Comfortable, spacious, affordable: Citroën C3 Aircross – all-rounder for family holidays and everyday use

Citroën continues to offer a wide selection in the small car segment, even after the recent generational change. The C3 Aircross SUV is also represented with a new edition. ntv.de took the electric version for a spin.

Here on Sylt, distances are short and the charging infrastructure is good. It's no wonder Citroën chose the popular holiday island to base a small electric fleet for customers. Anyone who wants to can simply rent their favorite model while on vacation and zip around the island. The French company has now taken advantage of these structures to present its new C3 Aircross, which recently went on sale.

And while the small hatchback called the C3 is already a regular on our roads, potential buyers looking for more practicality are waiting for the Aircross. With an exterior length of 4.40 meters, it's not quite as compact as the base C3, which is about 38 centimeters shorter, but the Aircross's truly striking amount of space is due to another factor, at least in the front. And that's primarily the remarkable headroom. After all, the compact SUV is about eight centimeters higher than the sedan.

And in this way, the Aircross subcompact becomes a very grown-up vehicle in practice. It's certainly noticeable that it's narrow (1.80 meters) – but the segment is undeniable. On the other hand, the seats are quite comfortable, at least as far as one can judge from a few test kilometers. And the second row? Here, your knees find more room than in the C3, as the wheelbase has grown from 2.54 to 2.67 meters.

C3 Aircross is the loading master

But it's almost crazy how much this little French car can carry. The rear compartment can hold the equivalent of 1,600 liters of luggage, assuming you fold down the rear seatbacks. And even as a five-seater, it's almost 500 liters, making extended family vacations possible. If you need to accommodate as many people as possible over a short distance, you can simply add a third bench seat. That's rather unusual in this class. And there isn't a whole lot of room, but at least there are two additional seats.

What about the drivetrain? The options portfolio includes a gasoline engine, a hybrid gasoline engine, and an electric version. With a base price of €18,490, the 101 hp petrol engine with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine is a particularly affordable version. The 145 hp hybrid version (consisting of a three-cylinder engine with 136 hp plus 28 electric hp) is considerably more expensive. However, for the additional €6,200, not only is the automatic transmission included, but several additional features, including a large touchscreen, are also included.

Significantly more expensive as an e-offer

However, the C3 Aircross is a good example of how electric mobility isn't all that cheap, at least if you take the list prices as a benchmark. The 113-hp electric version costs at least €26,490. That's quite a statement considering the base price of under €20,000.

The fact is that the brand wants to convince customers of the benefits of electric drive – in any case, no other version is available here and now. Certainly, the battery-electric drive certainly has advantages in terms of driving. It's quiet and responds instantly. While the nominal torque is only 125 Newton meters, it's available early. This means the 1.6-ton vehicle moves nimbly with just a few centimeters of accelerator pedal travel, and the lack of gear changes makes the electric vehicle dynamic in many traffic situations. What was once considered elasticity in a combustion engine – rapid acceleration from 80 to 120 km/h in a high gear – is mastered by the silent French car in every situation – after all, it usually has full torque available.

It's said to go from standstill to 100 kilometers in 12.9 seconds, while the top speed is 143 km/h. It's just that the energy supply takes time. Furthermore, with a 44 kWh battery capacity, you shouldn't expect an exorbitant range. The manufacturer estimates this at around 300 kilometers. But it can't be cold for that. And the charging time is a bit glossed over, with a value of 20 (instead of 10) to 80 percent – ​​26 minutes (100 kW charging power) sounds pretty good.

And what else speaks in favor of the C3 Aircross? For example, the product experts have managed to create a subcompact offering on the so-called Smartcar platform provided by the Stellantis Group that is visually somewhat more playful than its internal competitors. The French car impresses with its funky, fresh design. The sharp, split taillights and headlights, in particular, give the SUV a distinctive look, although the last corner of the rear side windows exudes a hint of corporate mainstream in terms of design language. The Opel Frontera shares the same window line.

Within the group's offerings, which include candidates such as the Alfa Romeo Junior (from €29,950), Jeep Avenger (from €25,990), Opel Frontera (from €23,900), and Peugeot 2008 (from €27,790), the C3 Aircross is the absolute price champion. And that's already a pretty good selling point.