oi-Dennis Abraham James
When
Citroen
entered
India
with
the
C5
Aircross,
the
French
carmaker
brought
its
quirky
sense
of
style
and
focus
on
comfort
to
our
roads.
Last
year,
it
brought
that
French
styling
and
comfort-focused
ride
to
the
masses
with
the
C3
crossover
hatchback.
At
the
time
of
the
C3’s
launch,
the
French
carmaker
told
the
world
that
the
new
hatch
would
soon
spawn
an
all-electric
version
of
itself.
Well
fast
forward
a
few
months
and
Citroen
has
made
good
on
its
promise.
The
French
carmaker
has
turned
up
with
an
all-electric
version
of
its
hatchback
for
the
Indian
market,
dubbed
simply
as
the
Citroen
eC3.
So
is
the
Citroen
eC3
all
that
it
has
been
hyped
up
to
be?
Does
the
French
Citroen
eC3
have
what
it
takes
to
challenge
Tata
in
this
electric
punchup
for
the
hearts
of
the
masses?
We
drove
the
all-new
Citroen
eC3
in
Chennai
to
find
out…
Citroen
eC3
Design
&
Features
–
More
Of
The
Same
Please
With
Teeny
Bit
More
Contrast
If
you
put
the
new
Citroen
eC3
next
to
its
dino-burning
sibling
(the
one
without
the
e
in
the
name)
you’d
be
hard-pressed
to
find
out
what
has
changed.
While
some
may
call
this
sleeping
on
the
job,
the
French
carmaker
has
decided
that
the
C3’s
design
didn’t
need
to
be
messed
around
with
for
the
transformation
into
its
all-electric
city
runner.
At
the
front,
the
twin
chevrons
of
the
Citroen
badge
are
connected
to
the
split
headlamp
setup
with
the
upper
bars
meeting
up
with
the
DRLs
while
the
lower
arms
end
in
more
DRLs
that
sit
next
to
the
actual
headlamps.
Lower
down
on
the
front
bumper
on
the
black
plastic-clad
section
of
the
bumper,
we
find
the
fog
lamps
which
on
the
eC3
feature
a
new
colour
for
the
surrounds
in
the
form
of
Polar
White.
Polar
White
is
the
colour
of
choice
for
the
new
eC3
with
for
its
new
dual-tone
themes.
The
three
new
dual-tone
colour
options
for
the
eC3
sport
a
Polar
White
roof
with
the
rest
of
the
body
finished
in
either
Zesty
Orange,
Platinum
Grey
or
Steel
Grey.
In
fact,
the
Polar
white
surrounds
and
roof
along
with
all
the
custom
bits
that
were
already
seen
on
the
regular
C3
mean
that
the
new
electric
hatch
is
offered
up
in
13
exterior
colour
combinations,
3
packs,
and
47
customisations.
The
polar
white
Vibe
pack
surrounds
can
be
found
on
the
doors
as
well
close
to
which
we
find
our
other
bits
that
help
you
in
your
quest
to
find
which
C3
is
electric.
The
easiest
of
these
is
the
small ‘e’ badge
on
both
front
doors.
The
other
EV-only
design
highlight
is
found
in
the
door
for
the
charging
port
which
is
located
above
the
front
wheel
arch
on
the
right.
Citroen
has
retained
the
C3’s
fuel
filler
cap
but
that
section
is
sealed
off.
The
reason
that
wasn’t
retrofitted
for
the
charging
port
has
to
do
with
both
the
extra
wiring
needed
and
the
heat
generated
by
the
same.
The
rear
section
of
the
eC3
is
virtually
identical
to
its
ICe
sibling
with
only
the
contrast
surrounds
on
the
lower
bumper
and
the
roof
in
the
dual-tone
cars
and
the
eC3
badging
at
the
rear
letting
the
world
know
that
you’re
in
an
EV.
Well,
that
and
your
green
plates.
Step
inside
the
cabin
of
the
eC3
and
its
deja
vu
all
over
again.
Well,
that
is
until
you
start
wondering
where
the
gear
lever
disappeared.
Instead
of
a
regular
shifter,
Citroen
has
put
in
a
toggle
switch
to
help
you
get
the
eC3
into
drive.
Also
seen
next
to
this
lever
is
the
button
to
switch
the
eC3
into
Eco
mode.
However,
don’t
let
the
lack
of
changes
lull
you
into
thinking
the
eC3
is
boring.
The
cabin
is
as
spacious
as
ever
and
the
dash
can
be
finished
off
in
an
eye-searing
shade
of
orange
provided
you
choose
the ‘right’
Vibe
pack
for
the
interior.
We
rather
prefer
the
soothing
Anodized
Grey.
At
the
centre
of
the
dash
sits
the
eC3’s
10.25-inch
infotainment
touchscreen
that
connects
with
Android
Auto
and
Apple
CarPlay
wirelessly.
That
display
is
also
what
connects
up
with
the
MyCitroen
Connect
app
that
adds
35
connected
car
features
and
also
helps
the
eC3
find
vitally
important
chargers
on
your
route
along
with
the
charge
status
of
the
battery
on
the
go.
Other
features
include
geofencing,
the
ability
to
locate
your
car
in
just
one
tap
and
SOS
alerts
if
someone
else
tries
to
access
your
car
illegally
among
many
others.
