Citroen may not have reinvented the wheel, but it has certainly re-written the rule-book for affordable fully electric motoring with the launch of its all-new e-C3.

Costing less than £23k and with a driving range of 199 miles, the five-door B-segment hatchback is big on style, technology and performance while still being very kind on the pocket.

With 5.6 million sales since its launch back in 2002, the C3 is a vitally important car to Citroen representing 29 per cent of the company’s sales across Europe. And we were invited to Paris for a first glimpse of the fourth-generation C3 family – a car that is European designed and built.

With the global economy still recovering from the pandemic and increased fuel and energy prices, making the e-C3 affordable was a key target as Citroën Global CEO, Thierry Koskas, explained: “Offering affordable vehicles has always been a major part of Citroën’s DNA. However, customer expectations for vehicles in the B-segment have changed, notably with the rise in popularity of SUVs and the increasing desire to drive electric in and around our cities, and it has become more challenging for European vehicle makers to meet those expectations.

“Uniquely, Citroën is daring to do exactly that with the all-new, all-electric ë-C3 for European buyers: a fresh, sharp, and comfortable B-hatch that is fully-equipped, specifically designed for and made in Europe, and extremely affordable with on-the-road prices starting from under £23,000 in the UK.”

Buyers will have a choice of well-equipped trims called Max, Plus and You with the two higher trims getting a driver-focused 10.25-inch infotainment screen and featuring the likes of sat nav, smartphone connectivity, radio and plenty more besides.

The e-C3 is 4.01 metres long, 1.76 metres wide, 1.57 metres high and built on an all-new EV-native platform. It’s looks more dynamically-styled than its predecessor and boasts plenty of eye-catching design cues, most notably the new Citroen brand signature with the large oval logo featuring a fresh interpretation of the Citroen chevrons. This can be seen clearly at both the front and rear of the car and, in addition, the distinctive front lights featuring a unique three-level lighting signature with one vertical and two horizontal lenses that, on closer examination, resemble blades.

Move inside and the interior is minimalist in its layout with a compact steering wheel (smaller than the existing one) along with a split-level dashboard spanning the width of the car. The top section is where the important technology is found while the bottom part resembles ‘lounge-like’ styling, according to Citroen.

Rather uniquely there are no traditional readouts, but instead the vital driving data such as speed and driving range are reflected onto the screen via a Head-Up Display. This not only looks striking, but also avoids all the distraction of dials and screens behind the steering wheel.

Powering the e-C3 is a 44kWh battery pack with 83kW/113hp electric motor and this can deliver up to 199 miles between charges (under WLTP testing). It is compatible with fast charging so a 20 to 80 per cent boost can be achieved in just 26 minutes or in 4 hours, 10 minutes from a 7kW wallbox.

Although the e-C3 is not blisteringly quick completing with a 0-62mph sprint in about 11 seconds and with a top speed of 84mph, Citroen stressed this vehicle is focused more on comfort than pace.

This was another priority when designing the car as Laurence Hansen, Citroën Product and Strategy Director, explained: “Comfort is a key part of Citroën’s DNA. It’s very important to us because it’s very important to our customers. That’s why we have gone to extraordinary lengths to make the all-new ë-C3 the most comfortable car in the B-hatch segment with Citroën innovations like new versions of our Citroën Advanced Comfort Seats and – for the first time on C3 – our Citroën Advanced Comfort Suspension.”

And there are also some innovative apps for owners to explore. The e-Routes app uses clever algorithms to calculate the sat nav route, shows the expected range at the final destination and offers information regarding live network charging facilities along the way. Then there is the e-Remote app to pre-heat, pre-cool and find the car’s location.

Within the cabin there is room for a trio of youngsters in the back, while the boot can swallow 310 litres of goodies, a limit that can be increased further by lowering the 60:40 split-folding rear seats. There are the usual storage compartments throughout the vehicle too, including a glovebox, cubby and door pockets.

Safety technology and driver assistance aids are comprehensive with active lane departure warning system, active safety brake, speed limit recognition, intelligent beam headlights, driver attention alert and lots more besides.

And it was also announced that from 2025 an even cheaper e-C3 will be arriving with a limited 124-mile range and costing about 19,990 euros (£17,380 at today’s exchange rate).

Although the exact dates are yet to be confirmed, deliveries of the e-C3 in the UK will be at some stage next year.