Name: New Citroën C3 Aircross models and Specifications
Brand: Citroën

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Despite being the cheapest engine in the range, this turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol unit is a fine choice, because it picks up well from low revs, and is pretty smooth and quiet.

1.2 PureTech 110

This 128bhp petrol engine barely feels any stronger than the cheaper Puretech 110 unit, so the main reason for choosing it is because you don’t like changing gear; an eight-speed auto ’box comes as standard.

1.2 PureTech 130

The sole diesel engine in the C3 Aircross line-up has even more low rev punch than the Puretech 100 petrol. However, it's more expensive to buy and, well, diesel isn't very fashionable at the moment.

1.5 BlueHDi

Plus

Hatchback

Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.

Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.

Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).

The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.

CITROEN

C3 AIRCROSS

1.2 PureTech 130 Max 5dr EAT6

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1.2 PureTech 110 You 5dr

1.2 PureTech 110 Plus 5dr

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1.2 PureTech 130 Plus 5dr EAT6

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1.2 PureTech 110 Max 5dr

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1.5 BlueHDi Max 5dr

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Citroën C3 Aircross

If you want a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUV</a> but need a big boot, the C3 Aircross is a better bet than most. Its load bay is longer and taller than the one in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/arona/hatchback/review/n117">Seat Arona</a>&nbsp;for example.

In fact, we managed to fit six carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf, whereas the Arona swallowed five. Then again, we got seven in the Kamiq and eight in the Puma.

Entry-level C-Series trim is the only one to miss out on a two-level boot floor that makes it easy to slide in heavy items by minimising the loading lip when you don’t need maximum boot space.

<h2 dir="ltr">Practicality overview</h2>

Strengths&nbsp;Versatile seats; spacious boot; handy two-level boot floor&nbsp;

Weaknesses&nbsp;Front and rear passenger space could be better

There’s more to get excited about inside the C3 Aircross than in most&nbsp;small SUVs. From the Art Deco air vents to the silver accents below the touchscreen, everything has been designed to be interesting to look at rather than purely functional.

Each trim level gets its own colour scheme, with leather seats optional on Shine Plus trim. In terms of quality, the interior plastics are no better than you'll find in a Puma or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kamiq/hatchback/review/n19999">Skoda Kamiq</a> while fit and finish is slightly worse. The C3 Aircross does edge the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/duster/estate/review/n67">Dacia Duster</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/bayon/hatchback/review/n23367">Hyundai Bayon</a> for perceived quality, though.

<h2>Interior overview</h2>

Strengths&nbsp;High driving position; good forward visibility; colourful design details

Weaknesses&nbsp;Lack of lower back support; unintuitive infotainment; so-so interior quality

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

If you’re in the market for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUV</a>&nbsp;there’s a good chance you like to sit quite high up above the road. If so, you’ll find plenty to like about the Citroën C3 Aircross, because even with its driver’s seat set to its lowest position, you’re still a few centimetres further from ground than in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/arona/hatchback/review/n117">Seat Arona</a>.

Unfortunately, the driver’s seat doesn’t provide much in the way of lower back support to make long journeys more comfortable, and adjustable lumbar support is not available. Range-topping Shine Plus&nbsp;models come with a front centre armrest as standard, though, and you can add one to the mid-level Shine trim as an option.

Annoyingly, the only way to control the air conditioning is using the infotainment touchscreen. To tweak&nbsp;the interior temperature, you have to visit a&nbsp;menu and press the screen several times.

OUR PICK

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

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Entry-level C-Series cars come with 16in alloy wheels, automatic headlights, climate control and cruise control, in addition to rear parking sensors and touchscreen infotainment.

We’d be tempted to upgrade&nbsp;to mid-level Shine trim for the extra safety kit it brings, and the two-level boot floor we talked about earlier. Range-topping Shine Plus cars are worth considering, because&nbsp;they bring extra styling options, more flexible seating, and keyless entry and start.

Some more creature comforts would be welcome, though. You can’t get heated seats or a heated steering wheel, for example.

The Citroën C3 Aircross is the French brand’s contribution to the small SUV class, and is effectively a taller, boxier version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/c3/hatchback/review/n17364">Citroën C3</a> with a raised ride height and a bit more space inside.&nbsp;

You can have your&nbsp;C3 Aircross with&nbsp;a choice of three engines, including – unusually for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUV</a> these days&nbsp;– a diesel. You can have an automatic gearbox too, but only if you choose the most powerful petrol engine option.

There's no <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">plug-in hybrid</a> (PHEV) or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric car</a> equivalent, though. If you're looking for a Citroën model that runs on batteries, the closest you'll find is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/c4/hatchback/review/n22375">Citroën ë-C4</a>.

