Citroen is claiming its new C3 will ‘democratise’ electric cars in the same way as the 2CV did for motoring in general, writes Brian Byrne. That was the view of company CEO Thierry Koskas when he showed the newly-revealed latest generation C3 in Dublin this week.
The car has debuted as an electric vehicle, though there will be thermal engine versions in due course. But the €23,300 price point in some EU markets for the version with a range of 320km is a sweet carrot to be offering. When it comes to Ireland this time next year, however, customers here are likely be coughing up more because of our car taxation regime. Anticipating questions about the range, Mr Koskas said 320km is ‘more than enough for daily use’ in the user segment.
“We don’t have a price yet,” Citroen Ireland’s Colin Sheridan (below) said at the Dublin reveal, though when pressed he said the new ë-C3 could be coming in at ‘under €30,000’. It's believed that a version to be available in other markets at €19,900, with a 200km range, is unlikely to be brought to Ireland’s buyers.
Apart from the pricing, the Citroen CEO said the comfort and specification levels of the new generation C2 will set it apart from the equivalent products by other brands. He also outlined a simplified grade structure of just two levels, with automatic air conditioning, LED lights and a comprehensive suite of driver assistance systems will be standard throughout. “There will be no options, just a choice of colours,” Mr Koskas said. He added that while the new car sits higher than its predecessor and has SUV elements but remains a hatchback. A B-SUV on the same platform will be revealed later, and teaser slides were shown at the Dublin event, held at the HQ of importers Gowan Auto in City West.
The new ë-C3 will use a less expensive lithium-ferro-phosphate battery to help keep costs down, but it will be capable of 20pc-80pc recharging in 29 minutes.
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| Citroen 2CV. |
