Citroen C3 Aircross

 Citroen C3 Aircross

• Well-sized crossover with a funky yet likeable design
• Offers the practicality of a 5+2 seater. Many families will like having that option
• Good-looking cabin that's practical too. Plenty of storage spaces
• Quick 1.2L turbo-petrol mated to the 6-speed MT is fun-to-drive
• Sorted suspension offers a very good ride & handling package
• Massive 511-litre boot that can be expanded to 839 litres. Flexible cargo and seating options are available
• Features like a 10.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, connected car features, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, indirect TPMS, and a rear parking camera with sensors
• Lots of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique

Citroen C3 Aircross Cons

• Missing plenty of features = side & curtain airbags, ISOFIX child seat anchors, sunroof, climate control, wireless charging, cruise control, rear AC vents, auto headlamps and more
• No automatic transmission on offer at the time of launch - a big miss when ATs are rapidly gaining popularity in India
• Single powertrain on offer. No Hybrid or diesel engine options
• Quality of cabin materials doesn't feel great; cost-cutting is pretty evident in certain areas
• Third row of seats is best for kids / children only
• Cabin width makes the middle row seat suitable for 2 adults, not 3
• Very sad audio. 4 speakers + 2 tweeter system feels very basic
• Long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are big unknowns; dealer network is tiny

Introduction

Citroen has been launching a new car every year and this year’s car is the C3 Aircross that you see here. If you’re wondering whether you’ve seen this same car on your Europe trip, it’s not. It carries the same name, but the C3 Aircross sold in Europe is based on a Peugeot platform (PSA PF1) and the car sold in India is built on the Common Modular Platform (CMP) which has over 90% localisation. Two totally different cars for different markets. With that out of the way, let’s focus on the car that we got to drive in Chennai.

While the C3 Aircross looks very similar to the C3 hatchback, it is noticeably larger in size. Citroen has chosen to offer the C3 Aircross in two seating options - a 5-seater and a 5+2 seater. And it's not just adding a couple of seats in the boot, but the floor design of both these variants is different. A lot of work has gone into it and we will get into all the details, so keep reading.

Under the hood, you have the 109 BHP, 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. This is the only powertrain on offer at the time of launch and there is no automatic which puts the C3 Aircross at a disadvantage. The good news is that Citroen will launch an automatic soon, and it definitely won’t be an AMT. In terms of features, the C3 Aircross is not bare bones, but it's not well equipped either (more on this later).

Citroen C3 Aircross Price & Brochure

The crossover SUV segment has blown up in the past few years and the competition is fierce. Where does the Citroen C3 Aircross slot in the segment? We will get to know once the prices are announced in October. We expect Citroen to price it aggressively considering the fact that the C3 Aircross, in particular, has high localisation (95%) and that it’s not really overflowing with features. Bookings will open next month and the launch is slated for October.