Citroen’s new C3 compact car faces a tough road – pitched against the excellent Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. But lopping $3,000 from the price - to open the French newcomer’s lineup at just $19,990 - is a good start.

Unfortunately for Citroen, that still places the C3 at a price disadvantage to its German-sourced rivals, however there is no doubting the style, charm and high-tech credentials of the French compact. 

For example – the C3 is one of the most compact of the compacts – at 3.94-metres, it’s 9cm shorter than both Peugeot’s 207 and the Renault Clio – but still delivers 300-litre of cargo capacity in the boot. And the range-topping Citroen C3 models feature an unusually large panoramic Zenith windscreen which measures 1.35-metres and provides 108 degrees of visibility.

The new Citroen C3 is on-sale now in three model grades – VT, VTR+ and Exclusive.

Power comes from a choice of one 1.6-litre/66kW HDi turbo diesel or two petrol engines: 1.4-litre/54kW (only available in entry-level VT) or 1.6-litre/88kW (the latter a joint development with BMW). Transmissions are either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.