New Citroen C3 Hybrid is yours from just £20,115

• Citroen C3 now available with mild hybrid engine
• Standard-fit automatic gearbox and up to 56.5mpg
• Prices start from £20,115

The new Citroen C3 Hybrid has arrived at last, completing the trio of engine options for the French supermini. Prices start from just £20,115, placing it neatly between the pure-petrol model and the electric e-C3 which both hit the market last year.

The latter is our favourite small electric car on sale today, picking up our award for the category at the 2025 Carbuyer Awards. But not everyone is ready for a fully-electric car, so the new hybrid model could be the answer for buyers who want some form of electric assistance for their urban runaround, with the convenience of a petrol engine for longer journeys.

Tell me about the Citroen C3’s hybrid system

Not all hybrids are created equal, and there are different types you need to be aware of. The Citroen C3 Hybrid is technically a mild hybrid, meaning it offers the least amount of electric assistance compared to self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids.

In the C3, you get a small electric motor integrated into the gearbox, which can provide an extra shove of power to relieve some strain from the engine. It’s just about powerful enough to drive the C3 with the petrol engine turned off, but only for short distances and at low speeds. When driving around town, Citroen says the C3 could drive under electric power alone up to 50% of the time, although this will depend on how far and how fast you drive.

Why would I want the hybrid C3?

The result of all the electric wizardry is better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions compared to the regular petrol C3. Across a mixture of different driving scenarios, it can return up to 56.5mpg versus the petrol C3’s 52mpg – a small difference, granted, but one that could become more apparent if you mainly stick to urban driving.

Another key benefit to the C3 Hybrid is the automatic gearbox. The petrol C3 is manual-only, and we found the gearbox to be a bit loose and unsatisfying to shift when we tested it. The C3 Hybrid gets a six-speed dual-clutch automatic fitted as standard, which should make it even easier to drive around town.

You also get a little more power with the hybrid system. There’s now 109bhp on tap, compared with the 99bhp of the regular petrol model. The C3 Hybrid is a bit nippier as a result, accelerating to 62mph in 9.8 seconds – that’s faster than the e-C3, too.

How much does the Citroen C3 Hybrid cost?

Prices for the Citroen C3 Hybrid start from £20,115 for the entry-level Plus version. Upgrading to the Max model ups the price to £21,815, but you get extras like LED tail-lights, fog lights, electric rear windows, a heated windscreen, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a reversing camera and automatic air conditioning.

Both versions are cheaper than the electric e-C3, which starts from £22,095, but the petrol C3 remains the most affordable. It costs just £18,305 in Plus trim.

What does this mean for car buyers?

We think the Citroen C3 is one of the best superminis on sale today, especially in electric e-C3 guise. It offers excellent value-for-money compared to rivals, and is surprisingly practical for a car of this size. The thing is, not everyone wants an electric car yet, and some buyers could be put off by the lack of an automatic gearbox in the regular C3.

The new C3 Hybrid could be the perfect middle ground. You don’t have to worry about plugging it in and can drive it just like any other petrol supermini. But the automatic gearbox will open the C3 to buyers who are unable to drive a manual car, or who simply want the convenience of no clutch pedal. Sure, the hybrid C3 costs nearly £2,000 more than the petrol model, but that could be a worthwhile premium for some buyers.

Find the latest Citroen e-C3 deals on our sister site Auto Express