CITROËN
C3
PERFORMANCE
Featuring a wide choice of engines and a host
of equipment, the Citroën C3 offers exceptional
driving pleasure.
A NEW GENERATION OF
DIRECT-INJECTION COMMON-RAIL DIESEL ENGINES
The
C3 is the first Citroën to be fitted with the
new-generation HDi
engines developed through the cooperation
agreement between PSA Peugeot
Citroën and Ford.
The C3 is available with the 1.4 HDi and 1.4 HDi
16V engines. To meet all performance requirements,
it offers a choice
of an 8— or 16— valve cylinder head, developing 50
kW or 66 kW EEC (70
bhp DIN and 92 bhp DIN) respectively, with torque
of 150 Nm or 200 Nm.
The HDi 1.4 l second-generation common-rail
powerplants offer all the
benefits of the first-generation engines — low
consumption, silent
operation, driving pleasure, excellent
environmental performance —
combined with compact dimensions, low weight and a
level of performance
not usually associated with engines of this
capacity.
ERGONOMIC DESIGN AND DRIVING PLEASURE WITH THE
SENSODRIVE GEARBOX
The
Sensodrive is a robotised manual gearbox featuring
two modes of
operation: a manual mode controlled by paddles
behind the steering
wheel or by a gear lever, and an automatic mode
using push controls on
the central console.
By allowing drivers to choose between these
two modes of operation, the SensoDrive gearbox
gives the driver the
pleasurable sensation of being in full control of
the gearbox, while
taking over the less enjoyable tasks such as
hill-starts or the
repeated engaging and disengaging of the clutch
necessary in traffic
jams.
The SensoDrive gearbox is coupled with the 1.6i
16V engine.
1.6i 16V, 1.4i AND
1.1i, THREE PETROL ENGINES OF RECOGNISED QUALITY
The
1.6i 16V engine belongs to the latest generation
of petrol engines. It
brings the C3 a level of performance and driving
pleasure not usually
seen in vehicles of this type. It develops 80 kW
EEC (110 bhp DIN) at
5,750 rpm with maximum torque of 147 Nm at 4,000
rpm. Efficient fuel
management means that consumption levels are
particularly low. This
spirited engine is highly responsive from low
speeds.
The range also includes two other petrol engines.
The 1.4i engine develops 54 kW EEC (75 bhp DIN) at
5,400 rpm and torque
of 118 Nm at 3,300 rpm. This engine has been
modified to cut
consumption and to improve driving pleasure,
notably by reducing noise
and vibration. This engine can be coupled with the
AL4 auto-adaptive
automatic gearbox.
This gearbox offers three automatic operating
programmes plus a manual mode:
-
a normal programme,
managing six auto-adaptive shift patterns,
-
a sport programme,
managing two auto-adaptive sports shift
patterns,
-
a snow programme,
which gives priority to grip,
-
manual sequential
mode.
This auto-adaptive gearbox features sequential
gearchange control which lets the driver select
gears manually.
The 1.1i entry-level engine develops 44 kW EEC (61
bhp DIN) at 5,500
rpm with torque of 94 Nm at 3,200 rpm. It combines
a good level of
performance with reasonable consumption.
SAFETY
The
Citroën C3 offers a particularly high level of
safety. This is because
the issue of safety has been addressed as a whole:
from on-board well
being, which improves driver concentration,
through to impact
resistance, protection of the occupants and
particularly surefooted
roadholding. New technologies have been applied
systematically in all
these areas, in order to provide new services and
functions that
provide more information for the driver, who is
thereby able to
concentrate fully on the road.
PARTICULARLY
SUREFOOTED ROADHOLDING
The running gear of the C3 is designed to
ensure precise roadholding with firm, clear
reactions.
The front suspension is of the MacPherson type
with coil springs and
hydraulic shock absorbers. The rear suspension
features a totally new
design with a flexibletransverse beam. This
configuration offers an
excellent balance between comfort, dynamic
performance and safety.
For total driving tranquillity, the C3 can also be
fitted with ESP and
traction control, features that are rarely seen on
this segment.
