If the 2001 launch of the C5, followed in short order by the 2002 launch of the C3, saw Citroëns range move up a gear, then the 2010 launch of the replacement C3 helped to continue that progression.
Based upon the same platform as the Peugeot 207 – itself an update of that used by the original C3 and 206 – with familiar engines, the Mk2 C3’s real advances came in the perception of quality. The C3 follows the C4 Picasso in using a large panoramic windscreen (dubbed Visiodrive), cutting extensively into the roofline, giving a perception of much increased internal space.
The Mk2 C3 was preceded by the C3 Picasso in 2008. Unlike the C3 hatches, the Picasso’s styling is very square – resembling various Far Eastern rivals such as the Nissan Cube or Kia Soul far more than the hatch sibling. Slightly smaller than the original Xsara Picasso, the interior is both flexible and capacious. The ‘funky’ image Citroën are promoting for the C3 Picasso in the UK is in direct contrast to the very family-centric image being pushed by rivals such as the Vauxhall Meriva.
