The Citroen C3 is a compact hatchback that was launched in India in 2021 as a rival to the Tata Punch and the Hyundai Exter. The car is also sold in some South American markets, where it is manufactured in Brazil. However, the Citroen C3 has recently faced a major setback in terms of its safety credentials, as it scored a dismal zero stars in the Latin NCAP crash test.
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What is Latin NCAP?
Latin NCAP is an independent organization that conducts crash tests on cars sold in Latin America and the Caribbean. It evaluates the cars based on four parameters: adult occupant protection (AOP), child occupant protection (COP), safety assist systems (SA) and pedestrian protection (PP). It awards stars to the cars based on their performance in each category, with five stars being the highest and zero stars being the lowest.
How did the Citroen C3 perform in Crash Test?
The Citroen C3 tested by Latin NCAP was equipped with dual airbags and electronic stability control as standard features. However, it lacked side and curtain airbags, seat belt reminders for all passengers, and advanced driver assistance systems. Here is a summary of its scores in each category:
- AOP: 31% (0 stars)
- COP: 12% (0 stars)
- SA: 35% (0 stars)
- PP: 50% (1 star)
The C3 failed to protect its occupants adequately in both frontal and side impacts. The body shell and footwell area were rated as unstable, and the dashboard posed a risk of injury to the knees. The chest protection for both front occupants was weak or marginal, and the head protection for the driver was adequate only. The side impact test showed adequate protection for the head and chest, but good protection for the abdomen and tibias.
The C3 also performed poorly in terms of child occupant protection. The child seats used for the 3-year-old and 18-month-old dummies were not properly marked, and some of them failed to install correctly. Moreover, there was no warning for the passenger airbag when a child seat was fitted, and the airbag could not be disabled manually.
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The C3 did slightly better in terms of pedestrian protection, offering good or adequate protection to most of the areas of the bonnet and bumper. However, the windscreen area showed poor protection for the pedestrian head.
What does this mean for the India-spec C3?
The Citroen C3 sold in India is different from the one tested by Latin NCAP, as it is based on a different platform and has different specifications. The India-spec C3 comes with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front seat belt reminders, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, electronic stability program, hill-hold assist and a tyre pressure monitoring system as standard features. It also offers a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connected-car tech, a digital instrument cluster, fog lamps, electrically adjustable wing mirrors, steering-mounted audio controls and a four-speaker sound system.
However, the India-spec C3 has not been tested by Global NCAP yet, which is the organization that conducts crash tests on cars sold in India and other Asian markets. Therefore, it is not possible to compare its safety rating with that of its rivals such as the Tata Punch and the Hyundai Exter, which have both scored four stars in Global NCAP tests.
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The Citroen C3 is priced from Rs 6.16 lakh to Rs 8.80 lakh (ex-showroom) in India. It competes with other compact SUVs and hatchbacks in the Indian market, where safety is becoming an increasingly important factor for buyers. The zero-star rating of the Latin NCAP test could affect the perception of the brand and its products among potential customers.
Conclusion
The Citroen C3 is a stylish and feature-rich hatchback that aims to offer a premium and comfortable driving experience to its customers. However, its safety performance in the Latin NCAP crash test has been disappointing, to say the least. The car failed to protect its occupants adequately in various crash scenarios, and lacked some essential safety features that are expected in modern cars.
The India-spec C3 is different from the one tested by Latin NCAP, but it has not been tested by Global NCAP yet. Therefore, its safety rating remains unknown at this point. Citroen should take this feedback seriously and improve its safety standards for its products in both domestic and international markets.
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