Here’s a detailed look at the paint palette available on the Citroen C3 5-seater supermini hatchback, which we hope will help you choose your perfect new car colour.
There are 7 main paint options for the Citroen C3, comprising 1 ‘flat’ solid paint, 5 metallic paints and 1 premium metallic paint. Beyond that, there are also 4 bi-tone roof colour choices, 4 different ‘Colour Packs’ (which frame the edges of the C3’s distinctive ‘Airbump’ details and the front foglights in the appropriate colour) and then 3 roof decal kits.
Citroen says that, from all of the above, there are 97 possible permutations of how you can have your C3 looking on the outside. Besides the exterior hues, we also outline the various interior upholsteries that go with these paint finishes.
Paint Types
Solid = a simple body colour with no additives in the paint. Usually comprises 3 coats, these being a primer, then the paint, then a clear, protective lacquer. Solid paints aren’t particularly shiny and are normally the only standard/no-cost colours offered by manufacturers.
Metallic = same application process as above but the paint now has powdered metal mixed into it, which reflects more light to give the car a shinier appearance. Metallic finishes usually cost more than solid paints.
Pearlescent/Mica = as above, only instead of metal, ceramic crystals (known as ‘mica’) are added to the paint. These not only reflect light but refract it too, giving one colour different appearances in different levels of light. They’re normally as expensive as or pricier than metallic paints.
Matte = uses special ‘flattening’ agents in the paint/layering make-up to give the car a non-reflective appearance, and sometimes an unusual texture too. These are normally the most expensive and rarest of paint options, and are not offered on many new car models.
Exterior
Soft Sand
Type: Metallic
Cost: No cost (default colour on all models)
Available On: All models
A bold opening gambit here from Citroen, as the standard colour for the C3 hatchback is not the solitary solid paint of the range but in fact a metallic called Soft Sand. As its name implies, this is a discreet beige colour, which won’t be to all tastes but which is at least somewhat unusual in the automotive world – and the C3 can carry it off thanks to its extensive black exterior detailing to break up the biscuity nature of this finish. Soft Sand will probably also be fairly low-maintenance, as it won’t look too different in dusty conditions as it will when spotlessly clean.
Polar White
Type: Solid
Cost: £275
Available On: All models bar Shine specification
What would normally be the standard colour in other manufacturers’ ranges is in fact a £275 option for the Citroen C3. Polar White ‘flat’, as the carmaker calls it, is available on every model of C3 in the range except for the Shine cars, weirdly enough, and it’s your classic solid white – which means it will look brilliant when freshly cleaned and polished up to the hilt, but conversely it will quickly show up all manner of road-related mucks and messes. Polar works particularly well with the Citroen’s bold contrast detailing, though.
Platinum Grey
Type: Metallic
Cost: £545
Available On: All models
The first of 3 metallic paints available on every C3 in the range, and costing £545 a go, Platinum Grey is the choice of those who abhor washing their cars every Sunday. It’s a dark, almost charcoal-esque grey that will require minimal upkeep all year round to look good. Not as bold and vibrant as some of the other colours in the Citroen palette, but it does bring some understated elegance to the C3’s eye-catching lines.
Spring Blue
Type: Metallic
Cost: £545
Available On: Sense, Shine, Shine Plus
A lovely colour that was introduced at the 2021 midlife model facelift, Spring Blue will likely be a rarer sight on UK-based C3s as it’s only available on 3 specifications of the 6 available. That’s a pity, because it’s a tasteful dark blue with more than a hint of green in it. It looks great with the contrast black or white bi-tone roof options you can team it to, while there are various Emerald Blue options that will go with it (roof decals, interior ambience) which would further enhance this colour’s appeal. It’s also a hue that won’t need to be washed every single Sunday of the year in order to look good.
Perla Nera Black
Type: Metallic
Cost: £545
Available On: All models
On a direct translation from the Italian – yes, Italian; despite the fact Citroen is French – to English, ‘Perla Nera’ means ‘black pearl’. So what you have here is a paint which is basically called ‘Black Pearl Black’, which isn’t a pearl finish at all. Confusing? Yeah, we thought so. Anyway, PNB (as we shall call it) is available on all specifications of the C3 for a £545 outlay and it’s a nice choice, although as we often remind you, black cars are not actually that easy to maintain. It’ll need regular washing, especially in the winter months, to look its best. PNB comes with a white roof as standard on models with the bi-tone package fitted as standard, which is pretty much all of them bar You! and Sense specifications.
Cumulus Grey
Type: Metallic
Cost: £545
Available On: All models
A lighter grey than its stablemate Platinum finish, Cumulus Grey is veering towards silver more than anything. It’s a midtone grey which perhaps better shows off the black detailing of the C3’s bodywork than Platinum Grey can, yet Cumulus – named after the cloud type – should require no more regular washing throughout the year.
Elixir Red
Type: Premium metallic
Cost: £695
Available On: You!, Sense, Shine Plus
Citroen’s signature colour on a lot of its models and the only premium metallic in the palette for the C3 hatchback, Elixir Red is a smashing colour. It’s deep and rich and warm-looking, and it won’t need to be washed weekly in order to have knockout appeal. It contrasts well with either the black or white bi-tone options, and it’s about the sportiest-looking colour available… for a supermini which isn’t very sporty to drive, granted. But if you want the C3 to come across as youthful as possible to anyone affording your car only a casual glance, £695 Elixir Red is the one to go for.
