A small vehicle that doesn’t have the luxury of some of its small car rivals, yet may do the trick if you’re looking for affordability and to get around town comfortably
Geraldine Herbert test drives the Citroën C3 PureTech 100hp. Photo: Paul Herbert-Kane
It seems Brussels is toying with the idea that what Europe really needs is a new class of car – tiny electric runarounds floated by Ursula von der Leyen and the Commission. The Small Affordable Cars Initiative (SACI) looks sensible on paper, promising EVs at around €15,000. The catch? To achieve this price point, the cars would only have to comply with safety standards designed for low-speed urban use, making them ideal for 30–50kmh urban trundling but not what you want to be driving once you stray onto a country road.
Which begs the question, who actually needs more cars in cities? Surely, where affordable cars are most needed is in rural areas where public transport is patchy and people are genuinely car-dependent. What’s required are well-built, affordable cars that bridge both worlds. Our test car this week, the Citroën C3, aims to be just that and is well-priced and crucially offered in petrol, electric and hybrid.