THE ESP SYSTEM
(ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAMME)
ESP
(Electronic Stability Programme) corrects the path
taken by the vehicle
when it detects a deviation between the course
steered by the driver
and thecourse taken by the vehicle.
To do this, the system usually acts as follows:
-
in the event of
oversteering, the ESP brakes the front wheel
that is on the outside of the bend,
-
in the event of
understeering, the ESP brakes the rear wheel
that is on the inside of the bend.
If necessary, however,
the system can adopt other strategies.
TRACTION CONTROL
(ASR)
Coupled
with the ESP system, traction control (ASR)
reduces the excess power of
the drive wheels if the car goes into a skid. It
also makes it easier
to start the car smoothly on a slippery surface
(water, gravel or
leaves, for example). At higher speeds, ASR stops
the wheels going into
a skid on sudden acceleration.
A HIGH-PERFORMANCE
BRAKING SYSTEM
The
C3’s braking system is well equipped, from the
first level of trim:
discs at the front (vented on the 1.6i 16V and 1.4
HDi 16V) and discs
at the rear (1.6i 16V and 1.4 HDi 16V, 4-sensor
ABS with electronic
brakeforce distribution (EBD), emergency braking
assistance and hazard
warning lights that come on automatically in the
event of sudden
deceleration.
ELECTRONIC
BRAKEFORCE DISTRIBUTION
This
function makes optimum use of braking power by
delivering the maximum
level of power admissible for each wheel. In this
way, it optimises
“front-rear” and “right-left” braking.
EMERGENCY BRAKING
ASSISTANCE
The
C3 also features an emergency braking assistance
system: when the
driver stamps hard on the brake pedal (indicating
an emergency
situation), the main piston sets off a second
piston that raises the
pressure of the braking system to maximum levels.
This function can
considerably reduce the braking distance, since
the driver is less
reticent about stamping hard on the pedal at the
start of the braking
process.
AUTOMATIC HAZARD
WARNING LIGHTS
To
further improve braking safety, the hazard warning
lights of the C3
come on automatically in the event of sudden
deceleration. They are
switched off when the vehicle accelerates once
more or when the driver
activates the corresponding control button.
MORE PROTECTION
SYSTEMS OF ENHANCED EFFICIENCY
The
C3 is a front-runner in its segment with a wide
range of passive safety
features including six airbags (two front, two
side and two curtain at
front and rear), height-adjustable front seatbelts
with pyrotechnic
pretensioners and force limiters, three
three-point rear seatbelts,
three crescent-shaped rear headrests and a body
block system on the
steering column.
To further enhance security and safety, the C3 is
built on an entirely new platform, designed to
satisfy the most
stringent impact tests. It is also well protected
against theft and
break-ins.
HIGH STANDARDS OF
IMPACT RESISTANCE AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION
High-strength
steel makes up 41% of the structure of the C3.
This reduces vehicle
weight while maintaining a high level of
stiffness.
VEHICLE PROTECTION
The
barrage of protection devices installed on the C3
includes a
rolling-code engine immobiliser, central locking
of the doors and
tailgate, an HF remote control unit and
transponder, and a function
that automatically relocks the vehicle if it is
unlocked accidentally.
PEACE OF MIND
Boasting
a wide range of comfort equipment and driving
aids, the Citroën C3
makes life on board an eminently enjoyable
experience.
ONBOARD WELL-BEING
The
C3 meets the requirements of all the occupants in
terms of on-board
well being, and even anticipates their needs with
its bright, welcoming
passenger compartment, innovative functions
(Moduboard, Child Pack) and
easy-to-use control layout, as well as the thermal
comfort offered by
the air conditioning system and the remarkable
absence of noise.
SPACE AND LIGHT
Through
its original design, the C3 passenger compartment
conveys an immediate
impression of a spacious interior, open to the
outside world.
The vast glazed surfaces and raised seating in
both rows give the interior a bright, airy
feeling.
This impression of light and well-being is
enhanced by the panoramic
glass sunroof, which extends back over the rear
seats.
VOLUME AND
MODULARITY — THE MODUBOARD
A
host of roomy and convenient stowage compartments
— including a vast
glovebox, generously sized bins in the doors and
drawers under the
seats — contribute to the pleasure of travelling
on board the C3, as
does the boot whose 305 litre (VDA) capacity is
put to excellent use by
the Moduboard.
