Stop & Start 1.4-litre petrol – Citroen’s C3 Stop & Start was launched in 2004 and it boasts one significant and unusual technical feature. When it slows to a halt at lights or in traffic, the engine automatically stops itself to save fuel. And when you want to move off again just press the throttle and the engine instantly re-starts and away you go. It’s clever, it’s green, and it works…
At 49.6mpg (combined) the C3 Stop & Start isn’t quite as thrifty on fuel as its diesel-powered C3 stablemates, and it’s not quite as zippy away from the lights as its 1.4-litre sibling with a conventional transmission, but it beats the diesel 1.4 on performance and betters the conventional, petrol 1.4 on fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and insurance group. If costs are your top priority then the C3 1.4 Hdi would be the model to choose, but if you spend lots of time in cities or heavy traffic, then the SensoDrive C3 makes good sense.
Citroen C3 Stop & Start full road test report
