WeeklySA_AdminSMALL HATCHBACK: Even in its tiny proportions the Citroen C3 Max continues the marque’s legacy of comfort and good ride handling
By Ali Mphaki
Can it ride on water? This was a jibe from a former Citroen DS owner neighbour when he engaged me about the supermini Citroen C3 parked outside her yard the other day.
Got a bit tongue-tied trying to explain that unlike his dinosaur DS, the 2024 Citroen C3 is an SUV with a twist which is blessed with plenty of technology as standard, including lane departure warning, speed limit recognition, cruise control, a speed limiter, Bluetooth and DAB radio. Before I could move to things like alloy wheels and a big, clear touchscreen system with MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay connectivity, he had already interjected, not letting go of the topic and probing me further about things like hydropneumatics and disc brakes.
Thing is his Citroen DS, which currently stands on bricks in his yard, was known for its innovative technology, and set new standards in ride quality, handling, and braking,thanks to both being the first mass production car equipped with hydropneumatic suspension and disc brakes.
The latter, as I got to know thanks to Google, is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc to create friction.
As for the hydropneumatics suspension, this system uses a combination of hydraulic fluid and gas-filled spheres to absorb shocks and maintain vehicle stability, making it suitable for various applications, including cars and military vehicles.
True, the Citroen C3 1.2T Max 6AT may not boast that what what hydro and disc brakes and cannot ride on water. After all, it is not an executive car as it is priced below the R300k mark.
Now in its fourth-generation what the French manufacturer tags as the CC21-generation, the portfolio kicks off at R249 900 with the C3 1.2 Plus 5MT (with this grade renamed from “Feel”), followed by the C3 1.2 Max 5MT at R259 900.
We had the new turbocharged flagship Citroen C3 1.2 Max 6AT derivative at R299 900, featuring an automatic transmission for test recently, and were not disappointed. Criss-crossing the length and breadth of Gauteng roads it offered a brisk and comfortable ride courtesy of its turbocharged 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol motor that delivers 81 kW and 205 Nm (peak torque is on tap from 1 750 to 2 500 rpm) to the front axle.
Front seat passengers will have no trouble getting comfortable, but with taller occupants up front there is very limited rear legroom. There’s seat height adjustment as standard in all C3s, but the driver can still feel they are sitting up quite high. This is good for all-round vision, however, and the C3 is very easy to judge when parking.
On the road the Citroen C3 is very comfortable, with good ride quality and quiet engines. Not you typical boy racer car with the sharpest-handling, that is not what the Citroen C3 is made to be, but one VW Polo driver will attest to its quick 0 – 100 km/h sprint as it happened when from a stop sign was made to eat dust the other day.
Bringing further confidence was the fact that I was cocooned in a vehicle with six airbags, four more than in previous models. And in typical Citroen comfort style, it rode over those potholes with a little squirm, unlike some of the rivals I’ve tested before, even though it needs to guard on its drinking habits.
At one stage it recorded I was consuming 7.1-litres per 100km, which I though was a bit over the top. The latest Suzuki Swift rewards you with 5,3-litres per 100km. It may well be a compact-sized car, but the Citroen C3 has a spacious cabin along with a decent boot. Rear legroom is a bit tight with tall passengers up front, but there’s plenty of headroom and access is good thanks to the five-door body. The 300-litre boot is plenty for shopping trips and luggage. To further show its funky side, you can customise a Citroen C3 with various contrasting roof colours, air bumps and door mirror caps – but on most trim levels the air bumps are optional. They’re standard on top models but if you’re not keen on the way they look they can be deleted at no cost.
Never got to try out the unique gimmick of the Citroen C3 ConnectedCam, a built-in, GPS-enabled screen camera. It’s standard in top Flair models and has a button under the rear view mirror for taking instant snaps of events on the road ahead, plus 128Gb storage for saving video clips. It will even automatically save clips if it detects an accident…
With stability control, along with hill-start assist, and further upgrades from manual air-conditioning to automatic air-con, a leather finish for its steering wheel, 2 extra speakers (for a total of 6) for its audio system, auto-folding side mirrors and LED headlamps, its got everything you need.
