Citroen C3 Aircross review – a budget-friendly SUV with up to seven seats

Verdict – is the Citroen C3 Aircross a good car?

It might be based on a supermini, but some clever stretching in all the right places means the C3 Aircross is now a spacious small SUV that even gets an optional third row. There’s a full complement of petrol, mild-hybrid and electric motors to pick from, and if you go for the e-C3 Aircross it will be incredibly cheap to run. With just two trim levels on offer, kit is pretty generous from the get-go and the Citroen offers good value.

Citroen C3 Aircross models, specs and alternatives

When manufacturers take a supermini and massage its proportions to offer a model with more space, you can rightly hope for a very competitive price. Costing from just over £20,000, Citroen has certainly achieved that with the C3 Aircross, which is based on the C3. Somehow, Citroen has also made the £23,000 e-C3 cheaper than the mild-hybrid version, flipping convention on its head.

Less surprising is the quality of competition the C3 Aircross faces in what is a rather hot segment. Indeed, the latest Dacia Duster is Carbuyer’s overall award winner for 2025, while the MG ZS also offers an impressive amount of car for the money. The Vauxhall Frontera is a sister-car to the Citroen C3 Aircross, so that’s very much a contender too.

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Boxy looks seem to be very much back in vogue, and the C3 Aircross’ upright proportions mean it can even be had with the option of seven seats, albeit only in the petrol versions – the battery in the e-C3 Aircross takes up too much room under the boot. The extra row of seats bump the price up by £800 and should suit families who need to pick up kids on the school run, but there’s very limited legroom for adults.

Stick with the entry-level petrol version and you’ll find Citroen’s 1.2-litre 99bhp engine under the bonnet, allied to a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s relatively peppy and can tow an impressive 1,500kg trailer. The version badged Hybrid 136 has a 134bhp petrol engine and 28bhp electric motor, coupled via a six-speed automatic gearbox. This means up to half of your driving around town can rely on the electric motor to save fuel and reduce emissions. The e-C3 Aircross gets the same 111bhp electric motor and 44kWh battery as the e-C3, with a range of up to 186 miles. A larger-battery version is set to arrive soon for a 250-mile range.

MPG, running costs & CO2 emissions

The C3 Aircross is offered with petrol, mild-hybrid and fully-electric options, so there should be something to suit most buyers. The petrols make most sense for private buyers and anyone looking to drive further afield or tow, but they’ll come with a higher first-year VED tax payment and hefty Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) for business drivers. The zero emissions of the e-C3 Aircross make it far cheaper for company car choosers, and it will also save you money on fuel if you have a home wallbox charger. Read more about the Citroen C3 Aircross’ MPG, running costs & CO2 emissions…

Engines, drive & performance 

Citroen wants its small SUV to appeal to buyers looking for a bit of comfort, so it gets a clever suspension setup and squishy seats that help take the sting out of potholes. It handles tidily enough, too, but acceleration is a bit sluggish and keen drivers will be better off sticking with the Ford Puma. Unlike quite a few rivals, the electric version isn’t the quickest, but it does keep things nice and smooth while driving around town. Read more about the Citroen C3 Aircross’ engines, drive & performance…

Interior & comfort 

Citroen has a reputation for designing quirky cars like the 2CV, and more recently, the Pluriel and C4 Cactus. So, it’s nice to see that the C3 Aircross also has some touches like fabric dash trim, light colours and even swappable ‘colour clips’ for the front bumper and C-pillar to make it more visually appealing. Its infotainment works pretty well, with easy-to-understand menus, but suffers from a bit of lag from time to time. Read more about the Citroen C3 Aircross’ interior & comfort…

Boot space, practicality & dimensions 

It might be based on the Citroen C3 supermini, but stretching its underpinnings means the C3 Aircross is actually a bit longer than a Dacia Duster or MG ZS. It comes with five seats as standard, and Citroen claims this version has class-leading rear knee and elbow room. Petrol versions can also be upgraded with a third row, making it one of the only seven-seat small SUVs, even if they’re only really suitable for kids. Read more about the Citroen C3 Aircross’ boot space, practicality & dimensions…

Reliability & safety

Citroen has steadily marched up the rankings in our Driver Power survey, so customers are clearly impressed with the brand across the board, and particularly with the low running costs and value for money of its models. We don’t have a Euro NCAP safety rating yet, but lots of safety kit is fitted as standard. Read more about the Citroen C3 Aircross’ reliability & safety…

Citroen C3 Aircross alternatives

The small SUV class has been hugely successful in Europe over the past decade, so there are plenty of impressive cars to pick from.

• Dacia Duster
• MG ZS
• Peugeot 2008
• Vauxhall Frontera
• Volkswagen T-Cross

Should you buy a Citroen C3 Aircross?

If you’re after an affordable and cheap-to-run SUV that prioritises comfort over sporty handling or acceleration, the Citroen C3 Aircross should be on your shopping list.

While the option of seven seats is one of its key selling-points, we’d actually recommend most people stick with the five-seater unless they really need to carry lots of kids. With two fewer seats the middle row has more legroom, and the boot is quite a bit bigger as well.

When it comes to the pick of engines, the electric model seems like a no-brainer given its low price point. It certainly does if you plan on local driving anyway – if you think you’ll hit the motorway very frequently, one of the petrol cars will be less hassle, at least until the 250-mile range version of the e-C3 Aircross arrives.

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What is the best Citroen C3 Aircross for low running costs?

Especially once April 2025’s tax changes come into play, the e-C3 Aircross will be the cheapest version to tax and run. The only caveat is for long-distance drivers, where the high cost of rapid-charging and relatively short range will make the Hybrid a better option.

What is the best Citroen C3 Aircross for families?

If you need to transport kids on the school run, the Hybrid version with seven seats could well be the best move because it offers extra versatility for those unexpected play dates.

What is the Carbuyer pick of the Citroen C3 Aircross range?

While it might not be the quickest, we suspect the smooth, quiet acceleration and cheap running costs of the e-C3 Aircross will make it the most appealing option. It’s a shame it can’t be had with seven seats, but unless you really need them, we prefer to have a more spacious middle row anyway.

How we tested the Citroen C3 Aircross

We drove the Citroen C3 Aircross at its launch event on European roads in February 2025.