Citroen C3 AIRCROSS

Citroen had launched the C3 AIRCROSS mid-sized SUV in the Indian market on September 15, 2023. This model comes as a budget-friendly SUV in the highly competitive mid-sized SUV segment. This segment is currently dominated by Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos and Maruti Grand Vitara.

The Citroen C3 AIRCROSS is available with two seating layouts - a 5-seat and a 7-seat. This mid-sized SUV is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Key Features

• A fully-digital instrument cluster
• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment unit
• Wired Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a wireless charger
• Tyre pressure monitoring system
• LED DRLs, LED tail lights, 17-inch alloy wheels

The Citroen C3 AIRCROSS is targeting budget conscious buyers who are looking to drive home a mid-sized SUV. This SUV comes equipped with features like LED DRLs, LED tail-lights and 17-inch alloy wheels. It is packed with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. The SUV offers fully digital instrument console, leather-wrapped steering wheel, manual AC with rear AC vents for 7-seater model, etc.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Exterior

In terms of proportions, the new Citroen C3 AIRCROSS is 4,323mm long, 1,796mm wide and 1,669mm tall. It has a 2671mm long wheelbase, which allows Citroen to create extra space for third-row. The 5-seater model offers a luggage carrying capacity of 444-litres. The SUV offers a ground clearance of 200mm, which is more than sufficient to tackle Indian road conditions. It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 215/60 R17 tyres.

The Citroen C3 AIRCROSS comes with a unique styling and looks different from other midsize SUVs. It is based on the CMP modular platform that also underpins the C3 hatchback. Not just platform, the mid-sized SUV shares styling elements from the C3 hatchback. The front fascia looks like a beefed-up version of the C3 hatchback, featuring the traditional Citroen grille, split headlamps with LED DRLs and circular fog lamps.

The SUV has a big bumper that accommodates wider air intake, circular fog lamps and contrast-coloured skid plates. The side appears more crossover-ish or MPV instead of an SUV. It appears simple with plain lines and conventional pillars. There are strong black plastic cladding all-around the body and broader C-pillars. It also has usable roof rails. At the back, the SUV gets C-shaped tail-lights, prominent roof spoiler, high-mounted stop lamp, and dual-tone lower bumper with silver skid plate.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Interior

The cabin is simple and has very limited features. It comes with a dual-tone dashboard, which is similar to the C3 hatchback. The SUV has a digital instrument console that can be customized using an additional set of buttons placed on the steering wheel. The SUV misses out on several features that are accessible in most of its rivals. It comes with manual air conditioning, central tunnel placed rear power window buttons and roof-mounted air-con vents in the 7-seater model.

The dashboard is dominated by a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment unit with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The SUV's seats are slim; however, it offers decent comfort. Similar trend is available in second-row seats, which offer decent headroom and legroom space. However, the 5-seater model misses out on rear air-con vents. The third-row seats in the 7-seater version are only designed to accommodate kids.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Safety Features

The C3 AIRCROSS mid-sized SUV comes equipped with dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), hill-hold control, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and child-seat anchorages as standard safety features.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Variants & Prices

This mid-sized SUV is available in 3 trim levels - You, Plus and Max. The Plus and Max trims are offered with 5-and 7-seat layout. The Citroen C3 AIRCROSS is available at a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh, which goes up to Rs 9.99 lakh for the top-end variant (ex-showroom).

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Engine Specifications

The new Citroen C3 AIRCROSS is built on the brand's CMP (Common Modular Platform) that also underpins the C3 hatchback. It is only available in a single powertrain, called the PURETECH 110. The C3 AIRCROSS is powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine. The powertrain is tuned to produce 109bhp of power and 190Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is also available with a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Mileage

The C3 AIRCROSS with manual gearbox is claimed to offer an ARAI certified fuel economy of 18.5kmpl. On the other hand, the automatic model returns 17.6kmpl.

Citroen C3 AIRCROSS: Competition

The mid-sized SUV is positioned against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Grand Vitara, Toyota Hyryder, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq, MG Astor and the Honda Elevate.