You likely to enjoy its charms.
Prices include a 5-year/100 000 km warranty and a 2-year/30 000 km service plan (with intervals of 10 000 km).
MOTORING: Briefs
BEWARE IVORY PARK.
Ivory Park suburb in Midrand, Gauteng, saw the most reported hijackings in the first three months of 2025. This is according to the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) latest quarterly crime statistics for the fourth quarter of 2024/25—January to March 2025. Despite South Africa having seen a decrease in hijackings year-on-year, the number of hijackings remains high. Presenting the latest quarterly crime statistics, the SAPS noted that 4,533 cars were hijacked over the three months. This is a significant 15.1% decrease compared to the first three months of 2024. However, this equates to approximately 50 cars being stolen daily, which is still a notable concern.
VWSA TO BUILD ENTRY-LEVEL SUV
Following a four-week production halt to facilitate significant facility upgrades, the automotive giant has officially entered the next phase of its journey to build a third VW model locally by 2027—an A0 SUV for the budget segment. The brand’s plans to integrate this new SUV alongside the Polo and Polo Vivo on the Kariega production line were first revealed at the VW Indaba media event in February. At that time, 60% of the necessary production preparation work had already been completed during the December 2024 shutdown.
The recent four-week shutdown, from April 14th to May 12th, saw the Kariega plant buzzing with activity as the remaining 40% of installations and upgrades were carried out. This crucial period focused on the Body Shop, Paint Shop, and Final Assembly areas. Key tasks included finalising all Body Shop installations, modifying stations and programming robots in the Paint Shop, and adjusting conveyors in Final Assembly, among numerous other vital upgrades.
TREES NOT TESLAS
Plans to build a Tesla battery factory and showroom on public land in Adelaide’s south have sparked fierce community pushback, with residents overwhelmingly opposing the proposed development over environmental concerns and controversy surrounding Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
More than 90 per cent of nearly 1,000 submissions received during community consultation rejected the sale of Chestnut Court Reserve in Tonsley, currently earmarked for the project. Of the 948 responses, 897 opposed the proposal, citing the potential destruction of green space, the removal of mature trees, and what critics described as Musk’s “divisive political influence.” Many residents took aim at Musk personally, referencing his involvement in American politics, including his ties to Donald Trump and controversial government policy decisions in his role overseeing government efficiency measures.
FERRARI IS MAKING AN EV
Ferrari is still tight-lipped about its first all-electric BEV, a step beyond the hybrid drivetrains in the SF90 and 296, but we can expect to see the powertrain, what Ferrari called the—“technological heart”—of its first fully electric car, on October 9 as the first part of a three-stage unveiling process culminating with its world premiere in the spring of next year. “Deliveries… will commence just months after that, in October 2026,” Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari CEO, told analysts in a post-earnings call, as reported by Reuters this week. Hybrid development will also continue.
While Ferrari’s first fully electric car breaks tradition of the world’s greatest V12s, V8s, and now V6s, it’s an inevitability. Ferrari has said it will keep building V12s and other internal-combustion engines as long as it’s allowed to, but it must also yield to the future.
MAHINDRA XUV 3XO THULA SINDI EDITION
Thula Sindi, a local fashion designer who has shown his collections in many countries worldwide and was crowned South African Designer of the Year 2012 by SA Tourism, collaborated with Mahindra to create a special edition model. The concept of the Thula Sindi XUV 3XO was first shown at the Mahindra Fusion Fest which was attended by nearly 7 000 fans. The Thula Sindi Edition features custom exterior elements such as stripe decals. But step inside, and you will notice that the front and rear headrests get specially designed covers, following in the designs that have gained the artist and fashion designer his acclaim locally and internationally.
