Citroen C3 Origin - Interior, design and technology

The exterior of the Citroen C3 Origin combines lots of the brand’s recent design traits into a funky-looking package. The modern and stylish look of the C3 Origin helps set it apart from the somewhat conservatively styled Hyundai i20, Skoda Fabia, and VW Polo. One of the features that makes the C3 Origin look so distinctive next to its fellow superminis is its paint-protecting ‘air bumps’ on the doors of mid-range Plus trim and above, which also have the additional benefit of shrugging off impacts with supermarket trolleys and other car doors. If you’re not a fan of them, then go for the most basic You! trim level because it doesn’t include them.

Don’t climb into the C3 Origin expecting it to be the last word in luxury. Citroen has tried to mimic the exterior styling by creating a welcoming cabin that offers something different in the class. For example, top-of-the-line cars have “Techwood” interior trim with faux-wood strips on the dashboard and some tasteful seat upholstery.

The Advanced Comfort seats (standard on top-spec Max versions) are similar to those found in the Citroen C3 Aircross SUV, and they’re designed to be quite soft instead of offering supreme lateral support during cornering. The dashboard is very simple, fitted with a small, black & white five-inch touchscreen on the base You model, and a seven-inch colour touchscreen display in all other trim levels.

Citroen also reckons the C3 Origin is the ‘mainstream’ supermini with the greatest scope for personalisation – and there’s no denying that the extensive range of colours and options is impressive. Seven paint finishes are available (although not all of those colours are available with all trim levels), a black exterior colour pack and two contrasting roof colours. 

Entry-level You! cars come with 15-inch steel wheels, lane-departure warning, cruise control, LED headlights, electric front windows, and a white contrast finish for the fog lamp surrounds and door mirror caps.

The Plus trim adds 16-inch Matrix alloy wheels, air bumps on the doors, a black onyx roof, automatic air con, electric windows in the rear, a reversing camera and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. 

Top-of-the-range Max cars get 17-inch alloys, Techwood interior trim, a spare spacesaver wheel, built-in sat-nav and extra safety systems like driver attention alert, autonomous emergency braking and Intelligent Beam headlights – auto dipping headlights, to you and me.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

Aside from the entry-level You trim, which still uses physical dials for its manual air-con controls, the rest of the C3 Origin range features a fully integrated touchscreen infotainment system that controls not only music and radio but also key vehicle functions, including heating and air-conditioning.

The dated-looking black & white central display used in You trim has either Bluetooth or USB connectivity, and we wish Citroen had taken a leaf out Dacia’s book and provided a phone holder like you’ll find in the Sadero, because then you could have used your phone’s screen as a navigation aid. Pairing a Bluetooth device is easy, although the USB socket’s position on the dash means a cable might get in the way of the gear lever, depending on where you keep your phone.

Upgrade to Plus trim or above for the seven-inch touchscreen and you can utilise Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone mirroring in order to use apps from your phone. Max trim cars get sat-nav built-in, along with an enhanced infotainment system that includes connected services, including TomTom Traffic, information on petrol prices nearby and weather forecasts, and real-time info on traffic incidents.

There’s plenty of functionality, but the touchscreen interface can be a little laggy. It’s the latest generation unit from Peugeot-Citroen, so the graphics are nice and sharp. However, the touch-sensitive shortcut keys on either side of the screen aren’t as easy to use as the shortcuts you'll find in a Fabia or Polo.