2024 Citroën C3 Aircross revealed with petrol, hybrid and electric power options
The new C3 Aircross is much bigger than its predecessor, which means petrol and hybrid versions will be offered with up to seven seats...
On sale: December 2024 | Price from: £20,500 (est)
The new Citroën C3 Aircross and Nike Air Max trainers have more in common than just similar names, because both products look to promote both style and comfort as key selling points for potential buyers.
However, in stark contrast to the Nike shoe, the new C3 Aircross has a focus on value and practicality, too. Unlike its predecessor, which was much smaller, the new car has grown in size so that it can accommodate up to seven seats, which places it directly in line with the Dacia Jogger. Other more value-focused family SUVs will also rival the five-seat version of the C3 Aircross, including the Dacia Duster and MG HS.
The design of the new C3 Aircross follows in the footsteps of the smaller Citroën C3. It’s taller, boxier and more rugged than before, as noted by its roof rails, skid plates and two-tone body styling. Both cars share the same underpinnings, too, which means they get similar petrol, hybrid and fully electric power options.
The fully electric version – called the e-C3 Aircross – is powered by a single 111bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels. Power comes from a 44kWh battery, which means it can travel 186 miles officially. That’s slightly less than the 198 miles the MG ZS EV SE can do, but if you want more range, a bigger battery (likely to be 51kWh in usable capacity) will join the line-up in 2025 with an estimated range of around 250 miles.
From a 100kW public charger, the e-C3 Aircross can top up from 20-80% in 26 minutes, which is quicker than the ZS EV. When charging at home, this time grows to two hours and 50 minutes with an 11kW charger or four hours and 10 minutes with a 7kW charger; the time taken to charge from 0-100% has yet to be announced.
The petrol version is powered by a 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine that’s paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. It will be offered as the entry-level engine in the line-up.
If you want more power and efficiency, there’s a 134bhp 1.2-litre mild hybrid version. It’s slightly different to conventional mild hybrid systems because it can travel on electric-only power for up to 50% of driving in urban environments, according to Citroën. Along with that, a tiny electric motor assists the engine at higher speeds to help improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions, the latter of which is rated at 121g/km.
To maximise ride comfort, all C3s will be equipped with Citroën’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ suspension, which uses a spring and shock absorber combination to help minimise body movement, as well as thumps and vibrations felt within the interior. All cars come with Citroën’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats on top of this, which includes up to 15mm of additional padding to improve back support.
The interior is very similar to the C3, with a split-level dashboard design. This means a small head-up display projects information such as your speed, rev counter and trip information onto a small panel in front of the driver.
In the centre of the dashboard, there’s a 10.25in touchscreen for the infotainment system. We’ve tested the system in the C3 and it's fairly basic in terms of its functionality, although it does come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.
Below the screen there’s a selection of physical buttons for the climate controls and driver assistance systems. This is great, because it makes it much easier to adjust these settings while driving than systems that force you to use the screen.
We've had the chance to sit inside the new C3 Aircross, and can confirm the materials are mostly hard and scratchy, bar some fabric on the dashboard and padded faux-leather on the doors. Space, on the other hand, is a bit of a mixed bag. There's loads of head and leg room in the front and second row of seats, even for those over six-feet tall. However, in the third row it's extremely cramped, especially for adults, with almost no space for your legs or feet. Overall, it's better suited for small children.
With the five-seat version of the C3 Aircross, boot space is rated at 460 litres with the second row of seats in place, which is similar to the HS. With the seven-seater, the capacity is less at 330 litres (and 40 litres with the third row of seats in place); that’s significantly less than the Jogger. The seats split and fold in a 60/40 configuration, which is the same as the Jogger, Duster and HS.
Two trim levels will be available for the electric, petrol and hybrid versions of the C3 Aircross. Plus is the entry-level offering, and includes the 10.25in infotainment screen, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and automatic LED headlights as standard. Max trim adds a few more luxuries, including a wireless phone-charger, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as LED tail lights, front parking sensors and a blind-spot monitoring system.
All cars come with plenty of safety kit as standard, with six airbags, automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, a driver monitoring system and traffic sign recognition included on all models.
Pricing is expected to be very competitive, with the five-seat petrol version starting from around £20,500 and the seven-seat petrol £21,500. Despite those costs being slightly more than the Jogger (£19,595), it’s still considerably less than most five-seater family SUVs and seven-seaters.
The electric version, meanwhile, is expected to start from £23,500, which makes it considerably cheaper than the ZS EV (£30,495). Currently, no seven-seat electric version of the e-C3 Aircross is planned because of the location of the battery under the floor, as well as the additional weight of the third row impacting range.
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