CITROEN’S C3 small hatchback will return to Australian showrooms later this year priced from $22,990, bringing a little of the C4 Cactus’ unorthodox styling but bundled in a smaller – and more affordable – package.

It ends a two-year hiatus and boosts the French carmaker’s local offering to five models, sitting alongside the C4 larger hatchback, C4 Cactus crossover and a pair of C4 Picasso people movers.

Just one level of specification will be on offer dubbed ‘Shine’, powered by a 1.2-litre 81kW Puretech three-cylinder petrol engine, which is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission. Performance is on the less potent side with the zero to 100km/h dash done in 10.9 seconds, but with an advantage to economy. According to Citroen, the C3 uses just 4.9 litres of fuel per 100km.

Despite the C3’s all-terrain looks, it has been designed as a more suburban proposition with front wheel drive and a range of customisation options. Nine body colour options can be paired with a choice of three contrasting roof colours with matching exterior details, while 17-inch ‘cross’ alloy wheels are standard.

Four interior themes are on offer for more individualisation options, with a standard or “Metropolitan Grey” version for more neutral colours, an Urban Red theme bringing more contrasting colours with red stitching, while the Hype Colorado option adds higher-quality materials including leather.

Before it was discontinued in 2015 the second-gen C3 was on offer for $19,990, but the new version is having a fresh try at the Australian market with its conspicuous styling, more generous equipment and a new distributor – Inchcape Australia.

Standard specification includes a seven-inch central touchscreen with ‘mirror screen technology’ for duplicating a smartphone display, real-time traffic and accident information, navigation, reversing camera, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and LED daytime running lamps.

for the same cash, which is positioned behind the rear-view mirror and can record the journey in HD for capturing both enjoyable and not-so-pleasant motoring incidents.