Citroen C3 Aircross Review 2021

If you want a quirky and interesting car that’s not going to break the bank to buy or run, the Citroen C3 Aircross is a good choice. It’s more practical than the equivalent Citroen C3 hatchback and its cabin feels very spacious (especially if you avoid the panoramic sunroof).

The Citroen C3 Aircross's quirky interior colour combinations will appeal to a wide audience and, although it’s not entirely successful in its execution, we like its comfort-focused approach to driving. There are better cars for long distance drivers, though, and anyone who wants a car that’s sporty to drive should look elsewhere.

We’d recommend the top-spec Citroen C3 Aircross Shine Plus, otherwise you’re missing out on desirable features like the bold interior trims, versatile sliding rear bench and fold-flat front seat. 

Engine wise, the Puretech 110PS petrol engine gets our vote because it's cheaper than the 130PS version, with little penalty towards performance. Avoid the diesel unless you absolutely must have the most efficient engine available. Also be careful not to land yourself with one of the very slow 82PS petrols which were only offered for a short time - they’re extremely slow.

The Skoda Kamiq is another small SUV that takes a similar approach, prioritising practicality and comfort - but it didn’t go on sale until a while after the C3 Aircross, so might cost more money on the used market. 

You could also consider a Renault Captur (the new model launched in 2020 is much better) or a Peugeot 2008 (again, we rate the 2020 model highly). Other rivals range from the Vauxhall Crossland X to the Kia Stonic and Nissan Juke. Also consider the new Ford Puma, although the EcoSport is to be avoided.

Top-spec Citroen C3 Aircross Shine Plus models get a bold and interesting cabin with various personalisation options, and they’re guaranteed to catch your eye in a showroom next to something like a SEAT Arona.

While it generally feels well finished, some of the plastics in the Citroen C3 Aircross seem rather cheap and nasty, particularly around the door panels, glove box and lower half of the dashboard. There are no soft-touch materials here, just hard plastics. 

The various switches and buttons (like those for the electric windows or used for adjusting the volume of the radio) are fine but don’t feel as tactile as those in a Volkswagen T-Cross, for example.

On the plus side, the C3 Aircross’s cabin feels well up to the job of deflecting day-to-day wear and tear. Those harsh plastics will still be looking exactly the same well after the car’s serviceable life, and the seat materials ought to wear well, too. Same goes for the leather-covered steering wheel and gear knob.

All Citroen C3 Aircross models come with a 7-inch touchscreen media system which will be familiar to anyone who’s driven any recent car from Peugeot-Citroen.

It’s a weak point, unfortunately. Not only is it slow to respond, a shortage of physical buttons (apart from the volume control) means you’ll end up jabbing at the screen on the move.

Even adjusting the climate control requires a concerted effort to negotiate the infotainment system. To do so, you’ll have to leave whatever it is you previously had displayed, just to change the temperature. Woe betide any passenger who decides they’re cold while the driver’s relying on the nav system at a tricky intersection.

Talking of navigation, that’s only available on the Flair. This is no great loss, though, as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range. Plug your phone in and third-party apps like Google Maps or Waze will do a better job of providing directions, anyway.

Unlike a lot of cars in this class, the C3 Aircross is significantly more spacious than the hatchback on which it’s based. That’s good news if you’re wanting to carry passengers and luggage or just want an airy cabin.

There’s plenty of legroom in the front of the Citroen C3 Aircross, although the high seating position does hinder headroom for the tallest of drivers - especially if you buy a C3 Aircross with the optional panoramic sunroof fitted.

There’s also a load of useful storage areas, including door bins big enough to carry 1.5-litre bottles and generously large cup holders. As is often the case in right-hand-drive versions of French cars, the glove box is annoyingly small, due to the pesky fuse box.

In the back, you can just about squeeze three cooperative adults side by side. There isn’t a lump in the floor for a transmission tunnel like some rivals, so the middle-seat passenger will have somewhere to rest their feet - although they will be rubbing shoulders, particularly if they’re of chunky build.

As exciting as it sounds, the boot is one of the best features of the C3 Aircross. As standard, it can accommodate 410 litres of luggage - more than the Skoda Kamiq and Hyundai Kona, although not quite as much as the Nissan Juke and Ford Puma. It has got a trick up its sleeve, though.

The rear bench on the Citroen C3 Aircross Shine Plus can recline as well as slide backwards and forwards, providing up to 520 litres of luggage space with it as far forward as possible. If you need more room, it can drop to provide up to 1289 litres.

With the rear bench in place, the boot is still very versatile thanks to its false floor and useful shape. There’s little in the way of a lip, making loading easier. Underneath the floor, there’s a spacesaver spare wheel which is included as standard on all C3 Aircross models.

The external dimensions of the Citroen C3 Aircross are pretty typical for a small SUV. It measures 4155mm long, 1765mm wide (with the door mirrors folded) and 1637mm high.

