New Citroën C3 Hybrid Review: the comfortable & affordable B-Segment game-changer

A few months after the electric and gasoline versions, it is the turn of the C3 Hybrid to enter the market—a crucial segment as it represents the majority of sales in both France and Europe. With its 1.2-litre hybrid engine delivering 110 horsepower, does the new C3 live up to its promise? Is it still as comfortable and efficient? After 15 days behind the wheel, here is my verdict.

Design and cabin life: a modern C3

a. A SUV style that makes the difference

With this new generation, the Citroën C3 gains height and adopts a bold SUV-like stance. This allows it to fit seamlessly into the lineage of previous generations while still forging its own personality. Indeed, with a 20 cm ground clearance, identical to some B-segment SUVs, the C3 boasts a look that could almost pass for a small crossover, which fundamentally sets it apart from the more traditional hatchbacks in its category. Ultimately, the C3 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors: the first two generations were already taller, and the third introduced this SUV flavour. We are therefore presented with a fourth generation that continues this trend with a very SUV-focused style and a higher ride height than its rivals.

b. A C3 playing on contrasts

This new C3 also receives the brand’s new design language, pioneered by the Oli concept car. It remains highly appealing, subtly playing with contrasts. It juxtaposes horizontal and vertical lines, more chiseled shapes with softer ones, and detailed technical black elements (wheel arches, bumpers, the light-connecting strip, and the chevron-etched headlights) against smoother, simpler body panels. The whole effect creates a unique and affirmed style that, without being aggressive, shows great character. This added SUV dimension truly distinguishes it from the competition. Furthermore, in this Bright Blue shade, the body colour is particularly pleasing—a deep blue that, in some ways, recalls the Bleu Grand Pavois once seen on the Saxo. The contrasting black roof and Yellow Color Clips contribute to an extremely pleasant style which, no doubt, is driving its success.

c. An interior designed as a room in your home

While the C3 showcases the brand’s new exterior style, it also overhauls its interior with the C-Zen Lounge concept, transforming the cabin into a complementary living space, faithful to Citroën’s tradition of comfort. The dashboard is strongly horizontal, featuring an upper section that is black, technical, and textured, and a lower section—equipped with the Sofa Design on this Max trim—a soft 3D textile band that brings great softness and warmth to the cabin.

The new Advanced Comfort Seats are remarkably pleasant, offering a nod on the cushions and backrests to the design found in the classic CX Pallas. They also play with contrast, featuring a black base and a light-coloured upper backrest. Being more enveloping, they provide better lateral support, addressing a key criticism of the previous C3.

d. A spacious cabin

While the C3 is taller than its rivals, its length and width are virtually unchanged from the previous generation. Yet, interior space has increased significantly, offering excellent rear knee room—passengers up to 1m80 will be comfortable, which is not true of all competitors, notably the R5, which is cramped in the back. In the front, the benefit of the highly horizontal dashboard that doesn’t intrude into the cabin creates a great sense of space for both passengers. They will feel comfortable, with ample room and the excellent seating comfort provided by the Advanced Comfort Seats, which are unique in this class. As for the boot, with a volume of 310 litres and well-exploitable dimensions, it can easily handle a family’s groceries. For larger items, the split ⅔-⅓ folding rear bench turns the C3 into a small utility vehicle. The only drawbacks: The boot lip is too high, creating a significant step to load items, and the rear doors do not open widely enough to provide optimal access to the back seats.

In conclusion, the new C3 is a car of contrasts. While it perfectly aligns with the heritage of its predecessors, it offers a more SUV-like style and sharper lines. It retains compact dimensions but provides a great amount of usable space. It exhibits attention to detail, contrasting textured black technical areas with softer, simpler coloured sections. By playing on horizontality and verticality, it achieves a sense of balance to deliver serenity and pleasure, feeling almost like an extension of your home. Undeniably, a great success.

