Affordable Electric Car of the Year 2024: Citroen e-C3
The Citroen e-C3 is the 2024 Auto Express Affordable Electric Car of the Year, with the BYD Dolphin and MG4 commended
The car market is moving inexorably towards full electrification – but we’ve been waiting quite a while for a sensibly priced electric car with a respectable range and enough space to operate like a regular supermini. That search has finally ended with the Citroen e-C3, which brings 199 miles of range and space for four adults and their luggage for under £22,000.
The e-C3 is the first offering on Stellantis’s Smart Car Platform, but it has been tweaked with a few Citroen quirks, such as the brand’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushions (in effect, hydraulic bump stops). These give the e-C3 a slightly more wallowy ride than you might expect, but also help it to soak up precisely the sort of rippled surfaces and road scars that it’s likely to encounter around town. And while performance is modest, with a 0-62mph time of 11 seconds, the instant EV punch means that the car is well suited to squirting in and out of traffic.
The good news is that these sensible dynamic qualities haven’t come at the expense of the standard equipment. Indeed, Citroen UK has ignored the European entry-level version, so that impressive £22k starting figure brings rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a two-tone paint job, rear parking sensors, cruise control and air-conditioning as standard.
It all adds up to a competent, practical package that’s a supremely well judged mix of performance, space and battery capacity for the money – a standout EV, even in a world where a new one is being launched every few days.
Our choice
Citroen e-C3 44kWh Plus (£21,990)
Many buyers will walk up the finance ladder and pick the Max version – but as long as you’re willing to put up with manual rear windows, there’s more than enough of the basic kit everyone needs in the more affordable e-C3 Plus.
Commended
Chinese giant BYD continues its push into Europe, and the Dolphin is a car that deserves to win over a whole new customer base for the brand. It’s not the most involving offering, but it has punchy performance and a 60kWh battery that delivers more range than many more expensive rivals. It doesn’t feel cheap inside, either, and BYD’s tech has considerable potential.
MG4
If you’re after true family-car space, it’s still hard to overlook the MG4, which picked up this award 12 months ago. It remains practical and good to drive, and MG’s aggressive finance offerings extend the car’s appeal to first-time EV buyers.
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2024 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2024: the winners
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