Citroen eC3

Citroen promised a model onslaught and they seem to be delivering on that with the new C3 electric

- Vivek Venugopal

The new eC3 is their most significant launch this year aimed at the budget end of the EV market and plugs the gap between the Tiago EV and Nexon EV. We sample one, although briefly, on a test track in Chennai and here are the initial impressions.

From the outside, there is very little to tell the eC3 apart from the petrol versions. The right-side front fender has a charging port, there are a few badges and that’s it. Citroen has always maintained that the C3 is a hatchback and not an SUV like everything these days. It was designed to have an EV variant right from the beginning. The eC3 has its battery pack underneath which reduces the ground clearance from 180 to 170mm. The Citroen eC3 has a 2540mm wheelbase which is the biggest in its class, as a result of which, the battery pack sits as one unit under the floor, unlike the split arrangement in a Tiago. The floor height inside the cabin has gone up by 70mm though. The boot remains uncompromised at 315 litres and there is a spare wheel underneath.