Citroen C3 Aircross review

Our opinion on the Citroen C3 Aircross

The Citroen C3 Aircross has grown in stature, but not so much in price, and it easily merits the description, ‘a lot of car for the money’. There’s virtual price parity between the hybrid and electric variants, and what you get for your money is a roomy family SUV with a seven-seat option in the petrol models. Indeed, the C3 Aircross is one of the cheapest seven-seat cars on the market.

True, boot space is compromised with all seven seats in place, and the driving experience majors on relaxation over driving fun, but as everyday family transport, it gets the job done with a bit of comfort thrown into the mix.

About the Citroen C3 Aircross

The original C3 Aircross quickly became one of our favourite small SUVs. Part of the reason why we loved it so much is that it offered something genuinely different from the rest of the crowd; where most rivals looked sharp and tried to offer a pretence of sportiness from behind the wheel, the C3 Aircross felt just as soft to drive as it looked. We felt its comfort and space made it one of the most likeable cars in the class.

The latest model has grown in size, with a body that’s 235mm longer. That's enabled the option of seven seats on Max trim versions of the petrol model, which is very unusual in a car of this size.

Used - available now

2025 Citroen

C3 Aircross

8,097 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash £21,725

View C3 Aircross

2023 Citroen

C3 Aircross

39,819 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £8,584

View C3 Aircross

2023 Citroen

C3 Aircross

27,460 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £10,195

View C3 Aircross

2024 Citroen

C3 Aircross

12,978 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L

Cash £14,970

View C3 Aircross

The petrol, hybrid or fully electric drive systems give buyers of the C3 Aircross (or Citroen e-C3 Aircross, as the EV version is known) a level of choice that few other models can match in this segment. It’s worth bearing in mind that the e-C3 Aircross isn’t able to accommodate seven people; it’s only got five seats. You do get a bigger boot as some form of compensation.

We've tested various versions of the current C3 Aircross, and pitted a seven-seat hybrid C3 Aircross against the Dacia Jogger to find out which seven-seater is best.

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With some small exceptions, the C3 Aircross has Citroen’s hallmarks of relaxation and comfort. It’s not the last word in sophistication, but it’s competent where it counts.

Delivering comfort in 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 C3 Aircross's price point. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

Sharing its “Smart Car” platform with the C3, the C3 Aircross uses the same 1.2-litre turbocharged unit as the base for its petrol engine. However, with Citroen well aware that the seven-seat layout might demand a little more shove than the 109bhp hybrid in the smaller car, the petrol/electric set-up gets a boost here, making the same 143bhp as the hybrid unit in the Peugeot 3008. That results in really strong performance; 0-62mph takes 8.3 seconds, and while we didn’t load the car with seven people, we’re confident that the instant shove of the electric motor combined with a total torque of 205Nm will be plenty for moving the C3 Aircross around. 

The system isn't the slickest around, but it’s okay. The C3 Aircross moves off from a standstill smoothly before the petrol engine wakes into life; the three-cylinder unit gently vibrates the cabin at idle. We’d like the gearbox to be a little more responsive – it’s slow to react when the driver wants it to kick down, but only a slight jump can be felt when it shifts gears under a gentler load.

Town driving, visibility and parking 

One of the first things that strikes you about the C3 Aircross is just how light the steering is. The tiny wheel is a doddle to twirl at low speeds, making it easy to use when parking or wriggling out of a tight spot. 

The turning circle is better than the Dacia Jogger’s, although the automatic gearbox is a little slow to confirm a shift when trying to switch from reverse into drive, and vice versa; the gearbox had a tendency to find neutral unless we were very deliberate when selecting drive or reverse when manoeuvring.

Country road driving and handling

We’ve become familiar with Citroen’s Advanced Comfort suspension across a few of its cars now; by replacing traditional bump stops with what in effect is a second set of dampers, it allows the suspension to be set a little softer, while still controlling the car’s body. 

Over larger bumps, the system clearly works exactly as intended; hit a speed bump, or a large undulation or compression in the road, and the C3 Aircross is excellent at taking the harshness out of the impact, giving an almost floaty sensation which makes it much more compliant than similarly sized alternatives. 

However, while the system does its job well, it can’t isolate everything. When driving across broken surfaces and smaller, higher-frequency bumps, the car is susceptible to a little patter and fidget, which takes the shine off the sterling work of those secondary dampers. It’s not uncomfortable by any means, and this complaint is partly down to the fact that we expect such high standards for Citroen when it comes to ride comfort. 

We didn’t have as high hopes for the handling, and the C3 Aircross failed to exceed our expectations. It’s safe and predictable enough, but feels lethargic, nose-heavy, and the steering passes little to no information back to the driver about the road surface beneath. A Dacia Jogger falls well short of being a driver’s car, but it feels much more agile and positive than the Citroen.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

At higher speeds, that soft ride over big bumps really comes into its own. While road and wind noise are a little more intrusive than we’d like, the C3 Aircross is still more refined than its closest rival from Dacia.

