Road Test Review: Citroën C3 Aircross Shine Plus
Independent review by Edward Stephens
4-minute read
Highlights
- Loads of clever tech
- Fresh design
- Pleasingly practical
- Inexpensive to run
Introduction
When it comes to car design, Citroën has a habit of doing things differently, and never more so than with the funky C3 Aircross.
Popular since its launch in 2017, this trendy little crossover has now been given a makeover to ensure its appeal stays fresh.
And importantly, the changes are just as noticeable on the inside as the outside, improving both its looks and comfort.
Design and Interior
For starters, the entire front end has been redesigned, so the little car now gets a new-look grille, new super slim LED headlights, a higher set clamshell bonnet, and an aluminium grey skid plate with coloured inserts.
Add to all that the contrasting roof and body colours, contrasting mirror colours, distinctive black roof rails, and trendy looking 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels and the C3 Aircross certainly bristles with kerb appeal.
Step inside and the first thing that strikes you are the very wide, leather effect square seats with smart cloth panels on the shoulder sections and on the fronts of the squabs. A matching cloth strip runs along the top of the dashboard to complement them.
And it's these large seats which are a major feature of this car, as they've been given additional padding to ensure you don’t get stiff and uncomfortable on long journeys and feel you need to take a break. Simple, but very effective.
Equipment and Practicality
The new-look C3 Aircross comes with an easy-to-use centre set touchscreen for onboard features, which also acts as the monitor for the colour reversing camera. Parking sensors all round add to the ease of slotting the C3 Aircross into the supermarket parking bay, aided by an excellent turning circle.
There’s a new style manual parking brake too with the release button on the top of the lever rather than on the end, a feature which didn’t endear itself to me as I found it harder to operate. Sometimes the old ways are the best.
When it comes to coping with luggage, however, the C3 Aircross is a past master. Not only does it have sliding rear seats but as you fold the seatbacks down the squabs move forward to give you an excellent flat loading bay.
Add to that a double-decker boot and a front passenger seat that folds flat to make carrying long items easy, and you can see why this car is so popular with families.
And if you have babies and toddlers, you'll find the blinds on the windows of the rear doors a useful bonus.
Driving Experience
Despite the relatively small, 3-cylinder engine, the C3 Aircross has a respectable 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of 10.1 seconds and certainly feels much quicker, particularly on take off.
Despite its very comfortable ride, there’s little body roll and the stability at high speed on the motorway is impressive. High speed refinement is another noticeable plus, with a very quiet cabin ensuring relaxed cruising.
Edward Stephens
Only under real pressure do you notice the distinctive note of the 3-cylinder engine.
And as with most SUV models, the height makes it easy to get in and out of and ensures good all round vision.
Summary
The new C3 Aircross is a nice little package which looks trendy, is frugal to run, and will be particularly appealing to families because of its numerous practicalities. Coming with a range of equipment as standard and a comfortable driving experience, it proves to be a pleasing car to own for day-to-day life.