Rivals include – but are far from limited to – the sharp-handling <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a>, the surprisingly spacious <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kamiq/hatchback/review/n19999">Skoda Kamiq</a> and the smooth-riding <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/t-roc/hatchback/review/n17376">VW T-Roc</a>. You might also be looking at the reasonably priced <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/duster/estate/review/n67">Dacia Duster</a> or the sharply styled <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/juke/hatchback/review/n45">Nissan Juke</a>.&nbsp;

While the Duster is available with four-wheel drive, the C3 Aircross and its other rivals have front-wheel drive. However, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/citroen">Citroën</a> does offer an optional&nbsp;feature called Grip Control, which is designed to help the vehicle adapt the traction of the front wheels to suit different terrain.&nbsp;

In this review, we’ll see if the Citroën C3 Aircross delivers, as we rate it for performance and handling, practicality, value and running costs, and more. We'll also tell you which engine&nbsp;and trim&nbsp;we recommend if you do buy one.

Once you've decided which model is best for your needs, we can help you find it for the best price if you search our free What Car? <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Buying pages</a>. They list plenty of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/small-suv">new small SUV deals</a>.

We’d recommend avoiding the Citroën C3 Aircross's panoramic glass roof option if you’re tall, or often&nbsp;carry passengers who are. It floods the interior with light, but also badly compromises head room to the point that anyone much taller than 6ft might struggle to fit.

You probably won't have any&nbsp;complaints about the leg room available, and&nbsp;there are plenty of cubbies dotted around for stashing keys, coins and phones. You’ll also find a couple of good-size&nbsp;cupholders in front of the gearlever.

Due in part to its soft suspension, the C3 Aircross leans more dramatically than most of its rivals through bends. What’s more, it feels less stable and composed along bucking and bounding country roads.&nbsp;

Its light, remote-feeling steering doesn’t help matters, because it’s not always easy to trust that the front wheels are going where you're trying to point them. If you want to have fun behind the wheel, the Puma, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/arona/hatchback/review/n117">Seat Arona</a> and the&nbsp;Kamiq are much better choices.

No matter whether you have the 7.0in touchscreen that features in C-Series models&nbsp;or the 9.0in version that comes with the posher trim levels, it won't have the contrast or crispness in its graphics that you might hope for. Plus, the delay between pressing an icon on the display and anything actually happening sometimes seems long enough for you to make a cup of tea.

Being able to call up the home screen from any menu with a tap of three fingers is handy, but beyond that the operating system isn’t particularly user-friendly. DAB radio, a USB port, Bluetooth, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>&nbsp;are all standard.

There are three engines to choose from for the Citroën C3 Aircross: a 1.5-litre diesel with 110bhp and two turbocharged 1.2-litre petrols, with 110 and 131bhp. The more powerful petrol comes with a six-speed <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/automatic-gearboxes-everything-you-need-to-know/n17022">automatic gearbox</a>&nbsp;while the other versions are manual.

Our pick is the cheapest option, the Puretech 110 petrol, which is punchy enough to make the Puretech 130 feel unnecessary.

The diesel doesn’t make much sense at all. Yes, you should see more miles to the gallon, but it’s slower than both petrols.

Small SUV has&nbsp;its strengths, but most rivals are better to drive

The optional panoramic roof compromises head room in the back even more than in the front. There's also&nbsp;less rear knee room than in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/bayon/hatchback/review/n23367">Hyundai Bayon</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kamiq/hatchback/review/n19999">Skoda Kamiq</a>.&nbsp;That said, it’s relatively comfortable for three adults sitting side by side, because the seats are mounted quite high up and there’s no hump in the floor for the central passenger to straddle.

A nasty cocktail of a numb clutch pedal, an overly light accelerator and a vague manual gearshift means driving smoothly at low speeds requires the sort of concentration needed to thread a needle. Changing gear and pulling away is so much easier and more instinctive in the Puma, the Kamiq and the T-Roc.

Of course, you can get the automatic gearbox in the C3 Aircross, but it’s still not a great choice. The gearshifts can be quite jerky and it's quite slow to react when you press the accelerator.&nbsp;

The petrol engines are reasonably hushed, but they often feel coarse at low revs and you can&nbsp;feel some buzzing through the steering wheel and pedals. The diesel engine is worse in this regard, and is noisier&nbsp;too. There's also more road and wind noise at motorway speeds than you hear in the Puma, the T-Roc and other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUVs</a>.