Despite being positioned beneath the C4 in Citroen’s range, 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. 

"Saving more than £3,500 over the hybrid model is a 99bhp petrol paired with a six-speed manual transmission. The gearbox is a big improvement over Citroen shifts of even five or 10 years ago, but the oddly shaped and oversized gearknob makes it feel more clumsy to use than it could have been. The clutch pedal is reasonably light, although the shifts don’t like to be hurried too much. It also gets a manual handbrake, which is a bit of a novelty these days, but the plastic it’s made from feels really cheap." - Alex Ingram, special contributor

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Fuel consumption proved to be reasonable, if not outstanding, during our time with the C3 Aircross hybrid. Our final figure of 43.8mpg seemed reasonably consistent regardless of the driving conditions, but somewhat shy of the 53.3mpg official figure. 

Our experience with the 99bhp petrol version has been limited so far, so we can’t draw a conclusive economy figure yet. However, on paper it’s not as frugal as the hybrid (47.7mpg combined), and we suspect that having to work that less powerful engine harder to make progress will hurt its efficiency. 

Electric range, battery life and charge time

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 isn’t; 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 does – as the name suggests – 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 will likely drop quite a bit in colder conditions. 

Both standard and extended range versions have a maximum charging speed of 100kWs, and when connected to a suitably rapid DC charger, it'll take 26 minutes to top up the smaller 44kWh standard range battery from 20 to 80 per cent state of charge, and 28 minutes with the larger capacity 54kWh battery. Utilise a typical 7.4kW home wallbox charger, and it'll take around four hours to fully charge the standard range battery, and a little over five to do the same with the extended range battery.

Insurance groups

The Max hybrid is in car insurance group 24. That’s high when compared with the Jogger Hybrid, which is eight to nine groups lower. It’s also the highest-rated model in the C3 Aircross line-up, with the PureTech model in group 15.

Meanwhile, the less powerful electric motor in the e-C3 Aircross pays dividends when it comes to insurance costs, because it's one of the few electric cars that has a lower insurance group rating than its equivalent petrol. The e-C3 Aircross starts in group 14 for the Extended Range Collection, and goes up to group 16 for the Standard Range Max.

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 four 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, which is the same for the petrol and hybrid models, too.

It's worth keeping in mind that the e-C3 Aircross – like other EVs – will be subject to a pay-per-mile eVED fee from April 2028 onwards.

Depreciation

Residual values for the C3 Aircross look very promising, with all petrol and hybrid models maintaining roughly 48 to 53 per cent of their original value after three years or 36,000 miles. In comparison, the electric e-C3 Aircross performs slightly worse, maintaining between 45 and 49 per cent over the same period.

That’s better than the platform-sharing Vauxhall Frontera, which is only expected to be worth 41 per cent of its list price in petrol form, and a painful 33 and 36 per cent in its electric guise. 

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool...

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The C3 Aircross has a fairly no-nonsense cabin, and it’s more pleasant than the car’s low price point would lead you to believe.

Interior and dashboard design

The C3 Aircross borrows much of its dash design from the C3 supermini. We’re more than happy with that, because it means there’s a fairly clear, logical layout with climate control buttons that feel intuitive to use.

Despite some similarities with the Vauxhall 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.

Materials and build quality

Given the low price point, it’s fair to have modest expectations about the cabin finish, but Citroen’s use of materials helps to lift the C3 Aircross’s interior above the bargain bin. A strip of fabric across the main part of the dash breaks up the black plastic – and patterned ambient lighting bounces off it pleasingly at night. The multi-tone seat fabric adds some light and contrast inside, too.

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo 

The C3 Aircross has Citroen’s latest cabin layout, which uses what it calls a “head-up display” positioned above a tiny steering wheel. The slim digital readout provides only necessary information, with the driver choosing to add more by scrolling through the trip computer functions, which are shown to the right of the readout. 

The speedometer is laggy, though, and often skips a few units even when gently accelerating or decelerating. It makes it tricky to tell if you’re either exceeding or observing the speed limit.

The C3 Aircross keeps things fairly simple when it comes to its touchscreen set-up. On the entry-level Plus trim, there isn’t even a built-in navigation system – you’ll need to get the Max trim for that. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are compatible, though, so we’d much rather use the processing power of a phone to navigate and connect our music easily instead. The rest of the set-up is simply laid out with clear icons, and the screen is fairly responsive to touch inputs. 

