New Citroën C3 Aircross review
Category: Small SUV
The 2025 C3 Aircross is a well priced, comfortable SUV that’s available with seven seats
![Citroën C3 Aircross front cornering](https://media.whatcar.com/662x440/wc-image/2025-02/citroen-c3-aircross-front-cornering-main.jpg)
What Car? says...
Some cars have a tough time following up their predecessors. Others – such as the new Citroën C3 Aircross we're reviewing here – well, not so much.
The previous-generation C3 Aircross had a low price and decent practicality, but its poor driving experience and reliability rating meant we gave it a pretty woeful two-star What Car? rating. So you could say the only way is up.
Certainly on paper things look positive, with the new C3 Aircross building on the last car’s strengths and seemingly addressing our complaints. It shares parts with the latest Citroën C3 so it should be better to drive, and Citroën’s brand reliability has improved too.
Better still, it's available as a seven-seater. There's also an all-electric version, which you can read about in our Citroën ë-C3 Aircross review.
Read on as we tell you how the Citroën C3 Aircross stacks up against rival small SUVs ranging from the Dacia Duster and Renault Captur to the new Vauxhall Frontera (which is mechanically related to the C3).
Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
Strengths
- +Smooth ride
- +Easy to drive
- +Decent handling overall
Weaknesses
- -Average performance
- -Plenty of body lean through bends
- -Hybrid engines are a tad gruff
If you buy an entry-level Citroën C3 Aircross, you’ll get a 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine with a six-speed manual gearbox (badged Turbo 100 S&S).
We’ve yet to try that version, but based on what the engine is like in the Citroën C3 it should be punchy enough in most situations. However, if you load your C3 Aircross with people and their belongings, it’s likely to struggle.
The other option – and our preferred engine – is the mild-hybrid version, the Hybrid 136. It uses the same 1.2-litre petrol but ups power to 134bhp with the help of a small electric motor. Unlike the (manual-only) Turbo 100, it's solely available with an automatic gearbox.
While the Audi Q2 and Seat Ateca are available with more powerful engines, the Hybrid 136 delivers acceptable performance around town and on motorways. We do wish it was smoother, though. It can feel a little rough at low revs and when switching from electric to petrol power.
Happily, "rough" is the opposite of what we’d say about the C3 Aircross's ride. It glides down the road, ironing out imperfections very well – although we've yet to subject it to the UK’s latest and greatest (in a bad way) potholes.
What’s more, we’re impressed by how upright the Aircross stays most of the time, with only a minor amount of side-to-side sway when going over a broken surface. It's only when you enter a bend with some gusto that there's significant body lean.
That, along with the rather light, spongy feel of the steering, encourages you to drive gently rather than swiftly – more so than most small SUV rivals, including the Dacia Duster and Renault Captur.
If you oblige, the Aircross proves fairly confidence inspiring and will tackle a twisty, country road with a decent amount of grip and composure. It certainly doesn’t feel as wallowy as the previous-generation version, or as hefty as a Toyota CH-R.
On motorways, the C3 Aircross does a good job of isolating you from wind and road noise, but there's some noticeable buffeting around the pillars.
“On Spain’s smooth, flowing country roads, I felt the C3 Aircross handled with enough finesse to get by. I fear it might struggle more on our tighter, broken British B-roads though.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer
![Citroën C3 Aircross rear cornering](https://media.whatcar.com/wc-image/2025-02/citroen-c3-aircross-rear-cornering-main.jpg)
Interior
The interior layout, fit and finish
Strengths
- +Comfy seats
- +Good visibility
- +Simple dashboard lay-out
Weaknesses
- -Hard plastics used throughout
- -Not much in the way of colour
- -Renault Captur has a better infotainment system
The Citroën C3 Aircross has some fabric on the dashboard, and soft-touch material on the door and central armrests. Apart from that, hard grey plastics are the name of the game.
It’s acceptable (for the price point) but you’ll find a plusher interior in the Renault Captur and the Fiat Grande Panda is more colourful (and also slightly plusher).
While the buttons and switches in the C3 Aircross feel fairly cheap, at least they’re logically laid out and easy to use. For example, the air-conditioning has its own panel with physical controls, rather than piling them into the infotainment touchscreen like in the Ford Puma.
The seats are soft and comfy, while the driving position is suitably lofty – as you’d hope from an SUV – granting you a good view out front. Rearward visibility is good too, thanks to the car’s boxy shape and relatively slim pillars.
Your digital driver’s display sits above the steering wheel (although not in a potentially awkward way like in some Peugeot car models). It’s pretty basic and looks dated next to the displays in the Grande Panda and Vauxhall Frontera.
The 10.25in infotainment touchscreen is a bit more 21st century – although rival set-ups (like the one found in the Captur) remain a clear step ahead. It’s easy enough to use and responds fairly quickly to your inputs.