<h2 dir="ltr">Driving overview</h2>

Strengths&nbsp;Punchy and reasonably hushed petrol engines

Weaknesses&nbsp;Busy ride; sloppy handling; poor gearboxes; noisy at motorway speeds

The C3 Aircross came bottom of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUV</a> class in the 2023 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2022-what-car-reliability-survey/n23397">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;– in 22nd place out of 22 models listed – with an 84.3% reliability score. Meanwhile,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/citroen">Citroën</a> finished 14th out of 32 car makers in the manufacturer reliability rankings.

You get a two-year warranty with no mileage limit, plus a further one-year dealer warranty with a 60,000-mile cap. That’s roughly the same level of cover as is provided by Ford on the Puma and Skoda on the Kamiq, but Kia gives you a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty on its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/stonic/estate/review/n116">Kia Stonic</a>.

The softly sprung C3 Aircross initially fools you into thinking it’s going to be a comfortable companion. Unfortunately, once it's moving quicker than 30mph, you become acutely aware of your torso bobbing up and down and your head tossing from side to side.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a> has firmer suspension, but its more controlled ride is less annoying. If ride comfort is one of your top priorities, try the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kamiq/hatchback/review/n19999">Skoda Kamiq</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/t-roc/hatchback/review/n17376">VW&nbsp;T-Roc</a>&nbsp;– both are much better at isolating occupants from the road surface.

The Citroën C3 Aircross is temptingly priced compared with many <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">small SUVs</a> – including equivalent versions of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kamiq/hatchback/review/n19999">Skoda Kamiq</a> and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/t-roc/hatchback/review/n17376">VW&nbsp;T-Roc</a>. Sure, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/duster/estate/review/n67">Dacia Duster</a> is cheaper, but little else undercuts the C3 Aircross. What's more, big discounts are usually&nbsp;available.

It's not all good news, though, because the C3 Aircross is predicted to depreciate more rapidly&nbsp;than many of its rivals. Its engines don't have any <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/hybrid-cars/n17013">hybrid</a>&nbsp;tech to help with fuel economy&nbsp;either. The Puretech 110 averaged 39.1mpg in our real-world tests, while the more powerful Puma 1.0 Ecoboost Hybrid 155 managed almost 45mpg.

The model will likely cost you less per month&nbsp;than many rivals if you're taking out PCP finance, but not by as much as you might imagine&nbsp;(check the latest prices on our <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Buying pages</a>).

It’s disappointing that Citroën doesn’t include automatic emergency braking (<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/what-is-aeb-and-how-does-it-work/n3283">AEB</a>)&nbsp;on the C3 Aircross unless you go for Shine Plus trim or add it as an option on lower trim Shine. All models do get lane-departure warning and a traffic-sign recognition system that displays the speed limit. Blind-spot monitoring is an option but only on Shine Plus trim.

That tech helped the model secure a five-star <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> rating, although that was back in 2017 when the tests were less demanding than today. There are Isofix child-seat mounting points on the outer rear seats, and the security kit includes an alarm.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter&nbsp;<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

<h2 dir="ltr">Costs overview</h2>

Strengths&nbsp;Cheaper to buy than most rivals; decent reliability

Weaknesses&nbsp;Disappointing fuel economy; entry-level trim misses out on essential safety kit

While 60/40-split folding rear seats are standard across the range, you also get a sliding rear bench if you opt for top-spec Shine Plus trim, allowing you to juggle between boot space or rear knee room as you wish. It also adds&nbsp;a handy ski flap, so you can slide longer items between two back-seat passengers.

Shine Plus cars also feature a fold-flat&nbsp;front passenger seat for those occasions when you need to carry really long items, such as flatpack furniture or a ladder.

plus

The Citroën C3 Aircross is practical and reasonably priced, plus it has an attractive interior. However, plenty of rivals are better to drive, both in terms of comfort and handling. Its infotainment system isn’t up to scratch, either.

Forward visibility is good, helped by the lofty driving position. Over-the-shoulder vision is less impressive, though – particularly if you go for Shine or&nbsp;Shine Plus trim, because the rear three-quarter glass area is emblazoned with graphics.

It’s just as well, then, that all versions get rear parking sensors to help with manoeuvring, while a rear-view camera is an option on Shine and standard on Shine Plus models. Front sensors are&nbsp;standard on Shine Plus models, but are not even optional on the cheaper&nbsp;trims. All versions get bright LED headlights as standard.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Running costs that won’t break the bank </li> <li>Generous kit</li> <li>Pokey engine and tidy handling</li> <li>Spacious interior</li> <li>Boot big enough to cope with family life</li></ul>

The car-buying public has fallen in love with small SUVs, or crossovers as they’re often called, with thousands turning away from conventional hatchbacks in favour of something that rides that little bit higher.

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