Citroen C3 Aircross review

Our opinion on the Citroen C3 Aircross

The Citroen C3 Aircross is a great example of the old saying ‘a lot of car for the money’. From just over £21,000 in petrol, hybrid or pure-electric (e-C3 Aircross) guise, this budget Citroen is a genuine family SUV. Equipment levels are fairly sparse, but if you want a family runabout that’ll take seven people on occasion (two of them kids), then the C3 Aircross is a great addition to the market. 

To drive, the C3 Aircross is pretty forgettable and despite Citroen’s attempts to make it ride better than its Vauxhall Frontera sibling, there’s not much difference between the pair. The Citroen is not a car you’d shy away from racking up miles in, though.

About the Citroen C3 Aircross

Despite sitting on a compact supermini platform, the second-generation Citroen C3 Aircross takes aim at the mid-size SUV sector with pure petrol, hybrid and full-electric power. There’s also the choice of five or seven seats (yes, despite those B-segment small car underpinnings) so the C3 Aircross – or the ‘e-C3 Aircross’ should you choose the electric car – seems to have quite a broad appeal at first glance. 

The C3 Aircross is actually longer, wider and taller than the Citroen C4 hatchback, but sits below this sibling in the Citroen range. This second generation model faces tough competition, with the latest iteration of the Dacia Duster and the updated MG ZS. Fellow Stellantis brand Vauxhall has also made use of the Smart Car platform for its new Frontera, so that’s also another alternative choice. 

Used - available now

2021 Citroen

C3 Aircross

81,461 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash £11,475

View C3 Aircross

2019 Citroen

C3 Aircross

29,865 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £9,800

View C3 Aircross

2020 Citroen

C3 Aircross

42,912 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £9,695

View C3 Aircross

2021 Citroen

C3 Aircross

15,229 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash £13,500

View C3 Aircross

As with the Vauxhall, the option of seven seats is only offered on the petrol and hybrid models. You’ll pay an extra  £765 for a seven-seat C3 Aircross, which is £215 more than the Vauxhall charges for the rear seats in the Frontera. 

How much does the Citroen C3 Aircross Cost?

As with the Citroen C3 supermini and so many other Citroens past and present, value for money is likely to be a big draw for the C3 Aircross. It slightly undercuts its Stellantis stablemate the Vauxhall Frontera in EV form, but the hybrid is a touch more expensive. 

Prices start at just over £21,000 for the pure petrol option or around £21,500 for the all-electric e-C3 Aircross - partly thanks to Citroen’s eligibility for the Government’s Electric Car Grant of £1,500. The hybrid model gets underway at around £24,500. All those figures are for the entry-spec Plus trim level, with the better-equipped Max available on the hybrid and EV for £2,000 more. 

The e-C3 Aircross is one of a variety of Citroen models eligible for the electric car grant. You can find the latest deals on electric cars through the Auto Express marketplace, and our sister brand Carwow has a live EV deals page tracking the latest offers. 

Right now on Auto Express you can configure your ideal Citroen C3 Aircross to get top offers from local dealers, check out the latest Citroen C3 Aircross leasing deals and even sell your existing car for a great price with Auto Express Sell My Car.

Citroen’s approach to driving is focused on comfort. Trying to couple this with a value-driven B-segment vehicle seems like a tall order when you factor in the inherent lack of sound deadening, interior quality, suspension sophistication and powertrain refinement at the price point of the C3 Aircross. 

It doesn’t have adaptive air-suspension, and while the overall spring and damper set-up is the same as you’ll find in its Vauxhall Frontera sibling, the C3 Aircross benefits from what Citroen calls Advanced Comfort Suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions – essentially some extra bump stops to help soak up harsh surfaces and ruts in the road. They work in conjunction with Citroen’s rather funkily-styled Advanced Comfort seats (which feature memory foam) to deliver a pretty smooth ride, and not just for a small SUV. 

The Smart Car platform – as we’ve seen with the Frontera – helps reduce weight for a car of this size. The petrol C3 Aircross weighs only 1,298kg, the Hybrid 136 1,389kg and the e-C3 Aircross 1,504kg – for reference, the smaller Citroen C4 Hybrid 136 tips the scales at 1,410kg. 

The pure-petrol offering is only equipped with a six-speed manual, a gearbox that’s used widely across the Stellantis Group. While it’s not the last word in connectivity, it’s easy enough to use.

