Citroën C3 Crash Test

this page shows you the famous CITROËN C3 when tested on safety!

C3 CRASH TEST 2002
Citroën C3 SX 1.4 Essence LHD | 5-door hatchback | 2003 model year
1020 kg | VIN VF7FCHFXB26527647 | on the same platform: Pluriel & C2

front and side impact rating						pedestrian test rating

how the tests are done -

C3 crash test mpeg 132 kB (Windows Media Player)

C3 crash test mov 1909 kB (QuickTime)

Test Scores: Front 13,4 (81%) Side 14 (78%) Overall 28 (78%); Pedestrian 11 (31%)

The C3 turned in a sound all-round performance in Euro NCAP tests. Its body structure survived well and the cabin suffered only minor deformation after the frontal crash. What’s more, the seat belts and airbags worked particularly well together to safeguard front occupants from chest injuries. The C3 also protected them acceptably in the side impact, but the optional head-protecting airbag would have further reduced the risks of injury. However, the child restraints protected only patchily. Protection for pedestrians was better than that given by most other cars in this group.

Frontal Impact
The body and airbag restraint systems combined well to provide good levels of protection. The low impact forces recorded for the driver and front passenger’s chests were particularly welcome. But, as with any small car, it has been difficult in the C3 to provide sufficient knee room to safeguard the driver. In the C3, the steering column remains a hazard, but the knee area has otherwise been cleared of danger. The rear centre safety belt was three-point, which gives far better protection than that of a lap-only belt.


driver	passenger	driver side

Side Impact
The C3 gave acceptable protection. However, the back of the driver’s head hit the door pillar. His chest came into contact with the wing of the seat and the airbag, while his abdomen struck the door panel below the armrest.

Child Restraint
The C3 has an on/off switch for the passenger frontal airbag for when a rear-facing restraint is placed opposite it. A pictogram and text label on the passenger’s end of the fascia explained how to use it, but did too little to warn parents against placing a child rear-facing opposite an active airbag. For the tests, The 3-year-old was placed in a forward-facing restraint while the 18-month-old was in the same type of restraint, rear-facing. Unfortunately, the 3-year-old’s head was not well protected in any of the tests, but the 18-month-old was protected in both.

Pedestrian Protection
Citroën has made attempts with the C3 to protect pedestrians. The cushioning given by its windscreen helped towards its two stars.

Model history and safety equipment
The C3 was introduced during 2002. The ’03 model year includes driver and passenger frontal and side airbags, front belt pre-tensioners and load limiters. ISOFIX mountings are provided on the rear outer seats..

what Citroën writes about the C3:

A range of high-level functions for safety

Suspension
The front suspension is of the MacPherson type with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. It is made up of a subframe, two lower steel monocoque wishbones, a pivot and independent anti-roll bar linked directly to the shock absorbers.
The rear suspension features a totally new design with a flexible transverse beam and hydraulic shock absorbers. Two cast-iron arms are integral with a O shaped section. A hollow anti-roll bar is placed inside this section.

Electronic brakeforce distribution
This function makes optimum use of braking power by delivering the maximum level of power admissible for each wheel. In this way, it optimises "front-rear" and "right-left" braking.

Emergency braking assistance
An emergency braking assistance system is also available on the C3: when the driver stamps hard on the brake pedal (indicating an emergency situation), the main piston sets off a second piston that raises the pressure of the braking system to maximum levels. This function considerably reduces the braking distance and makes up for the reluctance of drivers to stamp hard on the pedal at the start of the braking process.

Automatic hazard warning lights
To further improve braking safety, the hazard warning lights of the C3 come on automatically in the event of sudden deceleration. They are switched off when the vehicle accelerates once more or when the driver activates the corresponding control button.

Airbag
The C3 can be fitted with six airbags (front, side and curtain) to protect the driver and passengers at front and rear. The fuel supply is cut off if any one of the six airbags is deployed.
The passenger airbag can be deactivated by means of a key. Two side airbags built into the front seats provide chest protection, while two curtain airbags protect the heads of the occupants at front and rear.

Seatbelts
The seatbelts at the front are height-adjustable. They are equipped with pyrotechnic pretensioners and force limiters, in order to reduce the pressure on the chest in the event of impact, and so further enhance the level of protection. The three rear seatbelts are three-point. The central belt at the rear is installed on the seat itself. As a result, it is easier to use and to position in all cases, including for child seats. Moreover, this configuration is more attractive on the eye, since the belt is not attached to the rear roof cross member.

.
this page was created 28 january 2003
last change 12 november 2003