Review: Citroen C3 Elle

I’m long past the age when I’m inspired by glossy magazines - if that was ever the case - so the fact that Citroen had teamed up with lifestyle magazine Elle to create a special edition C3 hadn’t really registered with me.

The first I noticed was when I spied the C3 arriving through my first window and wondered what the writing on the roof was all about.

The magazine’s slogan ‘Since 1945 & forever’ is referenced in a number of places both inside and out (including the roof) so you are in no doubt about what you are driving.

According to Citroen the collaboration stems from a ‘common understanding of female fashion, well-being and societal issues’.

The C3 Elle, which was unveiled in 2022 (the 20th anniversary of C3) is said to be inspired by trends popular with C3 buyers, including lots of customisation options, technology and comfort.

There’s no doubting it has plenty of all three. The interior is bright and stylish with two-tone grey seats and decorated headrests with monogrammed Elle mats.

The C3 Elle is powered either by a 1.2-litre PureTech 83 petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox or by a 1.2-litre PureTech 110 petrol mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

We had the most powerful of the two which delivered 108bhp with an official 0-62mph time of 10.1 seconds.

Fuel consumption is an official 50.8 mpg and we averaged around 43mpg during a week of mixed driving.

The seats are really comfy in the C3 - just like sitting in an armchair - and they work well with the soft suspension.

The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel for height and reach so getting an optimum driving position is simple enough.

The whole C3 experience is designed with comfort in mind, It’s not a car for slinging around bends. Long journeys are relaxing and the light steering makes negotiating your way through urban traffic a cinch.

Rear seats do lack headroom but this shouldn’t be a problem if your passengers are 6ft or under.

Boot room is a respectable 300 litres which is more than adequate - with the rear seats folded it is bumped up to 992 litres.

The driver sits up high so gets a good view of the road and reverse parking is aided by the rear view camera and reversing sensors which are welcome as the rear windscreen is a bit narrow.

Equipment levels are high and include automatic air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, lane departure warning system, speed sign recognition and an in car entertainment system which is operated through a seven-inch touch screen. The C3 is smartphone compatible but if you want to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth you’ll need the £400 upgrade as fitted to our test car.

The price for this special Elle model is £20,730 and with the extras added for evaluation purposes this bumped up to £22,035.

As well as the uprated infotainment system mentioned - which also included sat nav and a host of other features - the metallic paint added £545.

Specifications

Price: £20,730 (£22,025 as tested)

Engine: 1.2 litre inline three-cylinder

Power: 108bhp

Torque: 151lb/ft

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Top speed: 120mph

0-62mph: 10.1 seconds

Economy: 45.3-50.8mpg

CO 2 emissions:134-141g/km