Citroën ë-C3 vs DS 3 Crossback E-Tense

The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense costs £13,495 more than the Citroën ë-C3. For that premium it adds 65 miles more WLTP range, 70 kW faster peak rapid charging and a 2.9s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense comes out ahead overall.

The Citroën ë-C3 is £13,495 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Citroën ë-C3 comes out roughly £13,415 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 94 miles for the Citroën ë-C3 and 166 miles for the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The DS 3 Crossback E-Tense goes roughly 72 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 30-36 minutes.

The Citroën ë-C3 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 35 mm narrower than the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 645 mm of total clearance for the Citroën ë-C3 and about 610 mm of total clearance for the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the Citroën ë-C3 and 84% for the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense. That gives the Citroën ë-C3 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Citroën ë-C3's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.