I’ve just taken the latest offering from French car-maker Citroen for a spin around the English countryside – the delightful new e-C3 hatchback.

It was the first chance to get behind the wheel of a right-hand drive version of this appealingly chunky - but still compact - EV.

While the new e-C3’s quirky design and stylish cabin may exude classic gallic charm, it is actually built in Slovakia at a factory operated by Citroen's parent company, Stellantis.

It is the latest in a recent string of more affordable small EVs to enter the market in recent months as car makers look to broaden the appeal of electric motoring to wider audiences. 

Priced from £21,990, its on par with a mid-spec petrol Vauxhall Corsa.

It will go head-to-head with battery rivals of the likes of Dacia's Spring (£14,995) and the fellow tricolore-badged Renault 5 E-Tech (£22,995).

These less expensive EVs from legacy European brands are rallying against the incursion of new Chinese brands seeking to undercut them and dominate electric car sales.

So, does the e-C3 have the ingredients to become the nation's favourite small EV?

I set off on my test route from a suitably ‘French’ location – Michelin-starred chef Raymond Blanc’s fabled Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant and hotel at Great Milton near Oxford.

The maximum range of up to 199 miles on a full charge is sufficient for most daily needs – unless you a planning a trip up to Newcastle or Edinburgh from London or the West Country, for which a bit of planning for charging may be wise.

But for most urban journeys, daily commutes, school-runs and shopping excursions around town - or as a vital lifeline in the countryside starved of decent public transport – the range is more than adequate.

It comes in two simple trim levels: Plus (from £21,990) and Max (from £23,690), the latter of which I drove.

Powered by a 44kW battery (thus saving weight) and a 113 horsepower (83kW) e-motor, it zips to 62mph in 10.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 82mph.

Charging takes just over four hours using a domestic wallbox and only half an hour to reach 80 per cent using a 100kW public rapid charger.

Nimble and nippy around country lanes, smooth and reliable through Oxfordshire’s near blanket 20mph village speed zones, and highly manoeuvrable in parking bays and tight spaces, it presents a very good overall package in the environment for which it is designed.

The interior is smart, too.

There is a fair bit of gloss and matt plastic trim but the overall look is pleasing with some French chic thrown in for good measure. The sweeping horizontal dashboard top – acting as a head-up display to show speed and other key information - has echoes of Citroens from the 1970s.

Even the sports seats are more comfortable than they sound and provide a higher-than-expected driving position, providing a good command of the road ahead.

There are some neat detailed small touches, like the red tags on the door interiors and seats saying ‘have fun’ and 'be cool', as well as the replaceable colour clips – on the front-bumper and C-pillar - which can be updated. 

There's also plenty of room in the boot, which expands from 310 litres to 1,188 litres with the rear seats folded down.

Equipment on my range-topping model feels surprisingly grown up for a car of such small proportions. It comes with a reversing camera, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and even a heated steering wheel.

A new eight-year/100,000 mile warranty should inspire consumer confidence as car-makers will generally only make such generous promises if they are sure few customers will ever need to collect on them.

So impressive is the e-C3 that it has already picked up a clutch of awards, including being named ‘best value electric car’ at the recent annual DrivingElectric awards. 

It was even a finalist for European Car of the Year but was pipped to the post by the Renault 5.

Citroen's boss says the UK market is pivotal for the brand and its smallest electric car (overlooking the Ami quadricycle) yet.

The company’s global CEO Thierry Koskas – who began his automotive career in a car dealership in East London - and his European deputy came over to Britain especially to attend the Oxfordshire launch. 

Koskas said: ’Citroen has great ambitions as a popular brand in the UK. 

'We are a daring brand. We do things differently.’

Indeed. Or as they say in France: ‘Vivre la difference!’

The Cars and Motoring Verdict 

For such a small EV, the e-C3 doesn’t just have big-car aspirations, it has a big weight on its shoulders to attract more people to electric driving.

The price tag is competitive against rivals and the range is more than adequate for the typical daily rigours on Britain's roads.

Had it launched 12 months earlier, it would have had a stranglehold on the small EV market. 

However, it now enters a highly competitive segment offer Britons a choice of impressive electric cars for around £20,000.