with the same powertrain costs Rs. 6.90 lakh. The top variant is also available with a turbo petrol-manual powertrain, which carries an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 8.25 lakh. The 2023 Citroen C3 doesn’t get an automatic transmission, CNG bi-fuel option or a diesel engine option.

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New Citroen C3 Live - Base Model Standard Features

The base Live variant of the Citroen C3 only comes with the 1.2L normal petrol engine and a 5-speed manual transmission. It costs Rs. 5.98 lakh (ex-showroom) and offers the following features as standard:

• Manual AC
• 5x bottle holders (4x in doors)
• 2x door pockets (front only)
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Front power windows
• Fixed front and rear headrests
• 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
• Digital instrument cluster
• Fabric upholstery
• Black outside mirrors and door handles
• Body-coloured bumpers

The base variant seems to have barely enough must-have features. You will most likely miss the following features in the C3 Live variant:

• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Power mirrors
• Rear power windows
• Tachometer
• Remote central locking
• Body-coloured and grab-type door handles instead of flap type
• Adjustable front headrests
• Rear parcel tray

Because of these missing features, we’ll strongly suggest you skip the base variant of the C3. With the base Live variant, you’ll have to make huge compromises in terms of ownership experience. So, you should buy the higher Feel variant.

2023 Citroen C3 Live vs Feel Variant - Top Model Price, Feature Comparison

The Feel variant of the C3 has the option of a 1.2L turbo petrol in addition to the 1.2L normal petrol engine. With the normal petrol, C3 Feel costs Rs. 6.98 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 92,000 higher. The Feel turbo petrol has an ex-showroom price of Rs. 8.25 lakh, which is another Rs. 1.35 lakh higher than the Feel non-turbo. It’ll give you a 6-speed transmission instead of a 5-speed manual. Vibe pack with front fog lamps and dual-tone exterior are also standard with the turbo petrol engine. The other notable additional features of the C3 Feel variant are:

• Front passenger vanity mirror
• 10.24-inch touchscreen
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Steering-mounted controls
• 4x speakers
• 3x USB ports
• Tilt steering
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Remote central locking
• Chrome logo
• Body-coloured door handles
• LED DRLs
• Rear parcel tray
• Roof rails

Even the top variant of the Citroen C3 doesn’t get the following features:

• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Day/night inside mirror
• Power mirrors
• Rear parking camera
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Tachometer
• Adjustable headrests
• Split rear seatbacks
• Front armrest
• Auto AC

Between the Live and Feel variants, the Feel will offer a significantly better ownership experience as it has fewer missing features than the Live. Moreover, the Feel variant also justifies the incremental asking price over the base model. So, you’re not compromising on the value either.

Between the normal and the turbo petrol engine, you can choose based on your preference for performance. In terms of value, you are paying a premium of about Rs. 30,000 for the Feel turbo according to our internal data-based algorithm. It justifies about 85% of the cost over the Feel normal petrol variant with better power, torque, 6-speed transmission and features. If you’re comfortable with compromising a little bit on the value front for the superior performance, then you can consider buying the Citroen C3 Feel turbo. It’s also a suitable option for you if you frequently drive on the highways and expressways.

Which Variant Of The 2023 Citroen C3 Petrol Should You Buy?

The base Live variant of the Citroen C3 petrol is too basic and doesn’t get several must-have features we expect from a car of this size and at this price point. If you buy it, you’ll have to compromise a lot on the ownership experience. So, we’ll suggest you skip the Live variant and buy the Feel variant.

With the Feel variant, you’ll still feel like you’re missing some must-have features, but you can expect a better ownership experience with the Feel variant. Moreover, it completely justifies the incremental cost over the base Live variant with the additional features. So, value-wise also it’s a sensible choice.

With the Feel trim, you can also choose the turbo petrol engine. Value-wise, the Feel turbo is a little expensive, but still worth considering for the superior performance and significantly better drivability.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Citroen C3 Petrol?

The C3’s normal petrol engine’s power and torque output are comparable with the Tata Punch and Tiago NRG’s 1.2L normal petrol engine. The Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger’s smaller 1.0L normal petrol engine are at a disadvantage in this aspect with lower power and torque figures from the smaller displacement engine. Meanwhile, the Nexa Fronx has the highest power output. The C3’s mileage figures are on par with the rivals but we expect the Fronx to lead the charts in this regard once the official mileage figures are out.

In terms of the turbo petrol engines, the C3 has the best torque output while the Fronx turbo has the lowest. Among its peers, the C3 turbo is the only one with a 6-speed manual transmission. The C3 is also the only car among its rivals to not offer an automatic transmission with either of its engines. For the convenience of an automatic transmission, you’ll have to make the jump to the C3 electric.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

What Are The Dimensions Of The 2023 Citroen C3?

In terms of dimensions, the Citroen C3 is as long as the Magnite, Kiger and Fronx measuring just shy of 4 metres. Given the ex-showroom prices, performance and dimensions, it seems to compete against the small crossovers like the Tata Punch, Tata Tiago NRG. Because of the price and performance overlap, the B2-segment SUVs like Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger buyers can also consider the C3. Among these cars, the Kiger and Magnite have the biggest fuel tank and highest ground clearance but the Fronx is the widest. The Kiger has the biggest boot space measuring 405 litres, which is 90L larger than the C3’s.

The Punch is the tallest car in this comparison. Meanwhile, the Tiago NRG is the narrowest and it also has the smallest boot space. The Citroen C3’s ground clearance is on par with the Tiago NRG and it has the smallest fuel tank. However, the 2023 Citroen C3 has the longest wheelbase, which results in good leg space for front- and rear-seat occupants.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Citroen C3?

The 2023 C3 is available in the following 4 monotone colour options:

• Light grey
• Dark grey
• Orange
• White

The Feel variant also has the following 6 dual-tone colour options:

• Light grey with orange roof
• Light grey with dark grey roof
• Orange with dark grey roof
• Dark grey with orange roof
• White with orange roof
• White with dark grey roof

Dual-tone is standard with the Feel variant if you buy it with the turbo petrol engine.

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.