New Citroën C3 Aircross review

Some cars have a tough time following their predecessors. Others, such as the new Citroën C3 Aircross we're reviewing here, not so much.

The previous-generation C3 Aircross had a low price and decent practicality, but its poor driving experience and reliability rating were among the reasons we gave it a pretty woeful two-star What Car? rating. So, you could say, the only way is up.

On paper, things look positive. The new C3 Aircross appears to build on the last car’s strengths – it's still keenly priced – and, seemingly, addresses our complaints. It shares parts with the latest Citroën C3, so it should be better to drive than its predecessor, and Citroën’s brand reliability has improved too. 

In this review we'll tell you how the Citroën C3 Aircross stacks up against budget petrol, diesel and hybrid small SUVs, ranging from the Dacia Duster to the Skoda Kamiq.

Those cars are all limited to five seats, though, while the petrol C3 Aircross is available as a seven-seater. And if seven-seat practicality is what you need, then you might also be considering the closely related Vauxhall Frontera or Dacia Jogger. 

There's also an all-electric version of the C3 Aircross, which you can read about in our separate Citroën ë-C3 Aircross review.

Complete the What Car? Reliability Survey now and you could win a prize

What’s New?

- May 2026: We reappraise the C3 Aircross after driving the latest version in the UK

- May 2025: First deliveries take place

- February 2025: Orders open. Choice of Puretech 100 petrol, or Hybrid 136 engines. Plus or Max trims

- April 2024: First images shown of second-generation C3 Aircross

How fast is it and which engine is best?

The entry-level Citroën C3 Aircross is called the Turbo 100, which uses a 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine twinned with a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s slightly slower than the entry-level Dacia Jogger TCe 110, so it's not exactly quick, but there's just enough latent punch for everyday driving, including getting up to motorway speeds in respectable time. It's our pick of the range, actually. Not for its performance; it delivers the best value for money, which is the key selling point of the C3 Aircross, but more on costs later.

Or you can choose the mild-hybrid Hybrid 145. This version is available only with an automatic gearbox, but uses the same basic 1.2-litre petrol with more power and a small electric motor to add extra urge. Total output is 143bhp, so it certainly feels quicker than the Turbo 100, but still lacks the ultimate pace of rivals like the Skoda Kamiq TSI 150.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The Citroën C3 Aircross has a firmer suspension set-up is than typical for a Citroën. The result is a busy ride at slow speeds and it thuds if you hit sharper imperfections on faster roads. It’s not so bad that we’d call the C3 Aircross uncomfortable, but there are better-riding small SUVs in this price range, including the Dacia Duster, Dacia Jogger and Skoda Kamiq.  

Where the previous version (and many other Citroën models) felt wallowy along undulating roads, the current C3 Aircross feels better tied down. In other words, you’re not being rocked from side-to-side as you drive along or being bounced off the seat squab over big bumps. This also helps when it comes to handling, with the C3 Aircross resisting body lean fairly well through fast corners. 

It's not sporty, though. The steering is far too light and uncommunicative, which is fine around town, but on country roads it's like driving a computer game using a cut-price steering wheel simulator; there's pretty much zero feedback to help you gauge the cornering forces building up and the grip at the front wheels. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

Despite being a mild hybrid, you can drive the Hybrid 145 for short periods on electricity alone – mainly at low speeds and if you're very gentle with the accelerator. You might expect us to say it's silent when running on electricity but that's not the case; you can hear the C3 Aircross’s electric motor whining as you drive along. 

However, that's preferable to the boom from the engine when its pulling hard from low revs, which applies to both the Hybrid 145 and Turbo 100. At least the Turbo 100's manual gearbox is easy to use, with its smooth shift action. 

The Hybrid 145's auto 'box is woefully jerky at slow speeds when switching from electric to petrol power, and the brake pedal, which combines a regenerative system to recharge the battery, is soft and grabby. It makes smooth driving in heavy traffic very difficult indeed.

At motorway speeds, wind noise is acceptable for this class, but there's a fair amount of road noise and you can hear the suspension clanging away on rough roads.  

