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Wikipedia: Citroën C3
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History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Citroën C3 page on 22 April 2017, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Citroën C3 is a supermini car produced by Citroën since 2002. It replaced the Citroën Saxo in the model line-up and is currently in its third generation. The third generation model made its appearance in June 2016 and went on sale in January 2017. It is produced in a 5-door hatchback body style, with the first generation also being produced in a 2-door convertible version, called the C3 Pluriel. A 3-door hatchback, with a similar design as the second generation, marketed as a premium model, is available as the DS3.
A mini MPV version of the C3 was announced in July 2008, called the C3 Picasso, and was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. In South America, a mini SUV version, called the C3 Aircross, is produced and marketed only locally.
In 2014, the Citroën C3 was awarded most efficient small cars with the premium car DS 3.
First generation (2002–2009)
The first generation of the C3 was launched at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, as well as the 2001 Bologna Motor Show, and began marketing in January 2002, as a five-door hatchback. It was available with 1.1, 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol engines, and 1.4 and 1.6 litre common rail diesel engines. All models came as standard with a five-speed manual transmission, except for the Stop & Start model, which came with the SensoDrive gearbox, a five-speed semi-automatic transmission with paddle-shifters and manual and automatic modes. The top level was the only version that had the option of a four-speed fully automatic transmission.
In accordance with the PSA Group policy, the C3's chassis was used for the Peugeot 1007 and the Peugeot 207. Many components of the C3 are the same as those of the Peugeot 206.
Some versions of the C3 feature a start-stop system that can automatically cut the engine when not needed to save fuel, such as in traffic, and restart it briskly to move on again.
Second generation (2009–2016)
The second generation of the C3 was revealed in the media in June 2009, and made its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009. It features a new body design with a 108-degree field of vision windscreen, similar to the one of the larger C4 Picasso, which is available on all versions, except the entry model VT. The new C3 builds on the curvy profile of the previous model and has a look in keeping with other Citroën models and the older C3, although it is longer and wider than the old model. The lights at the front, bonnet, dashboard assembly and other components are shared with the DS3. On the new C3, the instrumentation is a mix of analogue dials beneath a styled cowl and a digital display for the fuel and trip computer. There is no temperature gauge (unlike the DS3), but a red and blue warning lamp to show hot or cold engines which come on as required. The drag coefficient is 0.307 Cd.
In engineering terms, the PSA TU powerplants are carried over from the old car and Citroën also announced a new range of small petrol engines which PSA Peugeot Citroën developed in partnership with BMW. These "Prince" engines have double overhead 16-valve camshaft, on demand oil and water pumps and BMW's patent injection and ignition technology. They are designed for low CO2 emissions and for good performance and economy. Economy was improved by the standard fit cruise control and speed limiter available on the VTR+, Airdream+ and Exclusive models. All versions have a standard fit "Gear Efficiency Indicator" which graphically states what gear to be in and when to change up and down to optimise economy. They come in 1.4 95 bhp and 1.6 120 hp versions with low emissions, as well as new diesel engines, all with CO2 emissions of under 120 g/km, plus an "Airdream+" model with 99 g/km using a new 1.6 HDI 90 bhp (67 kW; 91 PS) engine.
The New C3 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009. It was launched in November 2009, as a 2010 model. Across Europe, the advertising slogan was known as "The Visiospace", playing on the merit of the large windscreen and the improved vision afforded.
Facelift: Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013, the C3 hatchback was revised to featuring updated exterior and interior, and more efficient engines. The C3 facelift comes with updated chevrons and bumper-mounted LED daytime running lights at the front and new tail light clusters combined with new reflectors set underneath the rear bumper.
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 22 April 2017 | How the New C3 Rally Car Differs from the Road Version | Will Hope |
