Two no-thrills eco hatchbacks for the European market. Which one would you take?
Think about the Note as Europe's small sized Versa. It's just about big enough to have four doors, it comes with an efficient 1.2 in normal or supercharged form, and you can get it with a roof spoiler or a dog guard, or both if you're feeling lucky. Great news! It will arrive to America soon as the Versa Note, just to avoid confusion.
The new Note's biggest selling point can be the safety equipment Nissan is offering. Blind spot and lane departure warning, moving object detection and an overhead 360 degree ‘helicopter view' camera system can be part of the package, with all the information displayed on a 5.8-inch screen on the dashboard together with Google services.
The Citroen C3 is the budget version of a DS3, similar to how the Fiat 500 is just a fancy Panda. The C3 has always been a rather feminine looking car, no wonder its buyers are mostly women. With this facelift, Citroen tried to widen the target group by using the DS3's more agressive lines.
Apart from the new style and the changes in the interior, the C3's advantage comes from its new engine options. Next to the well known HDI diesels, the new PureTech petrols promise around 15 percent more power for 25 percent less fuel. The most powerful C3 will have 120 horsepower. It also comes with a backup camera, bluetooth and eMyWay navigation.
Any takers?
Photo credit: PSA and Nissan