A six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is used for the Hybrid 136, which also features on the latest C4 Hybrid 136. However, the C3 Aircross Hybrid 136 doesn't get the same manual override shifters behind the wheel that feature in the C4 Hybrid 136, so you’re reliant on the auto changes. It’s a smooth-shifting ’box for the most part in the hybrid, although if you’re pressing on, it can be hesitant to kick down. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

We’ve driven the Hybrid 136 and all-electric e-C3 Aircross and as you’d expect, the delivery of power is noticeably different between the two. The electric assistance in the Hybrid 136 was responsible for 15 per cent of our drive – which was pretty impressive given the variety of roads and amount of time we spent with the car. As with the C4 Hybrid 136, we’d like the hybrid system to be more proactive, because the three-cylinder unit under the bonnet is a little grumbly. A ten-second 0-62mph time sounds slow, but it’s quick enough in the real world and on the motorway we didn’t have to plan overtakes too far in advance. 

The 111bhp of the e-C3 Aircross won’t win any traffic light drag races and while there’s instant torque, there’s only 125Nm of it and it tails off pretty rapidly. It’s smooth, though, and with the extra weight we actually felt it rode better and smothered bumps more effectively than its lighter hybrid counterpart.

No matter which version you choose, the C3 Aircross won’t provide you with much straight-line performance, but crucially for a budget-focused SUV like this, it doesn’t feel out of its depth on faster roads either. The extra size and weight means the Aircross is understandably a little slower than its C3 and e-C3 supermini sibling.

Town driving, visibility and parking 

Around town, the C3 Aircross feels pretty nimble thanks to a 10.9-metre turning circle, which is just 30cm more than the smaller C3 supermini. There’s a higher driving position compared to the C3 too, so visibility remains impressive.

B-road driving and handling 

That relatively light weight has an effect on the way the C3 Aircross behaves in bends. There’s little feedback from the steering, which also requires a fair amount of input in tighter corners. It’s fairly linear and trustworthy in its responses, though, and the grip served up by the front end is more than most C3 Aircross drivers will need on their daily trips, with not too much body roll upsetting the dynamics. 

The same could be said of the brakes – they might not have the best pedal feel with regenerative braking included (there’s a ‘C’ button beside the gear selector that alters braking force slightly), but overall they’re up to the task. 

Motorway driving and long distance comfort

Despite being positioned beneath the C4, the C3 Aircross actually features wider tyres. Over scarred roads, we found there was an underlying harshness to the ride and some audible road roar making its way into the cabin, possibly caused by that wider rubber. 

At motorway speeds, the C3 Aircross settles down nicely into a cruise, whether you go for the hybrid or the all-electric version.

“The Citroen C3 Aircross and its all-electric e-C3 variant don’t provide us with any surprises after the C3 and e-C3 supermini. It’s mild-mannered to drive and the extra size of the Aircross doesn’t diminish the overall driving experience.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter 

The Citroen C3 Aircross’ lightweight construction means that it’s well placed to deliver decent efficiency numbers – whether you’re talking petrol, hybrid or pure-electric. 

In terms of fuel efficiency, Citroen claims the petrol-powered C3 Aircross PureTech 100 will return 47.7mpg and the Hybrid 136 53.3mpg – exactly the same as you’d get in the Citroen’s sister model, the Vauxhall Frontera. 

The C3 Aircross PureTech 100’s 136g/km of CO2 is a pretty competitive figure for the class, but a little higher than the Dacia Duster 130’s 124g/km – meaning there’s an extra £100 for your first VED tax payment for the Citroen compared to the Dacia. The C3 Aircross Hybrid 136’s 121g/km is better thanks to electrical input, but it’s still 7g/km off the hybrid version of the Duster.

The zero-emissions e-C3 Aircross is the model to go for if you’re particularly environmentally conscious. Its 44kWh battery doesn’t sound like much, and as a result the e-C3 Aircross Standard Range tops out at 188 miles of range.

The bigger battery Extended Range version of the e-C3 Aircross launched in 2025 and, just as the name suggests, it can go further on a charge. Thanks to a larger 54kWh battery, this version provides up to 249 miles (248 miles if you choose the Max trim with its alloy wheels), which, coincidentally, matches the Vauxhall Frontera Long Range.  

When we tested the e-C3 Aircross in the mild climate of southern France, we saw an expected range of around 150 miles after some hard driving in the 44kWh model. That’s pretty impressive, but there’s no heat pump, so range in colder conditions is likely to decline quite a bit. 

A 7.4kW on-board charger is included as standard, while an 11kW one is available as a £360 option. The 7.4kW charger takes four hours, ten minutes to go from 20 to 80 per cent, although thankfully the e-C3 Aircross can also accommodate rapid charging with a 100kW charger. In this instance, that means a far more appealing 26 minutes to top up from 20 to 80 per cent. 

