By Lee Nian Tjoe

TUSCANY, Italy - The new Citroen C3 is cute as a button. In pastel blue, it could even make grown men go 'koo-chi, koo-chi koo'.

The French have always made stylish, good-looking cars, but you can trust Citroen to give its creations a zesty twist.

Unlike the company's previous efforts, the new small hatch is a lot sturdier.

Just as cousin Peugeot has done much to set the 207 apart from the 206, the new C3 represents a major upgrade in perceived quality for Citroen. This is especially so for the car's interior, which has an almost premium feel about it.

The C3 has a gigantic windscreen that sweeps back into the roof, just like the one on the C4 Picasso MPV. For front occupants, the car appears to have a glass ceiling.

There is an extendable louvre inside to shield you from the sun. Otherwise, the windscreen offers an incredible view ahead, while the curvature of the ceiling offers extraordinary headroom. At times, the cabin feels like the inside of a bubble lift.

The boxier Honda Jazz may have a bit more space all round, but the C3 is not really lacking in this department, either.

The test car has a 1.6-litre 120bhp engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, which is fun and easy to use.

Singapore will likely be getting only the four-speed automatic version - not much of an improvement over the antiquated job found in the previous C3.

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