Citroen e-C3 2024: Prices, specs and release date

• New Citroen e-C3 is a stylish electric small car with a headline-grabbing price tag 
• Combines 199-mile range with a starter price from under £23,000
• Distinctive styling draws from the acclaimed Citroen Oli concept car
• On sale 2024 – and an even more affordable model could arrive in 2025

The new Citroen e-C3 aims to set a new benchmark for electric small car affordability when it arrives in 2024. Cleverly engineered on an all-new platform, the new Citroen e-C3 is set to send rival EV small cars such as the Vauxhall Corsa Electric back to the drawing board.

There’s more to the new Citroen e-C3 than just affordability, though. It boasts a smart new design that’s influenced by the acclaimed Citroen Oli concept car. The replacement for today's Citroen C3, and big brother to the Citroen Ami short-range electric car, also takes design cues from small SUVs and blends them into the new Citroen e-C3’s small-sized footprint.

Inside the new Citroen e-C3 has a clever layout that lives up to Citroen ingenuity of the past. A high priority is placed on comfort too, again drawing from Citroen brand hallmarks.

The new Citroen e-C3 will provide stern competition to both the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Peugeot e-208, which are EV versions of conventional small hatchbacks. The Renault Zoe is another direct rival, while the Fiat 500 Electric gets near to the new Citroen e-C3 in terms of price.

The new Citroen e-C3 throws down the electric car gauntlet in terms of affordability and more. Here, we find out why it’s so exciting.

2024 Citroen e-C3 prices and release date

New Citroen e-C3 prices will shake up the small electric car market in the UK – because they are confirmed to start from under £23,000. The cheapest new Vauxhall Corsa Electric costs almost £34,000, which underlines how affordable new Citroen e-C3 prices will be.

An exact UK release date for the new Citroen e-C3 has yet to be confirmed. It will, however, be launched during the second quarter of 2024, meaning a UK release in time for summer 2024 is likely.

The new Citroen e-C3 will be sold in three grades, called You, Plus and Max. All have LED headlights, manual air conditioning, electric door mirrors, rear parking sensors and auto headlights.

The new Citroen e-C3 Plus adds 17-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, auto wipers, power-fold door mirrors and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. Max adds climate control, rear parking camera, wireless smartphone charging and rear privacy glass.

2024 Citroen e-C3 styling, interior and technology

The new Citroen e-C3 evolves a regular small car into an SUV design. It is similar in length and width to today’s Citroen C3, measuring around four metres long, but is notably taller (and similar in profile to the Citroen C3 Aircross). This helps bring the bold, upright look of the Citroen Oli concept car to the road.

The new Citroen e-C3 has a tall, squared-off front end that features the large new oval Citroen chevron logo and eye-catching structured LED headlights. Occupants will have a clear view across the high bonnet, while the short front end helps with maneuverability.

The new Citroen e-C3 has big wheels with tough plastic wheelarch extensions, and a tall, squared-off rear end that will be great for interior headroom. The rear lights of the new Citroen e-C3 are distinctive too, and top-spec models have even more eye-catching LED units.

The new Citroen e-C3 will be offered in five body colours. Choose from Polar White, Montecarlo Blue, Elixir Red, Mercury Grey and Perla Nera Black. Plus and Max models will be available with a contrast roof colour, either in black or white. New Citroen e-C3 Plus and Max also feature decorative roof rails plus front and rear skid plates.

The new Citroen e-C3 has a new type of interior layout too. It’s more minimalist and open-plan, with a greater emphasis on creating a comfortable, spacious and welcoming cabin.

The ‘C-Zen Lounge’ of the new Citroen e-C3’s interior is designed around a clean, uncluttered dashboard that sees the first use of a novel Citroen Head-Up Display. This reflects vehicle information onto a glossy black section between the top of the dash and the bottom of the windscreen. A compact new steering wheel, similar to modern Peugeots, gives the driver a clear view of it.

In the centre of the new Citroen e-C3 dashboard is a 10.25-inch touchscreen (with, you’ll be pleased to hear, a row of physical buttons below it). Offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, it features on all but base new Citroen C3 You versions – they have a clever Smartphone Station instead.  

The lower section of the new Citroen e-C3’s dashboard is wrapped in fabric, with the softly-curved shape creating what the designers call a ‘sofa-stye’ design.

Ultra-comfortable seats will feature in the new Citroen e-C3. The Advanced Comfort Seats have an additional layer of foam which gives a welcoming, soft feel as soon as passengers sit on them. It is promised they will remain supple and supportive even on longer journeys, too.

The SUV-like layout of the new Citroen e-C3 means the seats are mounted a substantial 100mm higher than the small car norm. This gives a more commanding view out, and also makes it easier to get in and out of.

The new Citroen e-C3 is very roomy inside, thanks to its SUV-style design. It’s particularly spacious in the rear, where passengers have more elbow room than is usual in this sector – and at least 20mm more rear knee room than average, giving it best-in-class status.

The new Citroen e-C3 has a large 310-litre boot – and not only is it big, it’s also well-shaped, with more than a metre of space between the rear wheelarches. All but base new Citroen e-C3 have a 60-40 split rear seat.

2024 Citroen e-C3 battery, performance and range

The new Citroen e-C3 launches with a single electric motor and battery choice. It has a 44kWh battery pack, which gives a WLTP range of up to 199 miles.

The new Citroen e-C3’s battery is a new type of design that’s set to be used by other models in the Stellantis empire. Impressively, it has 100kW DC rapid charge capability, which will top it up from 20% to 80% in as little as 26 minutes.

The new Citroen e-C3 will be available with a fully-connected ‘Citroen e-Routes’ app. This helps those buying or leasing the new Citroen e-C3 calculate the most energy-efficient route, and also gives them live charging network data while on the move.

The new Citroen e-C3’s electric motor produces 113hp, for 0-62mph in around 11.0 seconds. It has a top speed of 84mph. All are figures that compare favorably with today’s petrol-powered Citroen C3 1.2-litre PureTech 110.

The new Citroen e-C3 naturally has the convenience of an automatic gearbox too. The gear selector toggle is on the centre console.

Staying true to the French brand’s tradition, the new Citroen e-C3 will deliver very high levels of comfort. It is the firm’s first small car to use the Citroen Progressive Hydraulic Cushions in the suspension. These clever hydraulic bump stops promise a ‘magic carpet ride’ by giving chassis designers more freedom over suspension tuning.

The new Citroen e-C3’s suspension works in two stages. Supple springs and dampers control the ride in the everyday range, while for major impacts, the hydraulic stops provide additional assistance to iron out the bumps. It means the new Citroen e-C3 will be “the most comfortable car in the B-hatch segment”.

The higher ride height of the new Citroen e-C3 gives more ground clearance. It increases from 135mm in the current Citroen C3 to a generous 163mm in the new Citroen e-C3. The engineers say will help make for a more assured drive in town. It will be better able to shrug off speed bumps, kerbs and potholes.

The new Citroen C3 is based on the BEV-focused Stellantis ‘Smart Car’ platform. It is sure to underpin more electric cars in Europe, which should further broaden the choice of affordable EVs.

Speaking of which, there are plans to introduce an even more affordable new Citroen e-C3 from 2025, using a smaller battery with a range of around 125 miles. This could cost less than £17,500.