This is not the Citroen C3. Instead, This is its electric sibling called the Citroen EC3, and it has an electric powertrain and not the three cylinder petrol that its petrol sibling had now lets. Try this out drive it on the track here in the Webco Proving Grounds and get to understand what it has to offer and whether you should be buying this next. So, yes, the EC3 is identical to the regular petrol C3 in terms of design. All of that front, fascia the design and the front, The Corner, Grille the Citron symbol, running right across the front face and connecting the two headlamps, the lamps themselves, the body panels, all of them identical some very minor changes in terms of exterior design come in the Form of a new paint scheme that this EC3 gets exclusively and, of course, this front charging port panel that you would see on this side. So this front panel has been changed. It also gets some badging to identify it as the electric with that axon bearing e right there, and the ground clearance is a little shade lower than the petrol C3, its still at about 170 mm. So it gives you enough confidence to go over speed, Breakers and stuff like that. Of course, we have not really experienced this in real driving conditions. Weve been driving it at The vapco Proving Grounds, but there has been an attempt at trying to stimulate some of the real world conditions that well face and well tell you a little more about how it drives and rides.

But in the meantime this is what you would get in the front, and the rear design also continues to be pretty much identical to the petrol C3 new Citron you see. Cabin is pretty much identical to the regular petrol C3 in terms of layout and in terms of design, Small Change in the materials used and some of the textures, but overall, the cabin feels very much like the regular petrol c3s cabin. Of course, if you were to look at the specific changes that have been made to accommodate the electric powertrain, then of course it does come across as being different where, instead of the gear, stick, you get what Citroen calls as the e toggle, which is essentially like A small selector lever which you can use to go from reverse to neutral to drive, but the amount of equipment thats been carried into the ec3s cabin is so identical to a point where there is not even a start. Stop button, though this is an electric. It still gets a key which you slot into the steering wheel, column and turned to go through two stages: an electricals only on and ready to drive sort of position. Some of the other changes in the cabin there in the instrument cluster. Some of the other additions, of course, include also the infotainment screen, and yet there is a lot that is very similar, but bigger issue really is where it comes to a number of trim variants that Citroen is offering for the EC3.

It continues to be the same to life and field trim variants and there is a considerable amount of equipment, thats missing in the live variant, and that then, could be a deal breaker for somebody whos looking at an electric without any compromises. And yet that said, it could also be a positive for somebody whos really looking at electric that is Affordable and you know accessible in terms of pricing. The 26 centimeter Citron connects touchscreen that the EC3 gets also offers something new in The mycitron Connect app and its connectivity features uh. There is a lot of connected car features that are usable, that Citron is all launching with the EC3 and, of course, theres also Wireless Apple, carplay and Android, auto the Citroen EC3. What does it have to offer? What are you going to get in terms of performance? How is it going to feel on the road if youre going to be behind the wheel lets take a look at electric powertrain features at 29.2 kilowatt hour, lithium ion phosphate battery pack thats located under the floor. Pretty much like most other electrics brings a lot of weight to the bottom side of the car, improves center of gravity helps in cornering, and all of that that battery pack is then supplying the charge to a permanent magnet synchronous motor which delivers 57 PS of peak Power and 143 newton meters of torque – it certainly is not a really peppy car but off the block.

It does feel quick, though it Powers sort of tapers of power and talk papers off, and it does a zero to 60 kilometers per hour in about 6.8 seconds. Top speed is restricted to 107 kilometers Citroen officials say that they do want to make this Urban City car and not so much a highway Warrior. That said, it does feel a quick and agile in the initial driving cycle. It is pretty quick off the block when you start and then, like I said, Power tips off now. Ride is a little better than the petrol C3. It is a quite a cabin too, with not much of that three cylinder character coming through theres, nothing inside the Bonnet here, except controls and some of the other equipment thats needed its a natural air cooled battery. Pack too, it doesnt get liquid cooling, but Citron officials, of course, are absolutely certain that the battery has been pushed to its limits for its testing, and they are very, very confident that it can handle Indian summers performance when it comes to regenerator braking and some of Its modes, it gets an eco mode and a normal mode, which is the default mode. There is a minor difference between release too much in terms of overall performance and in terms of the amount of original breaking that happens. The regenerative braking itself cannot be selectively changed and it does not change based on state of charge. So it is a constant level of regenerative operation that it offers top speed, is 107 kilometers restricted at that level and in terms of charging it can be charged on a wall socket.

It also offers charging via a DC fast charger, where you have access to one, and it can offer you a 10 to 80 percent jump in charge within just 57 minutes. Citroen is talking about increasing the amount of charging infrastructure that it is going to be able to offer to its customers, including at its dealerships. There is also roadside assistance with mobile charging. That Citron is talking about. Well, have to wait to see uh the amount of charging infrastructure that Citron is going to co develop, but in the meanwhile you do have access to public housing infrastructure that you can use the Citron EC3. Is this the electric hatch youve been waiting for? Is this the electric hatch that should be buying? I must say a lot of the practicality that came with the C3 comes through with this two and, for example, the 315 liter boot that you got with the regular petrol C3 is something that you would get with this too. It also has a spare wheel, something thats uh been avoided by some of the other electrics, because theres not enough space or because the battery pack intrudes into the space in the boot. This is comforting to know that you would still get a package. That is very, very practical, yet it is going to continue to be fairly Spartan in terms of trim, variance its going to get two trim: variants, um and thats – not something that everybody will appreciate.

There may be features in other cars that you would um. You know wait to see, but this is and going to be aggressively is Citroen. Officials are, of course, absolutely confident that the price will surprise everybody, including all of us weve, been watching the electric ecosystem, develop so its something that we have to wait to see. How that comes through price announcement is about a week away. Uh January 22nd is when theyve spoken about the car being officially launched and available at showrooms.

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