“The Hybrid 145's auto gearbox is annoyingly jerky in stop-start traffic and takes too long to change down gears when you need a burst of power.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The Citroën C3 Aircross’s interior is what you might call quirky. For a start, it comes with a small steering wheel and thin, digital driver’s display positioned above it. Perhaps the oddest part is the motivational messages written on tags stitched onto the door armrests, which say things like 'Be cool' and 'Have fun'. 

There’s some fabric on the dashboard, and soft-touch materials on the door and central armrests. Apart from that, hard grey plastics are the name of the game.

The material quality is acceptable for the price point, though, and no worse than the Dacia Duster or Jogger, but you’ll find a slightly plusher, more appealing interior in the Renault Captur and Skoda Kamiq.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

While the buttons and switches in the C3 Aircross feel fairly cheap, at least it has a few physical buttons to operate some of the basics – we much prefer those to managing everything through the infotainment touchscreen, like in the Ford Puma. For example, in the C3 Aircross you configure the air conditioning using a row of physical controls – it's just a shame they're mounted so low on the dashboard you still have to look away from the road to use them.   

The front seats are soft and comfy to sit on for a few hours at a time. You use a lever to adjust the backrest angle, though, which doesn't allow you to fine-tune the backrest as much as the adjuster wheel you get with some rivals. The driving position is loftier than the Skoda Kamiq's, so the C3 Aircross feels more like an SUV, and that also gives you a good view out the front. Rearward visibility is commendable too, thanks to its boxy shape and relatively slim pillars.

That shape also makes the C3 Aircross really easy to park, something that’s helped further by the standard-fit rear parking sensors and rear view camera. Going for top-spec Max trim also adds front and side parking sensors. All versions come with bright LED headlights.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

As mentioned, the C3 Aircross doesn’t have a digital driver’s display behind the steering wheel like most cars; the display is positioned above the steering wheel. That makes it easy to see but it's pretty rudimentary compared with the more configurable digital displays in rivals, like the Skoda Kamiq; it shows all the basic info, though, including speed, fuel level and efficiency. 

The 10.25in infotainment touchscreen is easy enough to use and responds reasonably smartly to your inputs. However, the screen isn't the sharpest, which makes it feel a dated compared with the Kamiq's higher-definition screen, and the Google-based system in the Renault Captur is a step ahead in almost every way.

The infotainment system covers the basics, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and a six-speaker stereo. If you chose the top-spec Max trim it adds in-built sat-nav, online connectivity (for live traffic, weather, and parking info) and a wireless charging pad.

“The interior of the Citroën C3 Aircross isn’t uber-plush, but the quirky design makes it arguably more interesting visually compared with the more conventional designs out there.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

There’s plenty of space in the front of the Citroën C3 Aircross, so a pair of six-footers will have enough head, leg and shoulder room. Front storage is decent, too, with good-sized door bins and a pretty good glovebox. The cubby within the central armrest is pretty small, though. 

In the outer two second-row seats there’s more than enough head room and lots of knee room – especially in the five-seater version, which has slightly more rear space compared with the seven-seater. Whichever version you go for, there’s loads of space underneath the front seats for your feet. It’s possible to sit three abreast in the back, but three large adults will feel a bit squished.

Like the Dacia Jogger and Vauxhall Frontera, the C3 Aircross is available as a seven-seater, which is something of a rarity at this price point. That said, don't expect the two foldout seats in the boot to fit adults comfortably.

Smaller children will be okay (although there are no Isofix mounts for child seats), while average-sized adults can squeeze themselves into the third row but they won’t be hugely comfortable; their knees will be way higher than their hips to create room for their legs, and they'll have limited head room. It's fine for the occasional short journey, but the Dacia Jogger's third row is roomier. 

Thanks to the rear doors opening really wide and the rear seats flipping entirely forwards, access into the third row is surprisingly easy. It’d be even better if the middle-row seats could also slide back and forth, though, like in the Renault Captur. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

The five-seat C3 Aircross has a generous 460-litre boot. True, that's down on the 517-litre boot you get with the non-hybrid Dacia Duster (the hybrid Duster's boot drops to 430 litres), but it compares well with rivals such as the Skoda Kamiq (400 litres) and Nissan Juke (422 litres). It's certainly enough space for a fold-up buggy or a couple of medium-size suitcases. 

