Citroen has launched the eC3 in India with prices starting at Rs 11.50 lakh. It’s available in two variants- Live and Feel and across four monotone and nine dual-tone colour schemes. You also get two styling packs as is the case with the regular C3.

We have already driven the Citroen eC3 earlier this year and you can find a link to it at the end of this story or watch our video also embedded at the bottom of this story. In our review, we have got behind the wheel of the higher-spec Pure variant.

The Citroen eC3 is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 56bhp/143Nm and mated to a single-speed transmission powering the front wheels. This powertrain offers two driving modes-Standard and Eco and a regen function as well.

The 29.2kWh battery pack gives you a theoretical range of 320km (MIDC cycle). All versions of the eC3 get CCS2 fast charging that can juice up the battery from 10-80 per cent in just 57 mins while a 3.3kWh charger will do a full boost in 10 hours.

The eC3 is expected to do its best work in the City thanks to a maximum of its punch available quite early on in the driving experience. In fact, Citroen claims a 0-60kmph time of 6.8 seconds, indicative of a strong mid-range performance.

For a car in this segment and price bracket, the eC3 has a surprisingly responsive steering wheel with a nice weight at higher speeds as well as a decent feel of what the front wheels are up to. Another surprise was that Citroen fitted it with a self-centring mechanism.

The cabin of the eC3 in terms of features, space, elements and layout is exactly the same as the standard C3 and that is mostly because the cars were developed together. Its USP is interior space and with a wheelbase of 2450mm, it is the largest in the segment.

The Citroen eC3 is a rival for the likes of the Tata Tiago EV, Tata Tigor EV and also the upcoming MG Comet small EV. In this price bracket, it also rivals the higher spec versions of cars like the Kia Sonet, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV300 and Maruti Brezza.

Photography: Kaustubh Gandhi

Citroen e:C3 First Drive Review