The 1.2-litre Puretech 110 petrol is by far the most popular engine in the C3 Aircross. It’s quite a punchy little three-cylinder unit, although its 10.1 second 0-62mph time means it’s not going to win a drag races any time soon. It comes with a six-speed manual gearbox which is fine, aside from the springy clutch and baggy gear change. 

The same engine was originally available with just 82PS and it was glacially slow, taking an incredible 16.3 seconds to reach 62mph. Unless you’re a new driver and desperate for affordable insurance, avoid the C3 Aircross with this engine. Citroen dropped it from the range in 2019 but there are quite a few on the used market.

If you want an auto gearbox, the more powerful Puretech 130PS engine comes as standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. Look for one of these if it’s within budget - the auto transmission is better than the manual, with rapid enough responses, and the extra potency of the 130PS engine helps with motorway driving.

Should you want a diesel, Citroen offers the C3 Aircross with a BlueHDi 100 engine and manual gearbox. This is a rare option so it may take some hunting around dealers to find one - and you’ll pay a premium for it too, which will offset any savings you’ll make in fuel economy. That’s unless you cover mega mega miles, in which case you probably want to look at something bigger than the C3 Aircross.

The Citroen C3 Aircross isn't a particularly quiet cruiser with plenty of road noise even if you stick rigidly to the legal limit, which seems to be amplified by the relatively large passenger cavity. On the upside, you'll struggle to make out any wind or engine noise over the drone. On the latter, the PureTech petrol engines make a nice enough thrum under acceleration, while the diesel is relatively muted getting up to speed. 

If there’s one thing the C3 Aircross isn’t short of, it’s safety assistance features. Look for cars with the safety pack (a £600 option when new) or drive assistant pack (£450) if you want all the latest safety and drive-assist tech.

Still, with or without these features, the C3 Aircross is fundamentally a very safe car. When Euro NCAP crash tested it in 2017, it awarded it a maximum five out of five stars. It was awarded 85% for the adult occupancy test, with NCAP praising the protection of both drivers and passengers in a variety of collisions.

It scored 82% for child occupants, helped by the ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats (although they’re missing on the front passenger seat) plus 64% pedestrian impact protection and 60% for safety assist features (mainly criticising the lack of an autonomous emergency braking system as standard).

Strangely, Citroen doesn’t offer the C3 Aircross with its ConnectedCam. This is a built-in dash camera which made its debut on the C3 and can be quite a useful tool.

Unfortunately, we've heard of a number of issues with the Citroen C3 Aircross. Faults reported include high oil consumption from the 1.2-litre Puretech engine, gremlins with the infotainment system and corroded rear brakes.

As a brand, Citroen seems to be improving in terms of reliability, but it performed poorly in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

None of the C3 Aircross models are particularly lairy, so all should be affordable to insure. The Puretech 130PS has the highest rating, which is worth bearing in mind if you’re considering an auto - especially if you’re a new driver.

There’s nothing massively surprising about these insurance ratings. Buying a C3 Aircross shouldn’t alarm your insurance company but it’s always worth shopping around for quotes.

All Citroen C3 Aircross models have been registered since the latest vehicle tax rules were introduced in April 2017 - meaning they’ll be subject to the standard flat rate of VED. There’s no way around this unless you look for an electric alternative like the Hyundai Kona Electric.

The Citroen C3 Aircross range kicks off with the C-Series model which gets smart exterior looks thanks to its 16-inch wheels, Regal Red colour pack, roof bars and tinted rear windows. It gets a seven-inch infotainment screen, alarm, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors and rear parking sensors. 

The Citroen C3 Aircross Shine gets black exterior highlights, automatic emergency brakes and a larger nine-inch touchscreen that has built-in sat-nav.

C3 Aircross Shine Plus models are found at the top of the range and can be identified by their 17-inch wheels and two-tone paint job. Inside, they get leather effect upholstery, Citroen's Advanced Comfort seats, a rear bench that slides forwards and backwards and a front seat that folds flat for carrying longer items. You also get useful extra kit including keyless go, front parking sensors and a rearview camera.

Pre-facelift cars – so models built up until spring 2021 – were available in Feel, C-Series (a special edition at the time) and Flair. 

The entry-level Citroen C3 Aircross Feel is fairly basic, with highlights including 16-inch alloy wheels, manual air con, automatic headlights, rear electric windows, cruise control and electric rear windows among its arsenal.

The special edition Citroen C3 Aircross C-Series adds black alloy wheels (still 16-inch), automatic air conditioning, rear parking sensors and automatic lights/wipers, Graphite grey interior with white stitching and the Regal Red colour pack.

The top-spec Citroen C3 Aircross Flair, which is the one to go for, includes the useful sliding rear bench, a reversing camera, navigation, a body-coloured roof, 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a pull-out boot floor and keyless entry/start.