Cars: Citreon gears up.

Byline: MALCOLM ROBERTSHAW

CITROEN is currently enjoying a high old time of it in the world of gadgetry and gizmos.

The innovative Lane Departure Warning set-up has added its own form of emphasis to the new C5.

And the graphically-named Stop & Start system has introduced even more green gadgetry into the C3, so there is much at which to marvel.

But just how beneficial are these high-tech gizmos?

I took to the roadways in a Citroen C3 fitted with automatic transmission to experience the capabilities of a piece of kit that the French car-maker had made earlier.

Citroen's Sensodrive system is one of the latest variations on the auto transmission theme. Its dual operating modes will, no doubt, prove a boon to many drivers, offering both self-shift operation and a clutchless gear change alternative.

But leaving the transmission system to its own devices did leave much to be desired.

Yet flooring the accelerator pedal appeared to be ignored until, hey presto, the electronics got the message and finally acceded to my request with a quite jarring kick down.

Switch to five-slot clutchless manual gear-change, however, and you get a completely different story. You get a virtually seamless drive which for a strictly conventional driver such as yours truly, is quite a joy to operate.

Using either the gear lever or steering column mounted, rally-driver-style paddles for shifting up and down the box, the operation actually made for quite pleasurable driving while bringing the best out of the 1.4-litre diesel power source.

While not searingly quick, this 1,398cc oil-burner does produce family style driving figures from its 70bhp, taking a little over 15 seconds for the 0-62 mph dash. But it comes into its own with some quite remarkable mpg returns.

For a while I didn't manage to compete with the 'official' figure of 65.7mpg, a 200-mile drive over a combined driving route returned just short of 60mpg, which I considered pretty impressive.

While it hasn't been designed for straight-line speed and Tarmac-gripping cornering, the C3 does handle adequately, although, perhaps, the power steering could have been more informative.

The C3 brought its own version of funky styling to the supermini sector. This five-door-only hatch with long, looping roof and a bulbous bonnet is designed to put a smile on the face of bystanders as well as its occupants.

Front of house is nicely set-out for driver and passenger with deceptively good space. The driving position is great and easily arrived at for most folk while the glass expanse, with full-size glass electric sun-roof featured on the test SX model, adds to the feeling of roominess on board.

But things may prove a little tight in the legroom department for some of our taller brethren confined to the rear seating.

There are plenty of places in which to store things - around 30 compartments including twin glove boxes, underseat trays and biggish door and seat back pockets.

But while the removeable Moduboard system adds flexibility to the luggage bay, the high loading lip of the boot may prove a problem for some.

Complementing the funky looks of the exterior, the C3 has a distinctly trendy interior with a soft-feel to the two-tone dash, rounded air vents and some eye-catching aluminium-effect fittings.

There are some neat family-friendly touches, such as a dashboard switch to operate the child locks in the rear and an extra mirror to keep the kids under observation, which all add to its appeal.

Overall, the C3 does have much to offer the supermini sector. And if you excuse the jerky automatic gearbox of this version, its bold styling and practical, family friendliness make it a good companion in many ways.

FAST FACTS

Citroen C3 1.4 HDi SensoDrive

Price: pounds 12,045

Mechanical: 70bhp, 1,398cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd SensoDrive automatic gearbox

Max speed: 103 mph

0-62 mph: 15.4 secs

Combined mpg: 65.7

Insurance group: 3

CO2 emissions: 113g/km

BiK rating: 15%

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles; 12yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint