C3's lookin' good; Minor cosmetic changes both inside and out, are more than enough to give Citroen's funky supermini a new lease of life, as BILL CAVEN reports.

Byline: BILL CAVEN reports

TWO slightly eccentric pals of mine almost cried when Citroen finally killed off the 2CV, the famous tin-snail.

With its huge suspension movement the car allegedly was designed to be able to carry a farmer and his wife and their boxes of eggs for market across a ploughed field if necessary.

The pair brightened up with the arrival in 2002 of the rather prettier C3, which although inspired by the 2CV as the tall styling, rounded shape and slatted front grille indicate, was far easier to live with on today's faster roads.

Now the car has had a minor re-style, with a new dashboard, reshaped bumpers and a new grille.

The cabin, always comfy with a steering column that adjusts for height and reach and a height adjustable driver's seat, is also more pleasant with a new dash and better seat trim.

The slope of the roof means the back seat is best for children or shorter adults, but the boot is a good size and using the cleverly-designed Moduboard panel system, standard in the XTR and Exclusive versions, you can divide the space into sections to hold different items.

Roof bars, standard on the pounds 12,040 C3 XTR, make carrying sports equipment or sizeable objects easy.

The XTR also benefits from air con and a panoramic roof, while Exclusive versions have cruise control to make long motorway trips calmer and reduce fuel consumption.

Official prices start at pounds 9190 for the 60bhp 1.1-litre L model and go all the way to pounds 13,260 for the 108bhp 1.6-litre HDi diesel VTR.

But Citroen's usual cash back deals mean impressive offers are available.

Splash the cash on a VTR diesel and it will top 118mph, sprint to 60mph from rest in 9.5 seconds, yet deliver a smile-generating 62mpg overall if driven with some regard for road conditions.

Naturally, the 1.1L is rather more leisurely, accelerating to 60mph from rest in 15.9 seconds, but it can average 47mpg overall.

Citroen C3s offer a lot of car for your money and all have low running costs.

The 74bhp 1.4-litre Desire version costs pounds 10,490 but for another pounds 1050 you can have not only the latest in stop and go technology, but more power - up 15-brake to 90bhp - and slightly better consumption.

Steering is electrically power-assisted and automatically varies so that it is light for parking but weightier for more feel at speed.

The handling is good fun and the C3 comes in seven trim levels, with eye-catching iron grey paint available on most models.

One useful feature is that the door mirrors fold electrically, just what you need when parking on narrow streets, and bleeping parking sensors are optional.

All C3s have a three-year mechanical and 12-year anti-corrosion warranty, and service intervals are 20,000 miles on petrol cars and 12,500 miles on diesel models.

Factfile

Model: Citroen C3 Engines: 1.1, 1.4, 1.6-litre petrol' 1.4, 1.6-litre diesel Power:60-110bhp Top speed: 95-118mph Warranty: Three year/60.000 miles Price: From pounds 9190 On sale: Now

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Roadtest: Citroen C3