On the road: a C3 Hybrid that delivers

The Citroën C3 Hybrid thus enriches the range with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that has been 40% re-engineered, now featuring a timing chain instead of a belt. It is paired with a new 6-speed automatic gearbox, which integrates an electric motor delivering up to 21 horsepower, for a combined total output of 110 horsepower. Will this version, expected to account for the majority of sales, stand among the best hybrids? One thing is certain: it proves to be highly relevant.

a. Mild hybrid, yet sufficient

The C3 Hybrid’s engine is classified as a Mild Hybrid (MHEV). It is coupled with a small battery of only 0.43 kWh, which, unlike a full hybrid, does not allow for several kilometres of continuous electric driving in the city. However, Citroën has combined this small battery with strong energy recovery, akin to an electric car, allowing the battery to recharge very quickly and thus perform numerous electric roll-outs in urban areas.

And it is true that this C3 runs a lot on electricity in town, provided you use the technology wisely, treating it like an EV. This means anticipating more, gradually easing off the accelerator rather than braking, and prioritizing gentle acceleration. Anyway, the increasing number of 30 km/h zones in the city doesn't encourage hard acceleration... Under these conditions, the C3 Hybrid will start in electric mode before switching to the thermal engine to gain speed. Once the pressure on the accelerator is reduced, it will revert to the electric motor. The transition between the two engines is seamless, noticeable only by the sound of the petrol engine waking up—with some of the slight jitters typical of three-cylinders—but this is not a real issue and occurs only during take-off and acceleration. After that, it is easily forgotten. The D indicator on the instrument cluster shows which motor is propelling the car: white for thermal and blue for electric.

b. Light hybrid, hence dynamic

The C3 is a light car, and the addition of the electric motor in this 110 hp hybrid version is truly beneficial, allowing the C3 to feel perky with excellent acceleration. This makes it easy to merge into traffic, especially on the motorway, and to overtake with confidence, regardless of the car’s current state of charge.

Furthermore, the C3’s comfort-handling compromise is heavily biased towards comfort, reportedly at the request of customers. It can be engaging to drive, willingly accepting dynamic inputs, even if it has no sporting ambitions—and such use is actually counterproductive for optimal hybrid driving. This focus on comfort inevitably impacts the overall feel, which, personally, I find not quite as sublime as the C3 Aircross, specifically concerning the rear axle and road imperfections. I noticed that this C3, in the hybrid version as well as others, has a slightly more reactive rear end, with a drier feel over road bumps. This does not make it an uncomfortable car, and the comfort level is undoubtedly among the best, but I miss the more cushioned, softer feel I found in the C3 Aircross. I suspect the 17-inch wheel size is the reason, as the tyre sidewall height is relatively low. However, over larger undulations, the comfort level is truly appreciable, and you experience that cocooning sensation thanks to the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension, another exclusive feature of the C3 in this segment. Ultimately, the seat comfort—plush yet supportive, with good, non-oppressive lateral support—combined with the suspension work, provides a very high level of overall comfort, ensuring that miles spent behind the wheel pass without fatigue, a clear advantage for the C3.

c. An efficient powertrain

Naturally, with a hybrid car, we expect reduced fuel consumption for the benefit of both the wallet and the planet, with lower emissions as a result. This C3 Hybrid delivers on its promises with a great average over my test loop of around 100 kilometres, which alternated between motorway, departmental/national roads, and city driving. Overall, the average fuel consumption was 5.1 litres per 100 km, including 4.6 litres on national roads and 4.7 litres in the city, where electric driving was, of course, most frequent. Minor Regret #1: It is not possible to view the percentage of the journey completed in electric mode on this C3 Hybrid, unlike the C4 and C4 X, for example. I am thus unable to specify the average distance travelled electrically on this loop. Minor Regret #2: The battery level is not clearly displayed. There is a battery pictogram, but it does not vary according to the state of charge. Here again, it is impossible to know the battery status and its capacity to regenerate. This is not a deal-breaker for daily use, but for a car reviewer, it prevents me from giving you a complete, quantifiable report beyond my subjective feeling.

