In a rather disappointing news for Citroen fans, its e-C3 electric micro SUV gets a 0-star safety rating at the Global NCAP. Note that the e-C3 is the electric iteration of the C3. The latter rivals the likes of the Tata Punch, Maruti Ignis and Hyundai Exter in our market. Aimed at wooing entry-level customers who are looking for an SUV at a bare minimum price, Citroen launched the C3 back in July 2022. The e-C3 came into existence in February 2023. Currently, the French auto giant offers 4 SUVs in India – C5 Aircross, C3, e-C3, C3 Aircross. Let us take a look at the details of this latest news.
You may also like: Citroen C3 Aircross vs Hyundai Creta – Price, Specs, Features Comparison
Citroen e-C3 Scores 0-Star Global NCAP Rating
Adult Occupant Protection
The e-C3 secured 0 stars in the Adult Occupant Protection category with 20.86 points out of 34 and 1 star in the Child Occupant Protection category with just 10.55 points out of a possible 49. In the frontal impact test in the Adult Protection domain, it was able to offer good protection to the driver’s and passenger’s head and neck, while the protection was weak and poor for the chest of the driver and passenger, respectively. Furthermore, the driver’s knee showed marginal protection, while that of the passenger showed good protection. Finally, the driver’s tibias displayed marginal protection, whereas the passenger’s tibias showed good protection. The footwell area was rated as stable. Also, the body shell was stable and capable of withstanding further loadings.
You may also like: Citroen C3 Aircross Manual vs Automatic Acceleration Test – VIDEO
In the side impact test, the head showed marginal protection, the chest displayed adequate protection, while the abdomen and pelvis offered good protection. Interestingly, the difference between the front and side impact made the car lose one star in the overall rating. Since there is no availability of side head protection even in the top variant, the side pole impact test was not performed. Furthermore, ESC is not offered as a standard fitment and doesn’t meet the minimum availability requirements as per Global NCAP. The same is the case with the Seatbelt Reminder system. As a result, the vehicle scored 0 stars.
You may also like: Citroen C3 Aircross Automatic First Drive Review – Better Than Manual?
Child Occupant Protection
In the child occupant protection category, the e-C3 was able to secure just 1 star. In the frontal impact test, the child seat was installed forward-facing for a 3-year-old child using the adult seatbelt. Unfortunately, it was not able to prevent excessive forward exposure and head contact with the vehicle interior. Hence, it got 0 points in dynamic for the Q3 frontal crash. In the side impact testing, the vehicle showed full protection. For an 18-month-old child, a rearward-facing seat was installed using the adult seatbelt. This time around, it was able to prevent head exposure during frontal impact offering almost full protection. But in the side impact, the head was exposed resulting in 0 dynamic points for this scenario.
You may also like: Tata Punch EV vs Citroen eC3 – What to Buy?
You may also like: Citroen C3X Crossover Spotted Testing with Heavy Camouflage
Note that the e-C3 doesn’t offer 3-point seatbelts in all seating positions as standard or at least 2 ISOFIX positions. There is no possibility of disconnecting the passenger airbag in case a rearward-facing CRS is to be installed. The CRS installation failed in the rear centre position due to the lap belt. All these resulted in an abysmal 1-star safety rating at the Global NCAP in Child Occupant Protection.