“The interior of the C3 Aircross isn’t flashy or eccentric but I think it’s a smart design. Function outweighs form.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer
![Citroën C3 Aircross dashboard](https://media.whatcar.com/wc-image/2025-02/citroen-c3-aircross-dashboard.jpg)
Passenger & boot space
How it copes with people and clutter
Strengths
- +Good front and rear space
- +Useable third row of seats
Weaknesses
- -Third row effectively eliminates your boot
- -Second row doesn’t slide or recline
Up front in the Citroën C3 Aircross, there’s plenty of space to make use of, plus one six-footer can sit behind another with some room to spare – although not lots.
It’s possible to sit three abreast in the back, but you will be a bit squished. It’s only really suitable for short journeys or if your passengers are particularly slim.
Interior storage is decent, with good-sized door bins and a pretty large glovebox. You don’t get a folding centre armrest in the back, let alone any storage in it.
Like the Vauxhall Frontera, the C3 Aircross is available as a seven-seater as an optional extra. As SUVs go, it’s something only these two models offer at this price point and means that you might not have to up your budget to the likes of the Peugeot 5008 or Skoda Kodiaq.
Two average-sized adults can fit in the Aircross's rear-most two seats. They won’t be hugely comfortable, with their knees up high and their feet tucked under the middle row of seats, but it’s definitely doable for short journeys.
It would be helpful if the middle-row seats could slide back and forth, like the back seats of the Renault Captur (although that's not available with seven seats).
With the C3 Aircross's third row of seats in place, you’ll have next-to-no boot space so it’s not the best car for a big family holiday. For that, consider the Dacia Jogger or, if you really must have an SUV, consider upping your budget.
With the third-row seats folded flat, the boot is still not that impressive, with 330 litres of storage. That's way down on the 400-litre Seat Arona (400 litres) and the 430-litre hybrid Dacia Duster (430 litres).
Fortunately, the five-seat C3 Aircross has a much more generous boot, at 460 litres.
“Seven-seat SUVs are often expensive so for the temptingly priced C3 Aircross to have that option is a big selling point in my opinion.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer
![Citroën C3 Aircross boot](https://media.whatcar.com/wc-image/2025-02/citroen-c3-aircross-boot.jpg)
Buying & owning
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Strengths
- +Low pricing
- +Efficient engines
- +Citroën’s good reliability rating
Weaknesses
- -No Euro NCAP safety rating yet
The Citroën C3 Aircross is very well priced, undercutting the Renault Captur and Vauxhall Frontera. The Dacia Duster and Dacia Jogger are cheaper, but not by a lot.
The Turbo 100 S&S officially averages 47.1mpg and the Hybrid 136 52.3mpg. The Toyota Yaris Cross will exceed 60mpg, but that's a smaller, regular hybrid 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. It gets 17in alloy wheels, cruise control, automatic headlights, electrically folding door mirrors and a rear-view camera with rear parking sensors.
Top-spec Max trim adds some luxuries, including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel 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.
Adding a third-row of seats to make the C3 Aircross a seven-seater costs an extra £765 at the time of writing.
The model is too new to feature in any of our reliability surveys. However, Citroën as a brand did appear in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. It placed seventh out of 31 manufacturers – a confidence-inspiring result. It ranked above Ford and Skoda but was beaten by Suzuki and Toyota.
Citroën currently offers a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty and a 12-year anti-perforation warranty. That’s fairly standard, and doesn’t come close to Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty or Toyota’s warranty, which can last 10 years if you service your car every year at an official centre.
The new C3 Aircross has yet to be tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. However, it does get 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.
“If you want a comfy, practical SUV for a sensible price, I’d have no trouble recommending the C3 Aircross.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer
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![Citroën C3 Aircross driver display](https://media.whatcar.com/wc-image/2025-02/citroen-c3-aircross-driver-display.jpg)
FAQs
The C3 Aircross has a few negatives, namely that it’s not the quickest or best small SUV to drive. Its interior isn’t that plush or modern-feeling either, but then again you might give it some slack for having such a low price.
The C3 Aircross is essentially a taller, larger version of the Citroën C3 small car. The two share many parts, so if you like the C3 but want more space (and the option of seven seats), the C3 Aircross is worth a good look.
The top-spec version of the new C3 Aircross is Max trim paired with the Hybrid 136 mild-hybrid engine. You can check the latest prices using our New Car Deals pages.
RRP price range | £20,240 - £26,505 |
---|---|
Number of trims (see all) | 2 |
Number of engines (see all) | 3 |
Available fuel types (which is best for you?) | petrol, electric |
MPG range across all versions | 47.1 - 53.3 |
Available doors options | 5 |
Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £46 / £1,469 |
Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £92 / £2,939 |
Available colours |