"Some of the exterior details of the C3 Aircross have been inspired by the quirky Oli Concept, most notably the lighting design, but we wish Citroen had taken that approach further. While we weren’t expecting it to adopt the wacky cab-forward look of the Oli, we’d have at least welcomed more confident surfacing along the flanks, instead of the slightly soft, undefined look the production car arrives with. The mix of round plastic wheelarch cladding within a squared-off metal panel looks odd, too." - Alex Ingram, special contributor

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The availability of a seven-seat layout means that the petrol C3 Aircross is essentially unique in its class (the e-C3 Aircross doesn’t get the option due to the battery location). In trying to accommodate seven seats into such a compact car, the end result is certainly versatile, but doesn’t quite offer the outright storage space of other similarly sized models.

Dimensions and size

As you can see from the figures, the Dacia Jogger is longer overall and has a longer wheelbase, hence its larger turning circle, but that also means there’s some boot space on offer when all seven seats are in use.

Seats & passenger space

Thanks to the design of the small steering wheel and slim instrument display, combined with an SUV-like driving position, you get a fairly clear view of the road ahead. At the back, there are fairly large C-pillars, and while an extra pair of small windows take away a small sliver of the blind spot, visibility isn’t quite as strong as in a Dacia Jogger. Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seats, which feature sections of memory foam on the seat cushions, are superbly soft yet supportive.

The second row of seats are more than spacious enough for everyday life. Headroom and foot space are both excellent, while kneeroom is similar to what you’ll find in a family hatchback. The middle seat is wide and soft, too. It’s worth noting that the second-row bench is mounted further forward in seven-seat models in order to accommodate the third row, so the five-seater has even greater legroom. In fact, Citroen claims the C3 Aircross offers best-in-class kneeroom and elbow room for those in the second row. 

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.

By Citroen’s own admission, the third row is only best for occasional use by children. An adult of average height will have just enough distance to prevent their knees touching the seat backs in front, but only because the seat base is so low that it barely feels much different from sitting on the floor. Headroom is fine, though, while each third-row passenger gets a cup-holder, plus there’s a USB-C plug to share.

Boot space

In the five-seater, boot capacity is 420 litres, with 1,600 litres available with the rear seats folded. In seven-seat mode, it’s easiest to accept that the C3 Aircross doesn’t really have a boot at all. Officially, there’s 70 litres, but that’s in the form of a tall, slim section behind the upright seat backs that’s barely wide enough for a laptop.

When the back row is folded flat – a simple process thanks to nylon hoop releases on the tops of the seats – the volume grows to 420 litres. A slightly odd floor cover, split into two pieces, covers the seats when they’re folded, to prevent items from falling between gaps. 

The second-row seats also drop down, and while they don’t quite sit perfectly flat, there’s little to no step between the folded rows – unlike the Dacia Jogger’s untidier approach. In two-seat configuration, the Aircross offers 1,720 litres – more than a family hatchback with its seats folded down, but well behind the Jogger’s figure of more than 2,000 litres.

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

"We tried the rearmost seats for ourselves, and found our legs crushed up against the seats in front, and there was no room for our feet. 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." - Alastair Crooks, Senior news reporter

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Having only just launched in 2025, it’s too soon to tell what owners think of the second-generation C3 Aircross. The Citroen brand needs to buck its ideas up if its poor 28th out of 30 brands in the 2026 Driver Power manufacturer survey is anything to go by. While owners did compliment their car's value for money, they weren't so happy with the driving experience (particularly the responsiveness of the steering and brakes), its balance of physical and touch-sensitive controls, and the interior fit and finish.

Euro NCAP are yet to test the latest C3 Aircross (and its siblings), but 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

It’s mandatory for speed-limit and lane-departure warning systems to be switched on every time a car is started, but Citroen has fortunately made both easy to switch off; a long press on two separate buttons to the right of the steering wheel does the trick.

Our best buy: Citroen e-C3 Aircross Max Extended Range

The Citroen C3 Aircross range starts from around £22,500 for the petrol model, although you can find savings of nearly £2,000 at the Auto Express Buy A Car service, with monthly rates starting from less than £300. The electric e-C3 Aircross starts from around £25,000, although current incentives all but cancel out the price difference over the petrol. The Hybrid model is the most expensive variant, starting from around £26,000. Adding seven seats to the petrol or hybrid models adds £765 to the list price.

While the option of seven seats should make the hybrid version our pick, the seats aren't all that useful and take up boot space whether they're in use or not. For our money, we'd go for the electric e-C3 Aircross in Extended Range form. It’s well worth it for the extra range, and the £1,500 electric car grant (ECG) from the Government makes the electric version cheaper than its hybrid equivalent.

We'd spring for the fully-loaded Max trim because it isn't a huge amount more than the entry-level Collection with the same size battery, and you get a more extensive range of exterior colours and some useful extras such as blind spot monitoring, heated front seats and steering wheel, plus a heated windscreen – the latter being extremely useful on icy winter mornings.

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 dashboard 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. Its sister car, the Dacia Jogger, beat the seven-seat C3 Aircross in a twin test, thanks to its battery space in seven-seat mode, as well as having a more efficient hybrid powertrain.

MG is in the mix, too, with its ZS. Like 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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