The C3 Hybrid is therefore efficient, with an average consumption about 33% lower than the 1.2-litre turbo 100 version, and offers a welcome touch of dynamism thanks to the electric motor. I would have liked the motor to be a little more powerful to allow for more extensive electric driving. It occasionally feels slightly underpowered if the road goes uphill, for example, which is a pity because it requires the thermal engine to restart, only to sometimes quickly switch back to electric. A slightly higher output would therefore have been beneficial.

d. Enjoyable daily driver, though not without flaws

Compact, at barely 4 metres long, the C3’s natural habitat is the city, where it feels perfectly at ease. With a raised driving position, it provides good traffic visibility and offers excellent peripheral vision, making movement easier. Furthermore, equipped on this Max trim with a reversing camera that provides a very good image (unlike a Dacia Sandero, where the view is poor), the C3 is very pleasant for parking. The parking sensors and good side visibility make it easy to park without risking damage to the handsome bodywork of this fourth generation. This is helped by the steering, which is light and relatively direct, although I personally dislike its feel, which is too 'electric' for my taste.

While the city is undeniably its playground, allowing it to highlight its excellent qualities, the C3 is also perfectly capable on national/departmental roads or the motorway, where, as we’ve seen, it offers perky performance and controlled consumption. However, wind noise becomes noticeable from 110 km/h (approx. 68 mph) and disturbs the quietness inside, especially as road noise can be added depending on the surface. Note: the C3 Hybrid is not a noisy car, but it would have benefited from better insulation, which would have made it even more pleasant on long journeys.

e. The price, Its gold card

At €22,950, the Citroën C3 Hybrid, in its top Max trim, unquestionably holds a major advantage in this vehicle category. While the Peugeot 208 starts at €23,900 in the base Style trim, the C3 is €1,000 cheaper while being better equipped. I won't even mention the Clio, whose Hybrid offering (a 145 hp Full Hybrid, admittedly) starts at €24,500 without matching the C3’s equipment level. The C3 has many qualities, as seen in this review, but its price is undeniably its trump card, though certainly not its only asset. What I particularly appreciate is that, even though the C3 is an accessible car, it is not a budget vehicle, and the numerous detailed touches on this Max version prove it. It is yet another demonstration of the contrast the C3 loves to play with. It manages to be accessible without looking cheap, and by showing a level of equipment and attention to detail that underscores the strength of Citroën's proposition. Beyond all that, in the current climate where cars have become a luxury for many, a brand that offers a C3 Hybrid that is €2,000 cheaper than the old diesel C3, while being better equipped, deserves applause.

What I Liked:

• Its interior and exterior design (small SUV look, bright and comfortable interior).

• Its driving experience, which is enjoyable and lively.

• Controlled fuel consumption.

• Its spaciousness, which allows it to be more than just the second car in the household.

• Its price, which makes hybrid technology accessible.

What I Disliked:

• Wind noise, especially on the motorway (and road noise depending on the surface).

• The lack of a front camera.

• The inadequate display of electrical data (journey percentage, battery state of charge).

Conclusion: without a doubt, the best C3 yet

As we've established, the C3 is a car of contrast, and this C3 Hybrid slots in perfectly between the electric version (which has slightly limited range for long distances) and the purely petrol version. Here, the hybrid powertrain proves to be highly relevant as it brings a boost in dynamism while allowing for energy savings and emission reductions. Being light, it facilitates frequent 100% electric driving, far beyond just creeping around car parks. Comfortable, spacious, manoeuvrable, and efficient, the C3 accumulates qualities without being completely faultless, but it holds onto its master stroke: its selling price. With this well-equipped Max version topping out at just €23,500, the C3 shows that Citroën is making electrification accessible to everyone, and that is entirely to the credit of our beloved brand.