Citroen C3 Scores 0 Star Safety Rating In Latin NCAP Crash Test

• The made-in-Brazil Citroen C3 cross-hatch has recently been crash tested by Latin NCAP, and it has achieved a shameful 0-star safety rating in the crash tests.
• It is the first time that the Citroen C3 has been put under a crash test. Having said that, the Indian-spec version is yet to be tested.

Also Read: Citroen C3 Shine Variant Now Available With Turbocharged Engine

Citroen C3 – Crash Test Report

• The C3 was crash tested on four parameters – Adult Occupant Protection (AOP), Child Occupant Protection (COP), Pedestrian Protection (PP) and Safety Assists (SA).
• In the front impact test, the hatch offered a satisfactory shield to the head and neck of both driver and front passenger. However, the protection offered to the driver and co-driver’s chest was rated as inadequate and marginal, respectively. 
• Protection to the knees was also rated as marginal as they could hit with a dangerous structure behind the dashboard. However, the co-driver’s left knee had good protection. 
• Most importantly, the footwell area and bodyshell were rated as unstable. And the body was unfit to resist further loadings.

• In the side impact test, the head & chest offered adequate protection, while the abdomen & pelvis protection were rated as good. 
• Since the C3 misses out on curtain airbags, the side pole impact test wasn’t performed. 
• During the Child Occupant Protection test, both the 36-month-old and 18-month-old child dummies were installed rearward facing using ISOFIX anchors and support legs. It prevented head exposure and offered good protection. Nonetheless, the overall score was affected due to inadequate marking and the inability to disable the front-passenger airbag.
• The Brazilian Citroen C3 gets electronic stability control as standard. However, the lack of seatbelt reminder for the co-driver and ADAS functionality contributed to a lower score in the Safety Assist category.
• In the Pedestrian Protection category, the C3 showed the majority of areas good, marginal and adequate protection levels and closer to the windscreen area, a reduction in pedestrian head protection. Upper leg performance was overall adequate to good, and lower leg performance was marginal to good.

Citroen C3 in India

As mentioned above, the Indian-spec Citroen C3 is yet to be crash tested. Currently, it comes in three variants and with two engine options, priced between Rs 6.16 – 8.80 lakh (ex-showroom).