The EV also features an E-Routes function for planning journeys, and it shows where the best points to stop and charge are on the way, as well as how busy the locations are in real-time. It’s also connected to the vehicle, so it can monitor your remaining charge.  

Tax 

Company car drivers paying Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax will find the electric e-C3 Aircross to be their best choice. Both versions are charged at three per cent BiK, which is a lot less than most petrol, diesel, and even hybrid cars. EVs no longer get to use roads for free, so there will be a standard annual vehicle excise duty (VED) fee to consider.

Depreciation 

According to our expert car market analysis data, the C3 Aircross is expected to maintain around 52 per cent of its original value after three years or 36,000 miles. In comparison, the electric e-C3 Aircross, has a slightly worse 47 per cent figure over the same period.

That’s better than the Vauxhall Frontera, which is only expected to be worth 46 per cent of its list price in petrol form, and a painful 37 per cent in its electric guise. Meanwhile, the MG ZS is expected to do slightly better than the C3 Aircross, hanging on to between 52 and 54 per cent over the same period.

The Citroen C3 Aircross incorporates styling influences from the Citroen Oli concept first seen in 2022. These include a bluff front end with the new Citroen badge sitting prominently over a blanked-off chevron-pattern grille. There are clear visual similarities to the C3 supermini, but the wings and wheel tracks are wider on the SUV giving it a more assertive stance.

The rear certainly borrows a lot from the C3 supermini, but the bumper and rear lights are unique to the C3 Aircross. Helping to accentuate the SUV aesthetic are a set of roof rails, wheelarch cladding that wraps around the bottom of the car and more than 20cm of ground clearance.

The interior, meanwhile, offers “all the features of a living room on wheels” according to Citroen. We wouldn’t quite go that far but it’s a well designed cabin that makes the most of the space available.  

The Citroen C3 Aircross and e-C3 Aircross are available in the same two trim levels. The base Plus models get: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Roof rails
• Tinted rear windows
• Grey skid plates
• LED headlights
• Interior ambient lighting
• Rain-sensing wipers
• 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Automatic air conditioning 
• Leather-effect steering wheel
• Cruise control
• Rear parking sensors and a rear camera

Considering the £2,000 premium, the Max trim level adds a useful amount of extra kit. The extra parking sensors are particularly useful to those who regularly have to park in tight spaces. The key features on Max cars are: 

• Electric parking brake
• Two-tone black roof
• LED rear lights
• Heated front seats
• Front and side parking sensors
• Wireless smartphone charger
• Integrated 3D sat-nav 

Interior and dashboard design

Despite some similarities to the Frontera, the C3 Aircross gets a completely different driver’s display and some neat touches such as the Eiffel Tower and a rooster emblem hidden in the rear side window along with “be cool” and “feel good” labels on the doors. The Vauxhall, in comparison, just has some generic colours.

Materials and build quality

The cabin of the C3 Aircross is a funky affair, with a curved dashboard featuring an open passenger-side shelf with a glovebox beneath. The dash is finished with a woven fabric  – which we think definitely gives the Citroen a more premium and interesting look compared to the hard plastics used by many rivals. As expected for a car in this price bracket, hard plastics do still appear in plenty of other areas around the interior – although they are typically deployed in places that will see hard use.

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo 

All the essential driving information in the C3 Aircross is projected onto a slim head-up display, rather than traditional dials. To read it, drivers are meant to look over the slightly oblong-shaped steering wheel. It works in a similar way to Peugeot’s i-Cockpit, yet we think the concept is better executed in the Citroen because the wheel never obscures the driver’s display. 

The 10.25-inch central touchscreen is subtly angled towards the driver, and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard. The built-in infotainment system is very simple, so it’s easy to navigate and clearly laid out, if occasionally laggy. The steering wheel features some physical buttons that work well and are easy to use on the move. 

There’s no option to upgrade the sound system on the Citroen, with a six-speaker audio set-up your only choice. It sounded a little tinny to us, but pretty acceptable for a car in this price bracket. 

During our drive, we found the speed recognition function to be wrong on multiple occasions – even registering an 80km/h sign as 20km/h at one point. The beeping from the speed limit change assistant was annoying too, although you can cancel this via a physical button on the dash next to the steering wheel.

“The Citroen’s cabin is a lot more fun than the rather boring interior you get in the Vauxhall Frontera sister car. The dash layout works well – in a similar way to the old C3 Picasso, actually.” - Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter

Citroen expects the vast majority of customers will go for the five-seat C3 Aircross rather than the seven-seater. The rearmost seats are inevitably quite small and by doing without them you gain quite a lot of extra passenger and boot space. If you really need to carry seven people regularly, it’s probably better to look towards a larger car.

