Citroen C3 Aircross Review - A breath of fresh air

The Citroen C3 Aircross is the fourth India-specific model from the French carmaker.

The C3 introduced by Citroen has become very popular in its segment, and its sister called the electric eC3 also has quite the fan following in India. Citroen has introduced three new vehicles over the past couple of years and is now looking at bringing in the fourth one – the C3 Aircross, which is what we are talking about today.

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The car comes with fresh design to set it apart in the midsize SUV segment

Currently the midsize SUV segment is very hotly contested and the C3 Aircross, which comes with a 7-seater option, aims to join this highly competitive space. On the exterior side, the C3 Aircross continues to be radically different with its twin DRLs, a new lower bumper with faux skid plates, and a large Citroen logo finished in black with silver surrounds. All models come with nice, halogen headlamps – thankfully none of those terrible LED headlamps that seem to adorn so many of its competitors.

With its 2,671mm wheelbase, the C3 Aircross is quite spacious on the inside. The generosity ends there, as there is not much to choose from in terms of equipment levels. However you do get the flexibility of five and 5+2 seat configurations, the latter two seats being ridiculously easy to remove and fit right back.

The cabin of the crossover is spacious and practical

There are three colour choices – grey, black and bronze or silver – for the dashboard inlay and you get a comprehensive digital instrument console, on which you can display as much or as little content, depending on your tech leanings. Everything is of course controllable from the steering wheel.

The driver gets all the information through this digital instrumentation

You also get a massive 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. But you do not get USB-C charging ports front or rear. You do get a rear-view camera but Holly Molly – only two airbags. No sunroof also, if you please. Ditto for climate control, though you get nice round rotary switches for climate control. I do find the positioning of the rear window power switches a little messy; would have preferred a normal door position like in all cars. The seats by themselves are quite comfortable, though the 5-seater version does without the rear air-con blower.

There is only one engine option, but it is a potent motor with oodles of torque

Citroen’s 1.2-litre turbo 3-cylinder with its 110 horses and 190 Nm of torque is a gem and the revised 6-speed manual with its short ratios has the C3 Aircross scampering in no time. Acceleration is good and no need to complain, even though the specs might look a bit tardy on paper. What I thoroughly missed was an automatic, because although the gear shift is slick, the clutch can sometimes be a little bit of work, especially in bumper to bumper traffic.

With the C3 Aircross, Citroen has once again aced the suspension setup

What is absolutely fantastic though is the trademark Citroen suspension – it is so compliant, soft and smooth, yet does not give you a dreamboat feeling. Ride comfort is phenomenal and shows Citroen’s technical prowess in this sector.

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The official prices of the C3 Aircross will be announced soon by the marque

So, will the C3 Aircross create a sensation when it is finally launched in August in India? A lot would depend on the price and going by the equipment list in the car, my feeling is that pricing would be ultra-competitive. That would ultimately make the difference. If you are willing to look beyond features that you probably do not use too much like a sunroof, wireless charging etc., then the C3 Aircross does come across as refreshingly different. Now if it only had an automatic…