It was voted Best European Hatchback of 2003 the same year critics blamed its weak sales on bad advertising.
Lead trim: 1.1 TU1 (60 hp) · up to 109 hp
Citroën C3FC/FN · 2002–2010
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Citroën C3 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactIt was voted Best European Hatchback of 2003 the same year critics blamed its weak sales on bad advertising.
Designed by Jean-Pierre Ploué (appointed Citroën design director in 2000) under Donato Coco, launched at the 2001 Frankfurt and Bologna motor shows and on sale from January 2002 as the replacement for the Saxo, on the same PSA PF1 platform as the Peugeot 206 and 1007 and Citroën C2. It came as a five-door hatchback and, from 2003, the two-door C3 Pluriel convertible, with 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 petrols and 1.4 and 1.6 common-rail HDi diesels; the Stop & Start version paired a five-speed SensoDrive automated manual with paddle-shifters. Built at Aulnay-sous-Bois and Madrid, plus Porto Real in Brazil (to 2012) and Uruguay, and about 3.1 million C3s had been built by 2011. The 1.4 HDi 16V (91 hp) was dropped in 2005 because it could not meet Euro 4. Euro NCAP scored the 1.4 petrol 28 for adult occupants in 2002.
Collectors Spotted in the Citroën C3 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Citroën C3 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
8 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 TU1 (60 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.1 L Inline-4 | 60 hp | 69 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 ET3 16V (89 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 98 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 HDi 16V DV4 diesel (91 hp) | 2002–2005 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 91 hp | 150 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 HDi DV4 diesel (68 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 68 hp | 120 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.4 TU3 (75 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.4 L Inline-4 | 75 hp | 87 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.6 HDi 16V DV6 diesel (90 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 90 hp | 159 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.6 HDiF 16V DV6 diesel with particulate filter (109 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 109 hp | 180 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.6 TU5 16V (109 hp) | 2002–2010 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 109 hp | 108 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This is the first C3 ever built with Citroën’s Advanced Comfort Suspension and seats — decades into the nameplate, Citroën finally gave it the comfort tech the brand is known for.
The C3 sold in India and Latin America shares a name but not a platform with Europe's — built on Stellantis's low-cost Smart Car Platform instead, completely unrelated underneath.
The humble second-gen C3's small petrol engines weren't pure PSA — Citroën co-developed its "Prince" engine family with an unlikely partner: BMW.
It was voted Best European Hatchback of 2003 the same year critics blamed its weak sales on bad advertising.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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