Think carefully before opting for the seven-seat C3 Aircross. Even when they're not in use the boot volume drops to 330 litres, which is very small for a car of this size. And with the third row of seats in place you’ll have next-to-no boot space (40 litres), so it’s definitely not the car to take seven people and their luggage on a family holiday. The Dacia Jogger offers more boot space when you're using it as a seven-seater.

All versions come with 60/40 split-folding second-row seats.

“The Citroën C3 Aircross looks compelling by offering seven seats at this price point. The reality is the third-row seats are mainly suitable for kids... but there are no Isofix mounts. And you lose a chunk of boot space (even when they're not in use) by opting for them.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

The starting price for the Citroën C3 Aircross is higher than the Dacia Jogger and about the same as the Dacia Duster, but it's still keenly priced. The C3 Aircross undercuts cars like the Renault Captur, Skoda Kamiq and Vauxhall Frontera, and makes the Skoda Karoq look positively pricey. PCP finance is generally cheap thanks to manufacturer incentives, but make sure you compare deals when you're ready to buy. 

The entry-level Turbo 100 petrol officially averages 50.2mpg, which is roughly the same as the entry-level Kamiq 1.0 TSI and Duster 140 mild hybrid. The C3 Aircross Hybrid 145 pushes the official average to 57.4mpg, which is very competitive for a petrol SUV (we averaged 45mpg very easily on a motorway run). The Toyota Yaris Cross officially exceeds 60mpg, but that's a smaller car and one of the most efficient models we’ve ever tested.

The C3 Aircross is available in a choice of two trims: Plus and Max. We’d stick to entry-level Plus, seeing as it comes with a good amount of kit and keeps the price down. It gets 17in alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry and start (Hybrid 145 only), automatic headlights, electrically folding door mirrors, ambient interior lighting, electric windows, and the other bits that we’ve already mentioned, such as rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, LED headlights, and wireless smartphone connectivity.

Top-spec Max trim adds some luxuries, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a heated front windscreen (Hybrid 145 only) and a wireless phone-charger. It’s worth a look if you have the budget, but it’s not a must-have trim in our opinion.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The new C3 Aircross is too new to feature in any of our reliability surveys. However, Citroën as a brand placed 10th out of 30 manufacturers in our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey – a confidence-inspiring result. That put it one place higher than Dacia, several places above Ford and Skoda, while MG ended up last. Rival brands that finished higher than Citroën in our survey included Honda, Suzuki, Toyota and Vauxhall.

Citroen offers a par-for-the-course three-year/60,000-mile warranty. Hyundai's standard cover is five-years/ unlimited-mileage, and Toyota's warranty lasts for 10-years if you have the car serviced regularly by an approved dealer.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The current C3 Aircross has yet to be tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. The Skoda Kamiq was tested so long ago that its rating has expired. Meanwhile, the Dacia Duster scored 3 stars out of five, while the Dacia Jogger scored one star – it's crash protection was decent but it lost points for not having a seatbelt reminder and weak safety assist systems.

All versions of the C3 Aircross come with a good amount of safety kit, including lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking (AEB) and a driver drowsiness alert. If you want blind-spot monitoring, you’ll have to go for Max trim. It's really disappointing that you get Isofix mounts only on the outer second-row seats; the third-row seats (when fitted) are so cramped they're only really useful for children, and lacking Isofix mounts limits their usefulness on that front, too.

“For the money, the Citroën C3 Aircross is certainly well equipped, but it's concerning that a small SUV that's likely to be used by families hasn't got a Euro NCAP safety rating yet.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if…

- You want a seven-seat SUV on a tight budget

- You like a quirky design inside and out

- You’d want a decent list of standard features

Don’t buy it if…

- You're looking for a car that's fun to drive

- You want seven seats and a practical boot

- The reassurance of a Euro NCAP safety rating is important

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here