Citroen C3 Aircross First Drive Review

The C3 Aircross fills in the gap between the C3 hatchback and the C5 Aircross in Citroen’s India lineup. It’s based on the former and enters the mid-size SUV segment in India with three row of seats and a turbo petrol mill. While the prices are yet to be announced, this Aircross is aimed at bringing volumes for the French carmaker. What are the hits and misses of this newest entrant? We drive it to tell you our driving impressions.

With those familiar with the cabin of the C3, the Aircross has no surprises. The dashboard, which is dominated by the 10.2-inch screen, will be available in two themes – Bronze and Anodised Grey along with the lower half finished in beige. The steering gets more mounted controls and can be adjusted for rake whereas the driver side seat has an adjustable height function. The front seats are draped in leatherette upholstery although a darker shade would have made maintaining them a tad easy. The cushioning of the seats are spot on and have superior back and shoulder support.

The Aircross scores high on practicality and gets many storage spaces like a decent-sized glovebox, cup holders on the centre console, and bottle holders on all door pads. However, we couldn’t help but notice the poor fit and finish on some areas as well as the oddly placed rear power window switches behind the hand brake lever.

Moving to the second row, the Aircross offers five and 5+2 seating configuration. In the five-seater version, the second row has acres of leg and knee room. The largest width and height in the segment also reflects in the shoulder and head space. Having said that, this iteration misses out on rear aircon vents and split seats.

Meanwhile, in the seven-seater the second row bench seats are placed 50mm ahead. This liberates more space in the third row along with a reclining and tumble function for the left hand side seat in the middle row. The last row is best suited for kids and asking adults to fit in them will surely invite unpleasant glances. There is absolutely no under thigh support and the knee-up position with the seats touching the tailgate is not very comfortable for long journeys.

The Aircross has an impressive boot space and the seven-seat guise without the third row seats can gobble up to 511 litres of luggage. The five-seater with 67 litres and a parcel tray isn’t less on space either and can swallow 444 litres of the weekend’s bags.

On the features front, the C3 Aircross ticks most of the basic and essential features such as a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.2-inch infotainment system that supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The multimedia system is intuitive to use with good brightness and quick responses. However, it needs to be mentioned that the system glitched multiple times while attempting to connect to Apple CarPlay.

Given the C3 Aircross will compete against the likes of the Creta and Grand Vitara, there are quite a few misses. Features like an automatic climate control, a sunroof, and even a wireless charging pad that are offered in cars well below the segment could have made it to this SUV.

While Citroen does equip the Aircross with dual front airbags, a tyre pressure monitor, hill hold assist, and ESP, the rivals have moved beyond the basic offerings and get four to six airbags, rear disc brakes, and more.

The C3 Aircross sources the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine from its younger sibling, the C3 hatchback. The motor produces a healthy 109bhp and 190Nm of torque and is mated solely to a six-speed manual gearbox. And that’s it. There’s no fancy hybrid tech or even an automatic transmission for that matter. That said, the latter is being developed and is expected to be introduced in the line-up by early 2023.

The performance of this turbo mill is focused on the low and mid-range and it pulls from as low as 2,000rpm and does not run out of steam till 4,000rpm. The C3 feels spirited to drive and the build-up of speed is rapid. That combined with the slick gearshifts of the six-speed unit makes it quite exciting to drive. Citroen also claims a mileage of 18.5kmpl, but that will be put to test during our fuel efficiency run soon.

The Aircross’ steering is well-weighted and responsive, and the car feels planted and stable through corners. There is some body roll, but it's not excessive. Overall, the C3 Aircross is a fun and easy car to drive, even at high speeds. The Citroen C3 runs on 17-inch wheels, and for its size, offers a surprisingly comfortable ride and handling. The suspension is set slightly on the softer side, which helps it to absorb bumps and potholes on the road. This makes the SUV a great car for city driving, where you're likely to encounter uneven surfaces. It does not exactly work in silence but it does not toss the occupants around and the ride is rather wellcontained. Out on the highway, getting past three digits on the speedometer is a breeze and overtaking does not feel like a laborious task.

The C3 Aircross does have quite a few things going for it. It enters the fierce mid-size SUV segment with the much-desired butch looks, the longest wheelbase resulting in a spacious cabin, and then an engine that is potent and exciting enough to make it feel enjoyable while driving. On the flip side, Citroen does need to work on strengthening its after sales support. With an aim to open 60 outlets by October and 75 by the end of this year, the French carmaker is surely focused on building its sales network. And most importantly, given the SUV will be offered in three trims, pricing it competitively will be crucial to help it take a piece of the SUV pie.

Pictures by Kapil Angane