Citroen C3 Origin - MPG, CO2 and running costs

The diminutive Citroen C3 Origin has a decent record on fuel efficiency, now featuring a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder PureTech petrol engine that’s available in two states of tune.

Citroen claims the base PureTech 83 can return up to 53.4mpg, with CO2 emissions from 123g/km, while the range-topping turbocharged PureTech 110 emits 123g/km of CO2 and is capable of up to 53.3mpg in manual form, or 49.8mpg and emissions of 134g/km when equipped with an automatic gearbox.

When we tested the entry-level Citroen C3 You! (before it was rebranded as Citroen C3 Origin) head-to-head against the similarly priced Dacia Sandero, the PureTech 83 petrol engine paired with a five-speed gearbox returned a respectable 48.5mpg, but the Dacia’s 49.3mpg pipped it.

Tax

The affordability of the Citroen C3 Origin means no version breaches the £40,000 luxury car tax threshold, so it’ll be charged under the standard road tax (VED) rate from the second time the vehicle is taxed. 

Company car drivers might be better off looking towards a hybrid car like the Renault Clio or Toyota Yaris in order to save money on your Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax bill. Or you could look towards a fully electric car like the Citroen e-C3 in order to save even more.

Insurance groups

It’s actually the top-of-the-range Max trim Citroen C3 Origin that slots into the lowest insurance group of 12 because it comes with the most safety tech, while the entry-level You that does without autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is in group 14. The priciest C3 Origin to insure will be the 1.2 PureTech auto in group 22.

That’s a shame, considering that the Volkswagen Polo starts in insurance group three, while the Skoda Fabia begins in group four.

Depreciation

According to current residual values, the C3 Origin looks to be a steady performer. After a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, it should retain around 47 to 50 per cent of its original showroom price. 

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