Further Exterior/Interior Design Options
With 4 bi-tone roof options, 4 Colour Packs and 3 roof decal selections, there’s plenty of individual customisation possible with the Citroen C3. Here’s a brief rundown on what’s available.
Onyx Black Roof
Cost: No cost (standard on C-Series Edition, Elle, Shine and Shine Plus) or £300 (option on Sense)
Available On: All models bar You!
This bi-tone paint option is standard-fit on every C3 in the range, bar the entry-level You! version (where it’s not available at all) and the Sense model, which can have this 2-tone look for a £300 additional fee. The Onyx Black roof cannot be paired with the Perla Nera Black body paint, however, which is why that finish comes with an Opal White roof instead.
Opal White Roof
Cost: No cost (free option on Elle and Shine Plus) or £300 (option on You! And Sense)
Available On: All models bar C-Series Edition and Shine
The Opal White roof is the switch colour for any qualifying model specified in Perla Nera Black paint, albeit you cannot specify an Opal top to the C3 if it’s a C-Series Edition or a Shine model. However, base-spec You! customers can enjoy this 2-tone finish for an additional £300 outlay at ordering time, as can those who choose the Sense model. Choose this roof finish and the White Colour Pack (see below) is drafted into service. Opal White is not available if you specify the Polar White body colour, however.
Sport Red Roof
Cost: No cost (free option on Shine Plus) or £300 (option on Sense)
Available On: Sense and Shine Plus models only, not with Spring Blue or Elixir Red paint
The bright Sport Red roof is a more limited bi-tone choice, only coming on Sense and Shine Plus versions of the C3 – and only then if you DON’T specify them in Spring Blue metallic or Elixir Red premium metallic body paint. It’s a no-cost option on the Shine Plus cars, while it will cost £300 on the Sense, and it brings the Red Colour Pack for the front foglights and Airbumps if you equip it.
Emerald Blue Roof
Cost: No cost (free option on Shine Plus) or £300 (option on Sense)
Available On: Sense and Shine Plus models only, not with Spring Blue or Elixir Red paint
Everything is as above with the Sport Red roof, only here it’s an Emerald Blue upper section of the car and an Anodised Emerald Colour Pack for the details down below. Again, this is only on Sense and Shine Plus cars, and it’s not available with the blue or red body colours.
White Colour Pack
Cost: No cost
Available On: All models
Brings white detailing to the front foglight housings and also the Airbump panels on the sides of the car. It’s the standard accompaniment to an Opal White roof.
Red Colour Pack
Cost: No cost
Available On: All models
Again, comes as standard with the corresponding roof colour, in this case Sport Red.
Anodised Emerald Colour Pack
Cost: No cost
Available On: All models
This comes as standard with the Emerald Blue roof option.
Black Colour Pack
Cost: No cost
Available On: All models
You can delete the eye-catching colour surrounds for the front fogs and the Airbumps by selecting a Black Colour Pack, if you so wish.
Red Roof Decals
Cost: £100
Available On: Sense and Shine Plus models only
Puts an oblong, hooped red graphic longitudinally on the roof of the Citroen C3, running from a point above the front-seat occupants’ heads back into the rear spoiler. The red option also includes a black-and-white pattern on one side of the looped graphic, as well as additional square and rectangular logos inside the main decal. Not for use on the Sport Red roof.
Emerald Roof Decals
Cost: £100
Available On: Sense and Shine Plus models only
As above but the colour switches to Emerald Blue, while the graphic features no extra patterns on it or within it, as the red option does. Not for use on the Emerald Blue roof.
Techwood Roof Decals
Cost: £100
Available On: Sense and Shine Plus models only
Techwood is one of the interior ambiences we’ll mention below, so its appearance is replicated here. At the back of the hooped graphic, surrounding the roof-mounted aerial and bleeding into the rear spoiler, the decal is charcoal grey but for the front three-quarters of it, the look is that of grained, light-grey wood. Incidentally, C-Series Edition and Elle models of the C3 get their own bespoke roof graphics as standard.
Interior
Standard
Type: Cloth
Cost: No cost
Available On: All models except Elle and Shine Plus
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The standard, comfortable seats of the Citroen C3, finished in a distinctive fabric pattern with a lateral dividing line at the front of the seat base and the tops of the seat back. This is teamed to a gloss-black dashboard panel with a grey surround, a feature slightly modified on the C-Series Edition model, which gets a soft-touch leather-effect dash with a grey surround.
Techwood
Type: Cloth Advanced Comfort seats
Cost: No cost (standard)
Available On: Shine Plus only
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The big change here is a Technical Wood-effect dashboard, mimicking a Scandinavian look, to give the C3’s interior some real high-end class. There’s also a light upper-seat trim and more detailing to the stitching on the upholstery in the Shine Plus model’s standard-fit interior. This finish is not available to any other specification of C3 bar the flagship.
Emerald
Type: Cloth (3D mesh technical textile) Advanced Comfort seats
Cost: No cost (option)
Available On: Shine Plus only
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
As a no-cost alternative to the Techwood standard ambience, the Shine Plus flagship can have this interior, which has a black leather-effect dashboard with an Emerald Blue surround, as well as 3D technical patterning on the seats. This finish is not available to any other specification of C3 bar the flagship.
Elle
Type: Alcantara and leather-effect Advanced Comfort seats
Cost: No cost (standard)
Available On: Elle model only
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The Elle gets the same leather-effect dashboard of the C-Series Edition and Shine Plus Emerald cars, only here it has its own bespoke detailing, as well as Alcantara and leather-effect upholstery for the seats.
Check out our latest Citroen C3 lease deals here.
