The Citröen C3 Aircross does not want to be simply a vehicle for the city but shows a playful side to be an ideal companion in leisure activities thanks to its modularity, its load capacity and the available traction modes. We put it to the test.
We analyze the restyling of the Citröen C3 Aircross
The Citröen C3 Aircross It has received a recent update and we wanted to take it for a review to see how the news has made you. It is one of Citröen’s best-selling cars with more than 330,000 units sold since its birth at the end of 2017 and is manufactured in Zaragoza so the label proudly wears made in Spain.
He has received a facelift and is now more expressive. Perhaps it cannot be said that it is a beautiful car but of course it has a lot more personality and compared to the previous one it shows a more robust image as expected in an SUV. There is no shortage of SUV details such as the raised suspension, the lower protections in matt gray or the roof bars in gloss black.
Of course, it is a plus that it is a car with a different aesthetic, but especially the urban crossover of Citroën shines for its capacity for individualization. The French brand offers seven body colors, two roof colors, four color packs with striking inserts, different decorations for the C-pillar and various 16 and 17-inch wheels. All this supposes a total of 70 different combinations for the exterior.
Inside there is also four different environments They change upholstery and trim, once again looking for those customization options. As for the materials used in the interior, there is a bit of everything: in the front part of the dashboard a textile material is rightly used that conveys a pleasant atmosphere but in the lower part much simpler plastics have been used.
The least convincing element in these front seats is in the center console where there is a large portion made of glossy black plastic. There are more areas of this material, such as the vents, but the one in this part tends to accumulate a lot of dirt.
With the restyling in this area between the front seats, a practical compartment with a sliding lid has been incorporated. It is not very big but it fits the wallet, some keys or some sunglasses that we want to leave a little more hidden from the friends of others. Also here is a wireless charging dock for smartphones, generously sized to accommodate mobile phones of any size.
Other available equipment items are dual-zone climate control, keyless access and start, lane change alert, rear camera, LED headlights, speed sign recognition, parking assistant or a head-up display. in color. Depending on the finish they will be standard or optional, there are four trim levels: Live Pack, Feel, C-Series and Shine.
Nor should we forget the multimedia system with a 9-inch touchscreen. It has a very easy to use interface, it is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Carplay and it has connected navigation, which implies that traffic information is received in real time, map updates or weather forecasts, among other things. It is well resolved.
Special mention must be made of Advanced Comfort seats. Citroën has sought to make the C3 Aircross a comfortable car and seats play a special role in this and has incorporated those that carry Citroën models in higher segments such as the C4 Cactus and the C5 Aircross. They are large, especially in width, they are very soft and also the upholstery has a very attractive design. By the SUV philosophy, the seats are in a fairly high position.
In the second row, the soft seats are also appreciated and there is enough space for passengers 1.75 m tall or perhaps a little more. There is plenty of room for the knees for a car of contained dimensions (it barely has 4.16 m length) while the head space is somewhat more limited.
Unlike other cars in this segment in the C3 Aircross there is no overwhelming feeling but quite the opposite thanks to the fabulous interior luminosity that reaches the passenger compartment through the panoramic sunroof and the huge glass surfaces that include a large window in the C-pillar.
The second row of seats stands out for its modularity. There are pockets behind the backs of the front seats, a 12 V socket and the backrest of the rear seats can be adjusted in inclination. Of course, there is no air outlet in this area. Citroën uses solutions that are not common in this segment such as roller blinds on the doors or that the rear bench can be slid longitudinally in up to 15 cm and also in two different parts which gives a lot of play when it comes to distributing the space for passengers and for cargo.
While other cars propose a sportier silhouette, the C3 Aircross 2021 has a more boxy look at the rear and that has several advantages. Thanks to that roof line there is more headroom in the rear seats, the rear glass is much larger and, in addition, the boot is also better used.
Citroën’s urban crossover proposes a 410 liter cargo volume, a figure that extends to 520 liters when the rear bench moves forward. A fantastic size that can also be used very well thanks to a double bottom. Of course, the seats can be folded down to obtain up to 1,289 liters of capacity.
Plenty of room to carry things, right? Well, there is still one more trick. The backrest of the passenger seat folds forward leaving a flat surface that allows you to transport objects up to 2.40 m long in this small B-SUV. This is called making good use of space.
Beyond the city
The mechanical range of the renewed Citroën C3 Aircross is quite simple with two gasoline and two diesel engines. All of them no electrification of any kind because the PF1 platform on which it sits does not allow it. All powertrains carry the DGT environmental label C and are front-wheel drive.
Gasoline engines will be the best sellers and use the block 1.2 Puretech of three cylinders that is available with 110 CV and manual transmission or 130 CV and automatic box EAT6. In diesel, the 1.5 BlueHDI with 110 hp and manual transmission or the option with 120 hp and automatic transmission. This time we have driven the Puretech 130 EAT6 engine.
It does not take many kilometers to verify that suspensions have a soft setting that reduce some agility but give good comfort when passing through uneven surfaces. A pity that the comfort is not complete in the soundproofing section because it is somewhat noisy.
The combination between the Puretech and the automatic transmission is not quite convincing. Most of the time it does a good job, it is smooth and pleasant. But in very low speed maneuvers (for example when parking) this combination causes lots of vibrations and some roughness.
It happens at specific moments, yes, but when it happens you realize that it is advisable to choose the gasoline option but with the manual gearbox. It is true that this combination is only available with the 110 hp engine and not the 130, but it is not a problem. The difference in performance is small so we sacrifice very little in exchange for getting a much greater pleasure to use and on top of that we save money on the purchase because between one version and another there is about 2,000 euros of difference.
Anyway, it must be recognized that, except for those brief moments in which the six-speed torque converter automatic transmission is somewhat rebellious, the 130 hp engine pushes very well and has a lot of verve. Consumption is around 7 l / 100 km and it has no driving modes although at least the transmission has a button to select a more dynamic program.
There are no driving modes but there are traction modes. The C3 Aircross aims to be one more model versatile and playful than most cars in this segment, not only for the city but also for leisure time. Although it does not have all-wheel drive, the Grip Control system it improves the off-road performance that front-wheel drive cars usually have and also adds hill descent control. It is not badly thought out.
The new Citroën C3 Aircross is for sale from 18,229 euros ranking among the most affordable options in the B-SUV segment considering what it offers. It is not surprising that it is one of the most popular urban crossovers on the market and with its recent update it adds points to remain attractive for much longer.