Citroen C3 Aircross review

Where the design theme on the outside of the Citroen C3 Aircross is all about oblongs with rounded corners, so this continues inside and with great success. 

Driving position

At each end of the Citroen's dashboard you’ll find an upright vent with oblong highlight, and so does the strip of vents across the top of the dashboard’s centre section. 

Even the steering wheel features a body-coloured oblong highlight at the bottom, and both clusters of steering-wheel-mounted buttons are similarly shaped. 

Moving around the dash, things get slightly more conventional.

Tech and features

There’s a large instrument binnacle directly ahead of the driver, which contains a rev counter, speedometer, plus water temperature and fuel gauges.

There’s also a digital display beneath these that contains details of your average economy, range to empty, average speed and other such necessary info. 

In the middle of the dashboard and below the vents is a large touchscreen, through which you control most of the car’s functions, including Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto systems, sat-nav, the DAB radio and the climate control.  

Below the screen is a row of buttons for the windscreen demist and rear window demist, hazards and door locks. And that’s about it.

There are a few handy cubbies below this and a USB socket. 

Much of the dashboard is covered in the same material as the seats, which makes it feel really nice, and everything you touch and move on a daily basis feels like it won’t break any time soon. 

Engines and power

There’s really no need to go beyond the entry-level 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

This has more than enough zing for everyday to-ing and fro-ing in traffic, and sounds pretty decent too.  

If you need to do a vast number of miles, there’s also a 1.5-litre diesel.

It’s actually slower than the best petrol model and a little noisier. It does drink less fuel, as you’d imagine. 

Handling and ride comfort

The suspension on this Citroen model has been deliberately set up to be soft, and so provide a comfortable ride.

It’s certainly not bad at all, but you’ll need to be prepared for the car to lean over a bit in corners if you drive with any sort of enthusiasm. 

Rear seats

The seats themselves are deliberately quite flat, in order to cater for people of more shapes and sizes.

This works surprisingly well. They’re also set quite high, even in their lowest position, which gives a great view out – you’ll be able to look over the heads of parents to spot your little ones at school pick up. 

There’s loads of space for a couple of tall adults up front, with a decent amount of legroom.

If you’re tall it might be worth avoiding a model with the panoramic glass roof because this cuts down on headroom. 

The same applies in the back seats, but if you have opt for a C3 Aircross without the roof there’s decent enough space for three adults to sit side by side, although they might need to be on friendly terms.  

Boot space

Most versions have a 60/40 split rear seat that’s easy to fold down. On Shine Plus models, the seats can be slid back and forth to vary boot space or rear legroom as required. 

Talking of boot space, there’s loads of this – enough for around half a dozen carry-on cases. 

Fuel economy

Any petrol car with an average economy figure approaching 60mpg is very efficient indeed, and this is the case with the Citroen C3 Aircross.

This is a car you’ll be glad to run if you’re on a tight budget.  

The 1.2 petrol offers an average of 58.9mpg, while the 1.5-litre diesel will do an official 70.6mpg.

Basically, you can fill up and forget about it for a long while.