Back . . .

"Paper" performance is more or less on a par with the petrol-powered C3 VTR, although the oil-burner has, as you might expect, much stronger low- and mid-revs punch. That said, we're talking "warm" rather than "hot" hatch here - 118mph and 9.5 seconds for the 0-62mph sprint. The combined economy figure is an impressive 62.8mpg. Power delivery is more linear than in the 206, and the C3 also shades it in the refinement department. But what it needs is a decent gearshift, not the flabby, notchy device currently fitted.

The chassis tweaks, combined with that structural stiffening, certainly give the Citroen a more robust feel. The VTR has stiffer springing than the cooking versions, and the result is handling which is neat and quite precise, although still with noticeable body lean. The steering has quite a meaty feel, but it could be more communicative. We're not talking Fiesta Zetec-S nimbleness here, but the HDi VTR is decent fun on a twisty road, and ride quality is not at all bad.

The changes to the inside of the car do make it look classier. The pimple effect on the lower dash of the original C3 sparked a rash of criticism. It's still there, but the acne effect has, thankfully, been much reduced. The centre console is neater - although the air-con controls are still mounted too low - and the instrument display (digital speedo and ribbon revcounter) is more legible, but still some way short of perfect. Oh, for a set of conventional dials.

More . . .

Back to Citroen Road Test index
Back to main Road Test index