Citroën C3 boot space, practicality and safety

• Lots of storage for odds and ends
• Glovebox pitifully small on UK cars
• One of the largest boots in its class

The C3 may well go up against the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa, but just by looking at it from the outside, you’d swear it was in the class above. It’s not a small car.

In reality, that’s only partially good news for practicality fans, as there’s plenty of space in the boot and for those sat up front, but a little more cosy for those in the rear. Back seat space isn’t quite so good if there are taller occupants in the front with their seats slid back, but it’s still comfortable enough for short journeys.

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Up front the dash echoes that of the larger C4 Cactus with clever storage ideas and lots of little cubbies. Although Citroen was initially keen to point out the C3 features a 6.25-litre glovebox,we wouldn’t get too excited – right-hand drive versions won’t get this because the fuse box is in the way and can’t be moved. Instead, you’re left with something so narrow it can’t even accomodate the handbook.

It’s a good thing the door bins are a large enough size and the storage cubbies around the gearlever are a little more usable than those in the Cactus, although still not ideally placed. Place a drink in one of the cupholders ahead of the gearlever and it can get in the way of changing gear, while the storage areas are a little less accommodating for the ever-growing size of smartphones. We’d also like to see a front centre armrest on higher spec models, as found on many rivals, but it can be found on the C3’s accessories list.

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The boot is a generous 300 litres, which is larger than the VW Polo and Peugeot 208 – although the Kia Rio runs it close, but it’s trounced by the enormous 391-litre boot on the Mk5 Renault Clio. The Citroen, like the Renault, also quite a high loading lip to heft heavy shopping bags over. There are no hooks on the side for hanging items, however.

Fold down the back seats and load space increases to 922 litres.

Will it fit in my garage?

The C3 might look a little more bulky on the outside, but parking sensors are standard on the top two models, while top-spec Flair Plus comes with a rear-view camera.

Otherwise the C3 is 3,996mm long, 1,490mm tall and 2,007mm wide (including mirrors).

>> Find out how we got on with the C3’s practicality in our long-term test

Not the safest of superminis

• Awarded four stars for Euro NCAP crash tests
• No autonomous emergency braking system
• Other safety aids are available, though

Citroen has piled on the safety tech with the third-generation C3, with an impressive roaster of kit available, both as standard and from the options list.

Highlights include lane-departure warning and traffic sign recognition which are standard across the range, while extras such as blindspot monitoring and hill-start assist are also available to add as options.

What wasn’t available at the time, though, was autonomous emergency braking (AEB) which stopped it getting a top score when assessed by Euro NCAP. The organisation also cited the C3’s pedestrian safety as a limiting factor when it announced its four-star rating. There’s also no provision for active safety aids such as lane-keeping assist or adaptive cruise control, which is a little limiting for 2020.

This has been fitted to C3s since and it standard on Origins and Flair Plus models. What’s also been fitted for 2020 are standard LED headlights – a big plus, as the pre-facelift model’s halogen units were very weak at night.