Citroen C3

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

The comfort-first pick for a week in Podgorica with daily slow-paced detours, Risan Roman mosaics, the Medun hamlet above Tivat, the loop back through nearby villages.

• Slow-touring couples
• Back-road explorers
• Renters prone to motion sickness

On the road

Behind the wheel

The C3 is the most comfort-biased small hatch you can rent at Podgorica Airport, and on a multi-day TGD-based hire that bias matters more than it usually would. The Mk3 version fitted with Advanced Comfort dampers uses progressive hydraulic bump stops, the same mechanical principle as the DS7 Crossback, to smother the bumps that fidget every other supermini. The 1.2 PureTech 83 hp three-cylinder is slow and works audibly on climbs, and the five-speed manual has noticeably longer throws than a Clio's. In exchange you get the softest ride in the segment, cloth comfort seats, and a cabin that is unusually quiet at the M-2 limited-speed sections, useful in the first 30 minutes after a long flight.

On Podgorica roads

TGD is where the C3's ride finds its audience. The southbound M-2 run to Skadar Lake has patched concrete seams that slap through a firm-suspension hatchback; the C3 turns them into distant thumps. The cobbled section at the Stari Bar approach 65 km south, which chatters in a 308, rolls past quietly in a C3. For the wider inland weeks based at TGD, airport to Virpazar to Bar to Old Bar and back, the C3 is simply more restful than its rivals over a long week. It is the wrong car for Ostrog urgency or for overtaking lorries on the Smokovac motorway climb to Kolašin.

Space and load

The 300-litre boot is among the smallest on this TGD roster and the shape is less square than a Clio's. Two cabin-size cases plus a soft weekender fit; a full-size checked case off the TGD carousel needs a seat folded. Beach gear for two heading to Bar (60 km south on the M-2 then through the Sozina tunnel), towels, snorkels, a small cool-bag and a sun parasol, fits without planning. Hiking kit for a one-day Skadar Lake walk works with one rear seat folded. It is not the boot for a Durmitor weekend with serious gear for two, and a family-of-four arrivals load demands a step up to a Megane or 308.

Best journeys for this car

The C3's TGD customer is the slow-tempo traveller, the retiree on a month-long bay stay who drives short distances daily but never hurries, the photographer basing in Podgorica whose 200 km days are split across five stops, the returning visitor whose priority is being comfortable on the back roads rather than fast on the motorway. It also suits travellers prone to motion sickness on winding roads; the long-travel suspension noticeably reduces head-toss on the Ostrog hairpins. It is the wrong car for hurried itineraries or four-up cross-border drives to Shkodër.

Practical notes

Real-world petrol economy is 5.7 L/100 km in mixed driving, slightly worse than a Clio because the Citroën carries a touch more weight and the 83 hp engine works harder to maintain M-2 speeds. The 44-litre tank delivers around 750 km between stops. Parking is easy at 4.0 m, TGD long-term parking, the Podgorica central bays and the small lots around Skadar Lake all accept it unchanged. The ride height is conventional hatchback rather than raised; front-wheel drive on all-season rubber is fine year-round on the M-2, and chains are legally required for winter Žabljak or Kolašin runs which the 83 hp engine will genuinely struggle with. Local providers ship the car with free cancellation and full insurance.

The verdict

Pick the C3 when you are renting at TGD for at least a week and comfort over every other spec is the priority. Skip it for any trip that values pace, load space, or sustained altitude work, the step up to a Stonic or the rational choice of a Clio answers those briefs better.

Inside the car

• Advanced Comfort Seats
• Bluetooth Audio
• USB Charging
• Lane Departure Warning