Citroen C3

Car of mine of less than a year had brought me to the repair center for repair/servicing for a number of times. Thou it looks great, it's been giving lots of headache not forgetting the time spent while waiting and the wasteful leave incurred..

- Creeping sound coming out of the seat while turning

- 'Juttering' of the wipers during rainny day even after multiple repair

- High fuel consumption - 8.9km/l even with control driving manner

- Intermittent Aircon failure, air louver duct failed to work at desires selection

- Sticky gear change from 1st to the 2nd gear

A regretful buy indeed....

The first thing that strikes you about the car is that enormous cockpit-style windscreen. Not only does it make the cabin look bright and spacious, it lends the car a strong, distinctive character. This is matched by the cutesy-and-yet-sporty front grille derived from its DS3 cousin, and chrome fittings that you do not see a lot on its peers of the hatchback category.

The interior design goes nicely with the exterior by offering contoured air-con vents, a sporty dashboard and a racing-style flat-bottom steering wheel. Push-button digital air-con controls continues with the refinement theme, as is the informative monochrome LCD screen that reports anything from Bluetooth connectivity to fuel consumption to sound settings. This car can seat five tall (around 1.75m) adults nicely with just enough legroom, though sitting in the rear may feel a little claustrophobic. The boot space is one of the largest as well for a hatchback too.

Acceleration is good enough, placing above average amongst its peers. Fuel consumption is just average though, considering I only manage 10-11km/l as a "slightly-heavy-footer" with my usual daily commute split between about 10 minutes on the expressway and 10 minutes on normal roads. Engine noise is well-isolated at cruising speeds, which also means that you may find the engine whining a little as you are accelerating. If you are the kind of driver who prefer listening to loud revs, the engine will satisfy you too above 3k rpm, sounding more aggressive than lethargic. Gearbox transmission is smooth despite being a four-speeder, only to reveal its ugly side when you start executing abrupt accelerations. The car rolls along smoothly on its slightly softer suspension and 16-inch alloy rims as well, although body roll is evident when cornering at high speeds.

Having done just over 2100km in this beautifully-designed car, I still look forward to driving it daily and immerse myself in the wonderful panoramic view that the enormous windscreen provides. On top of that, the wealth of audio and Bluetooth configurations keep the geek in me happy. In essence, this car is without equal in its category, blending together a delightful mix of style, performance and lastly, character. If you are looking for a hatchback that shouts "unique", and possibly identifying you as one at the same time, this is it.

It's not a driver's car, but if you're looking for something that covers bases and has a bit of character, the new C3 will put a satisfied little smile on your face.Manages a goodly amount of big-car poise over bumps with compliant suspension, and room up front is fine thanks to a high roofline. But it can be noisy in here and the rear seats are cramp-inducing on long journeys. Lucky you won't be doing any.But it's not cool.The interior isn't quite as playful as the outside, but at least the C3 feels as though it was put together by sober people who care. We get a T-shaped dash, with an unfussy centre console and lots of detail. Gone are the tacky digital bits, instead we see analogue instruments that look far more classy. Even better, everything flows happily from one place to another - from the matte dash top, to the graphite plastic of the dash itself to the door cards, nothing feels like an afterthought. Colours are muted, with brief flashes of chrome to liven things up.The steering is accurate and it rides well, too, remaining composed and quiet along uneven surfaces. You won't be surprised to hear that razor-sharp dynamics aren't really on the cards, with progressive understeer the only thing you'll provoke if you start getting excited. But it's perfectly good in almost every situation. Fun? No, not really. But it steers well, stops well, and deals with the bumps. It's fine.It's not so huge in the back seats, even though the rear legroomis supposed to be 30mm greater than before. However, the huge windscreen means the back seats don't feel as oppressive as most superminis.