Citroën launched the C3 almost 25 years ago, in 2001. A truly successful City car, the C3 stood out with its rounded and reassuring silhouette, alongside the C2 with its more dynamic style. It also became an internal demonstrator of the Chevrons brand.
In 2001, Citroën pulled out all the stops to replace the venerable Saxo at the entry level with two original models for the category: the C2/C3 duo. The first named was exclusively sold in 3 doors, with a more dynamic style to attract young people. The second adopts a much more rounded and soothing style.
Nearly 25 years later, the two vehicles have allowed Citroën to offer several diverse and varied curiosities to their customers throughout their career, of which here is a small anthology.
1 – The Citroen C3 has introduced driving assistance
The first generation of the Citroën C3 integrated innovative driving aids for the city car category. There Stop&Start democratized the principle of the alternator-starter. The engine shuts off automatically when you are stationary. It restarts when the driver disengages the clutch. Today, all vehicles have this system which saves a few liters of fuel, especially in traffic jams.
Citroën could have gone even further, with the City Park. The ancestor of Park Assist of Volkswagen allowed the C3 to park without touching the steering wheel, depending on the type of parking space selected on the central screen. Unlike Volkswagen, Citroën has not deigned to go beyond the demonstrator stage, on the City Park. Damage.
2 – The Citroën C3 was offered with CNG
In the mid-2000s, French manufacturers were searching for alternative fuels. In particular, they were looking to offer it to customers who are suffering from soaring fuel prices. Bioethanol E85, LPG, and even CNG, for Citroën, on the C3 !
A specific gauge on the dashboard allows you to switch from gasoline to natural gas. Its injection is carried out directly into the cylinder head via four specific injectors. The principle of dual fueling is identical to LPG, with the difference that natural gas is produced from biomass. The C3 GNV was produced between 2004 and 2008at a confidential distribution level.
3 – The Citroën C3 has already been transformed into a city SUV, with the XTR
To boost sales of the C3, Citroën has decided to focus on the emerging SUV trend. The French brand has transformed its C3 into an urban adventurer, with the XTR.
Plastic front and rear shields, raised suspension, “ XTR » on the side skirts and roof bars in aluminum finish… the Citroën C3 XTR was quite simply the Dacia Sandero Stepway of the 2000s! Offered for sale in 2003, it survived the 2005 restyling and was included in the range until 2009.
4 – The Citroën C3 was highlighted in the world of fashion thanks to special editions
Citroën has relied heavily on fashion to give interest to the C3 on the European market. Certain collaborations gave rise to special trendy series which marked the career of the city dweller: Hermès, Dolce&Gabbana, Elle.
The last of them is the JCC+, produced in partnership with fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. This features colored inserts on the body and in the passenger compartment, as well as a sticker on the roof.
5 – The Citroën C3 gave birth to the most improbable convertible in history: the C3 Pluriel
Citroën had a bout of nostalgia with its legendary 2CV, considered by many to be “the all-purpose car”. The Chevron brand has decided to relaunch the concept with a model inscribed in the Automobile Pantheon (but not for the right reasons): the Citroen C3 Pluriel.
The specific silhouette echoes the show car self-titled from 1999, which retains most of its lines. It integrates several configurations for the use of its roof: discoverable thanks to the soft and folding roof, roadsterafter removing the side arches, and pickuponce the rear seats are folded and the trunk panel is installed.
On paper, the C3 Pluriel is a design object, more than a car. In fact, it turns out to be much less practical than expected. The C3 Pluriel is underpowered And its roof is subject to water infiltration. Jeremy Clarkson’s hilarious Top Gear essay ended the career of the French discoverable. This did not prevent Citroën from leaving it in the catalog until 2010, with a “ Charleston » which is starting to be sought after by collectors.