Dimensions and size

At 4,395mm long, the C3 Aircross is compact for a seven-seater car but significantly larger than the C3 supermini it shares its platform with. The C3 is 3,996mm long and 1,829mm wide, so the extra space in the Aircross model shouldn’t come as a surprise. Even the Citroen C4 is slightly smaller than the Aircross SUV, coming up 35mm short in length and 50mm narrower.  

Driving position, seats & space in the front

Standard on every C3 Aircross model are the company’s excellent Advanced Comfort seats. These now have 10 to 15mm of extra foam and are redesigned to be even more supportive. We found the seats to be incredibly soft, squishy and comfortable, while the driving position feels quite high and commanding. 

Seats & space in the back

Without a third row of seats to accommodate, the 40:60-split rear bench in the five-seat model sits 65mm further back. This makes the most of the 2.76-metre-long wheelbase and creates more space for those in the rear. In fact, Citroen claims the C3 Aircross offers best-in-class knee room and elbow room for those in the second row. 

We certainly found there’s enough legroom for six footers to get comfortable, plus space under the front seats for their feet. The car’s brick-like shape and high roofline ensure headroom is generous as well. 

That said, it’s very bare back there. There are just two USB-C charging ports and a 12V socket in the model we sat in with not a lot of storage. In the hybrid, there’s also a slightly higher central tunnel that impacts rear legroom compared with the electric model.  

If you decide to go for the optional seven-seat layout, folding down the ‘easy-tilt’ middle seats is simple enough using the pull tabs, but the rearmost seats only offer enough space for small children. 

We tried them out for ourselves, and found our legs crushed up against the seats in front, and there was no room for our feet. There’s no seven-seat Dacia Duster, but the Dacia Jogger, on the other hand, can happily seat seven adults. The third-row seats in the C3 Aircross don’t feature Isofix mounting points either.  

Boot space

On the five-seater, boot capacity is 460 litres, with 1,600 litres available with the rear seats folded. With all the seats in place, the seven-seat C3 Aircross has only 40 litres of boot space available. But the third row seats also fold completely flat, opening up 330 litres of luggage capacity in five-seat mode when needed. You get a couple of flaps to sit over the folded third-row seats too, to ensure no luggage gets lost between the gaps. 

Towing 

Unlike the Dacia Duster, there’s no four-wheel drive version of the Citroen C3 Aircross – yet both have a maximum 1,500kg towing capacity. 

• C3 Aircross PureTech 100 petrol: up to 1,500kg
• C3 Aircross Hybrid 136: up to 1,250kg
• e-C3 Aircross Standard Range: up to 350kg
• e-C3 Aircross Extended Range: up to 350kg

Having only just launched in 2025, it’s too soon to tell what owners think of the second-generation C3 Aircross, but the old C3 Aircross performed well in the 2025 Driver Power survey. Coming in at a respectable 33rd, the first-generation model was praised for its running costs, exterior design and value – areas where we expect the new model will continue to score well. 

Citroen as a whole came 16th out of 31 brands in the 2025 Driver Power manufacturer survey, placing it well above Dacia and MG. 

In terms of safety kit, every C3 Aircross comes with:

• Reversing camera
• Driver attention alert
• Lane departure warning
• Cruise control
• Speed limiter
• Active safety brake
• Hill start assist

Higher-spec Max models benefit from: 

• Blind spot detection
• Front parking sensors

Best buy: Citroen e-C3 Aircross Extended Range

If we ignore the EV option then our pick of the Citroen C3 Aircross range is the Hybrid 136. You have to pay a premium for the electrified powertrain, but you’ll enjoy the extra power, smoother drive and improved efficiency. 

As for the e-C3 Aircross we think it’s well worth plumping for the more expensive Extended Range version, even if the overall kit list doesn’t change. The Aircross works a treat in this guide, and it’s our overall best buy pick. 

Citroen C3 Aircross alternatives

​​The most obvious rival to the Citroen C3 Aircross is the Vauxhall Frontera, with which it shares its platform and much of its on-board equipment and powertrains. The Citroen’s dash is arguably more interesting than the Vauxhall’s dual-screen layout, although for most customers the choice between the two will be determined by which offers a better finance deal. 

Elsewhere there’s the Dacia Duster, which doesn’t come with the option of an all-electric powertrain or seven seats, but does beat the hybrid and petrol C3 Aircross for emissions. If you need to head off-road, it will also be the better option.

MG is in the mix, too, with its ZS. As with the Citroen it’s available as a hybrid, and a pure-electric version will return soon. The MG is quicker than the Citroen, but there’s no seven-seat variant available.

Deals on the Citroen C3 Aircross and alternatives

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