Citroen C3 Aircross review - Engines, drive & performance

Citroen has set itself apart from rivals by prioritising comfort instead of sporty handling. To this end it has suspension with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’ that help soak up the impact of big bumps and potholes, along with ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats with a layer of memory foam beneath the upholstery.

As you’d expect in a budget SUV, there’s only so much sound-proofing and sophistication that can be factored into the car but it’s a pretty relaxing place to spend time.

Is it good to drive in town?

The C3 Aircross has a fairly tight 10.9-metre turning circle, light steering and good visibility from its raised driving position, making it a pretty handy urban companion. Its boxy proportions also make it easy to tell where the ends of the bodywork are, which is crucial when parking.

Is it good to drive on long journeys?

As mentioned above, it’s not always the quietest car to travel in, but the C3 Aircross does relax into a pleasant cruise at motorway speeds. Those squishy seats should also suit most people here, helping to relieve aches and pains from harder seats.

Is it good to drive on B-roads?

You’ve no doubt picked up by now that the Citroen isn’t a very sporty little number, but it still acquits itself fairly well on a country road. The steering requires fairly large inputs and doesn’t have much in the way of feel, but the front tyres provide plenty of grip and there’s not too much body lean in corners. In a similar fashion, the brake pedal also lacks a bit of feel, but the car stops well enough.

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Petrol models

The entry-level petrol engine comes fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, which is a nice feature that makes motorway cruising more relaxed and efficient. While the Hybrid 136 version also has six gears, it’s an automatic that lacks any paddle shifters, so you’ll need to leave it to shift when it wants. Luckily, it’s pretty smooth for the most part, only kicking down into a lower gear when you need some extra punch.

We found the three-cylinder petrol engine in the Hybrid 136 a bit vocal under acceleration, but around 15% of our drive over very mixed roads was taken care of by electric assistance.

Electric models 

The e-C3 Aircross has one electric motor under its bonnet with 111bhp and – unlike a lot of EV models – it’s actually slower than its petrol counterparts, taking 12.9 seconds to get from 0-62mph. In reality, its lack of gear changes and instant response means it feels a bit quicker around town than the numbers suggest, but power does tail off pretty quickly at higher speeds.

Carbuyer notes

“The grip served up by the front end is more than most C3 Aircross drivers will need on their daily trips, with not too much body roll upsetting the dynamics.” Alastair Crooks, senior news reporter.