The
seats
are
as
comfortable
as
ever
on
the
eC3.
However,
those
at
the
rear
will
find
themselves
in
a
slightly
more
thigh-up
position
as
the
addition
of
the
battery
pack
means
that
the
floor
is
around
70mm
higher
on
the
EV.
However,
one
thing
the
added
battery
pack
hasn’t
messed
up
is
the
boot
space.
You
still
get
the
same
315-litre
boot
space
and
the
full-sized
spare
has
been
retained
as
well
on
the
EV.
Citroen
eC3
Electric
Powertrain
–
No
More
Dino
Burning
The
biggest
change
in
the
Citroen
eC3
of
course
comes
under
the
bonnet
and
the
hatchback’s
floor.
The
dino
burner
of
the
C3
makes
for
a
BEV
powertrain
in
the
eC3.
Underneath
the
floor
of
the
eC3
sits
an
air-cooled
(hence
the
open
ventage
at
the
front)
29.2kwh
lithium-ion
battery
pack
that
delivers
a
range
of
320km
on
a
single
charge
as
per
the
MIDC
test
cycle.
The
eC3
supports
the
CCS2
fast
charging
standard.
So
when
plugged
into
a
DC
fast
charger,
the
eC3
will
charge
up
its
lithium-ion
pack
from
10
to
80
per
cent
in
just
57
minutes.
Charging
with
the
3.3kW
on-board
charger
plugged
into
a
15A
socket
at
home
takes
10
and
a
half
hours.
The
addition
of
the
battery
pack
means
a
nearly
280kg
increase
in
the
weight
of
the
electric
hatch
when
compared
to
its
iCE
sibling
–
the
eC3
is
1,316kg
at
its
heaviest.
The
ground
clearance
has
also
dropped
by
10mm
to
170mm.
The
battery
pack
powers
a
single
electric
motor
mounted
on
the
front
axle
of
the
eC3.
The
motor
is
rated
at
56.2bhp
and
143Nm
of
peak
torque.
Citroen
is
offering
substantial
warranties
on
the
eC3.
The
entire
car
gets
the
standard
3-year/
125,000km
dosage.
The
motor
is
under
warranty
for
5
years/
100,000km
while
the
battery
pack
gets
7
years/
140,000km
warranty.
Citroen
eC3
Driving
Impressions
–
Casting
A
Silent
Spell
The
first
thing
you
notice
(after
that
tiny
gear
toggle)
when
you
get
going
in
the
eC3
is
the
silence
the
electric
drivetrain
provides.
The
overall
NVH
levels
are
better
than
the
ICE
C3.
While
the
eC3
may
be
the
least
powerful
of
the
C3
lineup,
the
143Nm
of
peak
torque
is
available
right
from
the
start.
However,
there
is
no
punch-in-the-guts
acceleration
on
offer
as
the
eC3
prefers
to
get
off
the
blocks
smoothly
with
the
electric
hatch
building
up
speed
gradually
till
it
tops
out
at
107km/h.
We
really
do
think
that
the
Citroen
eC3
has
a
bit
more
to
offer
in
terms
of
top
speed
but
this
was
quite
likely
sacrificed
on
the
alter
of
range.
There
are
two
modes
on
offer
–
Eco
and
Standard.
However,
the
difference
between
the
two
isn’t
really
that
much
and
you’ll
find
yourself
in
Standard
in
almost
every
circumstance
except
if
you
want
to
engage
in
hypermiling.
As
we
found
ourselves
on
the
smooth
tarmac
of
the
Wabco
test
track
in
Chennai,
we
couldn’t
really
find
any
potholes
to
test
out
the
changes
if
any
that
Citroen
has
made
to
the
C3’s
smooth
suspension
setup
to
deal
with
the
extra
weight
of
the
electric
battery
pack
in
the
EV.
However,
that
extra
weight
of
the
battery
pack
and
the
low
centre
of
gravity
of
the
eC3
means
that
the
hatch
remains
planted
when
you
push
it
through
the
corners.
However,
a
little
bit
of
body
roll
is
still
noticeable
so
don’t
try
to
push
your
luck
on
the
streets.
Getting
the
eC3
to
stop
are
discs
at
the
front
and
drums
at
the
rear
that
are
aided
by
the
regenerative
braking
of
the
eC3.
While
the
regen
braking
does
slow
the
eC3
down
by
quite
a
bit,
it
was
still
not
enough
to
convince
Citroen
to
add
one
pedal
driving
to
the
hatch.
The
brake
pedal
is
a
bit
of
a
bugbear,
as
the
travel
is
a
bit
too
long
for
our
tastes
and
getting
used
to
the
lack
of
initial
bite
is
something
that
takes
time
to
get
used
to.
Thoughts
About
The
Citroen
eC3
–
A
Quirky
French
EV
for
the
Masses
The
Citroen
eC3
retains
all
the
good
qualities
of
its
ICE
sibling
and
adds
the
peace,
quiet
and
green
creds
of
an
EV
powertrain
to
the
hatch.
We
still
need
a
bit
more
time
with
the
eC3
to
test
out
its
range,
but
we
do
feel
that
Citroen
could
have
a
genuine
rival
for
the
Tata
Tiago
EV
on
its
hands,
provided
it
gets
the
pricing
right.
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