Created by Citroën, the Moduboard system divides
the
boot into compartments, making it easier to
protect fragile objects and
position long objects.
The Moduboard creates a flat floor, running from
the boot sill to the
backs of the front seats. It is able to support
considerable loads.
A FRIENDLY INTERIOR
THAT MAKES SAFETY A PRIORITY
The
C3 is fitted with a number of features designed
exclusively for
children, to contribute to maintaining a peaceful
atmosphere on board.
One example is the child safety lock indicator on
the dashboard. On
versions fitted with the Child Pack, child-safety
locks can be
activated or deactivated using an electrical
function controlled from
the dashboard. The Child Pack also comprises a
mirror, making it
possible to keep a watchful eye on children on the
back seat and
maintain visual contact, a 12 V socket at the
rear, and aircraft-style
trays on the backs of the front seats.
DESIGN AND ERGONOMY
The
pleasingly shaped dashboard of the C3 features an
original instrument
cluster with a halfmoon display unit, and advanced
ergonomic design.
The controls fall naturally to hand. The audio
system is easy to
control, with the two rocker switches on the tip
of the right-hand
stalk.
The child-safety controls, the excess speed alarm
and the button
disabling the ESP function are located on the
right of the fascia. To
the left of the wheel is the control for folding
down the rearview
mirrors, while the cruise controls are on each
horizontal spoke of the
wheel.
Versions equipped with the SensoDrive gearbox also
feature control
paddles, which are positioned behind the wheel so
that the driver can
use them intuitively, whatever the wheel position.
ACOUSTIC COMFORT AND
INTERIOR TEMPERATURE
The
excellent acoustic comfort contributes to the
userfriendly atmosphere
by making conversation easier, notably between
occupants at the front
and rear. The air-conditioning systems available
with theC3 control the
temperature of the passenger compartment with
precision, for the
continuous well-being of the occupants. Silent and
highly efficient,
the automatic air conditioning features an
innovative day/night
function that maximises thermal comfort by gently
adjusting the mode of
air circulation when night starts to fall.
Other items of equipment
are also associated with the automatic air
conditioning: an automatic
windscreen wiper, a chilled lower glovebox, an
activated carbon
(anti-odour) pollen filter and a heatreflecting
windscreen.
DRIVING PLEASURE
The
C3 features continuously variable electric power
steering, electronic
parking assistance and a host of intelligent
equipment to maximise
driving pleasure for the driver — settled in a
comfortable seat — in
the city and on the open road.
A RELAXING DRIVING
POSITION
The
relaxing, reassuring impression conveyed by the
driver’s position can
be attributed to the wide range of functions and
equipment offered by
the C3, including the steering wheel adjustable
for height and reach,
the driver and passenger headrests adjustable for
height and tilt, the
individual retracting arm-rests, the raised
seating position that
provides a clear view of the road and the large
glazed areas for good
peripheral vision.
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING
Whatever
the driving conditions, the electric power
steering system of the C3
ensures easy handling in the city, as well as on
longer journeys
involving motorway travel, through its ability to
“read” the road at
sustained speed.
ELECTRONIC PARKING
ASSISTANCE
Electronic
parking assistance is a practical function that
helps drivers manoeuvre
easily. Four sensors in the rear bumper detect any
obstacles and warn
the driver with an audible alarm. The system is
activated automatically
as soon as reverse is selected. It can also be
disabled.
EQUIPMENT THAT
ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO GIVE THE ROAD HIS FULL
ATTENTION
To
promote safe driving, the C3 features a range of
intelligent functions,
such as a programmable excess speed warning, a
black panel function to
optimise visual comfort at night, and an audio
system whose volume
varies automatically with vehicle speed.
An optional colour
telematics system is also available. Positioned on
the upper part of
the dashboard, this system comprises three key
functions: an audio
system (radio and 5-CD stacker), colour navigation
and a dual-band GSM
hands-free telephone.
Activated by voice recognition and synthesis, the
system can also be managed using the controls
provided on the fascia.
An optional navigation system with a
black-and-white display unit is also available.
