Citroen C3

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At a glance

Who is this car for?

The comfort-first pick for a week in Herceg Novi with daily slow-paced detours, Risan's Roman mosaics, the Sasovići hamlet above Tivat, the loop back through nearby villages.

• Slow-touring couples
• Back-road explorers
• Renters prone to motion sickness

On Montenegro roads

Behind the wheel

The C3 is the most comfort-biased small hatch you can rent in Montenegro, and on a multi-day Herceg Novi hire that bias matters. The Mk3 with Advanced Comfort dampers uses progressive hydraulic bump stops, the same mechanical principle as the DS7 Crossback, to smother bumps that fidget every other supermini on the patched Igalo magistrala. The 1.2 PureTech 83 hp three-cylinder is slow and works audibly on climbs, and the five-speed manual has noticeably longer throws than a Clio's. In exchange you get the softest ride in the segment, cloth-upholstered comfort seats, and a cabin that is unusually quiet at the coastal 50 km/h limits.

On Montenegro roads

Herceg Novi is where the C3's ride finds its audience. The Risan-to-Perast stretch on the inner Bay of Boka loop has patched concrete seams that slap through a firm-suspension hatchback, the C3 turns them into distant thumps. The cobbled section approaching the Skver square, which chatters in a 308, rolls past quietly in a C3. For the wider seafront drives, Igalo to Topla to the Kamenari ferry queue, the C3 is simply more restful than rivals over a long week. It is the wrong car for Lovcen urgency on the far side of the bay or for overtaking tour buses on the Vrbanj climb.

Space and load

The 300-litre boot is among the smallest on the Herceg Novi roster and the shape is less square than a Clio's. Two cabin-size cases plus a soft weekender fit, a full-size checked case needs a seat folded. Beach gear for two heading to Mirista, towels, snorkels, a small cool-bag, a parasol, fits without planning. Hiking kit for a Spanjola fortress walk above town works with one rear seat folded. It is not the boot for an Orjen weekend with serious gear for two, and a family of four's luggage demands a step up to a Megane or 308.

Best journeys for this car

The C3's Herceg Novi customer is the slow-tempo traveller, the retiree on a month-long mineral-mud course at the Igalo institute who drives short distances daily but never hurries, the photographer basing in Topla whose 200 km days are split across five viewpoint stops, the returning visitor whose priority is comfort on the patched magistrala rather than pace on the Debeli Brijeg motorway run. It also suits travellers prone to motion sickness on winding roads, the long-travel suspension noticeably reduces head-toss on the inner-bay loop hairpins. Wrong car for hurried itineraries or four-up cross-border drives.

Practical notes

Real-world petrol economy is 5.7 L/100 km in mixed driving, slightly worse than a Clio because the Citroen carries a touch more weight and the 83 hp engine has to work harder to maintain magistrala speeds. The 44-litre tank delivers around 750 km between stops. Parking is easy at 4.0 m, the Topla free strip, the metered Skver bays, the Kanli Kula overflow at three euros a day all accept it unchanged. Ride-height is conventional hatchback rather than raised, front-wheel drive on all-season rubber is fine year-round in Herceg Novi's mild winters, chains are legally required for any winter Niksic-bound run which the 83 hp engine will genuinely struggle with.

The verdict

Pick the C3 when you are renting for at least a week and comfort over every other spec is the priority. Skip it for any trip that values pace, load space, or sustained altitude work, the step up to a Stonic or the rational choice of a Clio answers those briefs better.

Inside the car

• Advanced Comfort Seats
• Bluetooth Audio
• USB Charging
• Lane Departure Warning