Citroën C3 Aircross review

The Citroën C3 Aircross is the French brand’s entrant into the small SUV market. After all, as a car-maker you’d have to be a couple of baguettes short of a boulangerie to ignore the popularity of this lucrative vehicle class.

The model is cheaper, higher-riding and visually quirkier than the manufacturer's impressive Citroën C4, and uses the same range of frugal engines as its small hatchback, the C3.

The C3 Aircross still has its work cut out, though, with rivals including the sharp-handling Seat Arona, the surprisingly spacious Skoda Kamiq and a former What Car? Car of the Year, the Ford Puma.

Indeed, while small SUVs used to be the very definition of style over substance, there are now plenty that are great buys in their own right. That's as long as you’re not looking for something that’s rugged enough to rescue Ray Mears from somewhere off the beaten track (most small SUV models are two-wheel drive, including the C3 Aircross).

In this Citroën C3 Aircross review, we’ll cover everything you need to know about owning one – from what it’s like to drive and how practical it is for day-to-day use to how good its safety equipment is and how much it will cost to buy and run.

Plus, we’ll let you know how it compares with the various rival cars, in particular the Ford Puma, the Seat Arona and the Skoda Kamiq we mentioned, and advise you on which engines and trims make most sense.

If at the end you decide that a small SUV – or indeed any make and model of vehicle – is the one for you, be sure to go to our free What Car? New Car Deals buying section to see how much you could save. It can help you find the best prices without having to do any haggling, and there are plenty of good C3 Aircross deals.