Citroen C3 Interior

Style

The C3 proves that you don’t have to pay over the odds for a car that is genuinely stylish. The whole interior has a rectangular theme that’s interesting to look at and the aluminium-look trim on the dashboard adds a hint of ‘premium’ to the finish.

If you’re looking for soft-touch plastics that feel expensive you’ll be better off spending your money on a VW Polo, though, even if the Citroen’s interior does feel well screwed together.

If you value charisma, though, stick with the C3 – although perhaps not the entry-level Touch model that has boring grey cloth (Citroen calls it Mica) upholstery and a simple stereo that looks a little disappointing next to the colourful infotainment screens in the rest of the range.

Feel models open up personalisation options that do the C3’s interior justice – £150 buys a Red Urban theme that adds flashes of red to the seats and dashboard, a few pieces of extra chrome and a leather-trimmed steering wheel that feels nicer to hold than the rubberised version.

The £380 Hype Colorado theme goes a little bit further, replacing some of the hard plastics with soft-to-the-touch ones, adding a big swathe of gold across the dashboard, a two tone black-gold leather-trimmed steering wheel and throwing in a front centre armrest for good measure.

Flair models get the same packs (at the same price) as Feel cars – all that distinguishes them is a little extra chrome on the air vents and the option to spec a £400 panoramic sunroof that makes the interior feel light and airy, but also robs space. More on that later.

Infotainment

Touch is the cheapest trim level in the C3 range so you have to put up with a basic stereo that has a Bluetooth connection to wirelessly connect to your phone, an Aux plug and a DAB digital radio. You also get an ugly frame of black plastic where you would find the colour screen in Feel and Flair models.

Even the screen in high-end models isn’t exactly class-leading. It’s not particularly responsive nor does it have the sharpest graphics. It does, however, come with Apple Carplay and Android Auto so you can mirror the display of your compatible smartphone on the car’s big screen and use its apps for things like navigation. In fact, a proper integrated sat-nav is only available on top-of-the-range Flair models as a £500 option – you’re better off using your smartphone’s nav app on the C3’s screen.