Citroen C3 Pluriel 1.6i
Welcome back to the Citroen that motoring enthusiasts everywhere know and love. Once upon a time, the double chevrons signified ingenuity, desire and design that made people stop and stare. Design of the kind we see here in the cheeky little C3 Pluriel.
Back in the days of the DS, the GS and the CX, everyone took this kind of Citroen for granted but since then, weve been treated mainly to a diet of re-packaged Peugeots. No longer. You take a look round the Pluriel and its clear that here is a product designed by somebody who cares about the brand: somebody who wants it to stand out and be different. That pretty much sums up the objectives of anyone likely to buy the range-toping 1.6-litre 16-valve C3 Pluriel variant were looking at here. At £16,095 in Exclusive trim, it has a lot harder a job to do than the 1.
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Still, Citroen dealers are well known for their ability to be able to undercut the opposition with cashbacks and other incentives, so maybe when you compare your final quotes, the Pluriel will still hold the upper hand in the value for money stakes. It would help in this regard if it were possible to buy this variant with a conventional (and presumably much cheaper) manual five-speed box of the type fitted to the 1.4-litre version. As it is, flagship Pluriel customers are treated only to a revised version of the latest semi-automatic gearbox featured in the C3 Sensodrive hatchback.
Like all transmissions of this type, this set-up seems like a fun idea at first. There are paddle controls behind the steering wheel to flip up and down the box, or you can choose to use the gear lever. The current Sensodrive set-up is easier to use thanks to a silver-topped gearlever that now slides around a gate like a conventional automatic rather than centring itself after a mode has been selected. This way, you can see what mode youre in without looking to the digital display and the paddles are of a better quality material too.
After a while, the PlayStation fun factor begins to wear off. For a start, if youre not quick on the draw, the gearbox ends up doing its own thing anyway. Moreover, it can also hesitate between ratios at low speeds. Enough of this what about that clever roof set-up? Well basically, theres a four-stage process which starts with a press of a button above the front screen that slides the roof back to sit on top of the rear screen.
Then, a clever combination of latches and buttons enables you to release said screen and pivot both it and the retracted roof (a package Citroen calls the roof cartridge) into a small recess under the boot floor.
"A landmark in the return of the kind of innovative Citroen thinking that enthusiasts feared might be lost forever.."
Youve then the option of leaving or unclipping the lateral roof arches that provide the roofs framework or at least you can remove them if youre still at home and can store them on the convenient stand your dealer will happily sell to you. If youre out and about however and want to remove them, then youre stuck, since there are no storage spaces inside the car. Assuming you have taken them off, theres yet another permutation to consider. The rear seats fold down to create a huge, easily accessible rear loading platform.
And build quality? Well, on the latest models that has been significantly improved with a revised dash using higher quality plastics and chrome detailing to produce a more grown-up feel. Certainly, the company is going to a lot of trouble to make sure that the car lives up to customer expectations. Before any Pluriel leaves the factory, it is subjected to what Citroen likes to call the Tropical Rain Test. This involves 825 litres of water being tipped over the car during an explosive 2min 45sec deluge.
Built at Citroens Madrid factory, the Pluriel offers similar interior quality to the C3 hatch. Despite the 1999 show car displaying an interior of quite baffling design flair, the production Pluriels interior is largely C3, which means neat, easy to operate design. On the road, even with the black side supports in place, it feels very airy when the canvas roof is retracted, the side windows are dropped and the back glass is slotted out of sight. Rear seat passengers will have just as much fun as front seat occupants and theyll also feel reassured by thee Pluriels high waistline.
It handles fairly neatly, the comfort-oriented suspension doing a good job of soaking up most surface imperfections that might otherwise betray a wobbly scuttle. Citroens engineers are proud of the reinforcing work theyve done on the Pluriel and the fact that it weighs about 150kg more than its hatchback equivalent is testament to this effort. The driving position is unusual due to the fact you sit ducked into the car with the curved windscreen apparently soaring overhead. Theres a reasonable amount of space in the back for four, although five would be a tight squeeze as both knee room and shoulder space would be at a premium.
Some of you may have spotted that the rear screen folds into the spare wheel well, thus signifying a lack of said wheel. Rather than rely on the commonplace - and usually quite useless - puncture repair aerosol, Citroen has done the right thing and fitted the Pluriel with Michelin PAX run flat tyres. Cars stranded on the roadside are never a great advertisement. Quite how the various water seals and roof parts stand up to the wear and tear of real world motoring remains to be seen but at first glance they appear well fabricated.
Overall, the Pluriel is a welcome breath of fresh air in the small convertible sector, though whether lazier buyers used to simple button-pushing will be happy to bother with the various procedures involved in going al fresco is up for debate. Whatever happens though, this car is a landmark in the return of the kind of innovative Citroen thinking that enthusiasts feared might be lost forever.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Citroen C3 Pluriel 1.6i
PRICE: £16,095 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 157g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.6s Top Speed 117mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 43mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBA and EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 3934/1700/1559mm
