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The new Citroen C3 Aircross small Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) features a seven-seat option as well as an optional full-electric drivetrain with a range of about 300 km (186 miles) to help it compete in Europe’s largest segment.
The C3 Aircross has moved from the current model’s GM-PSA Group platform to Stellantis’ Smart Car architecture, which would be the base for 13 global, lower-cost models from Citroen, Fiat and Opel/Vauxhall in the coming years.
Competitors include a sibling model from Opel/Vauxhall, the Frontera; the Dacia Duster; the MG ZS; and the forthcoming Renault 4, Citroen executives said ahead of the C3 Aircross’s launch las Wednesday.
The new C3 Aircross borrows elements from the Oli concept, including a vertical front grille.
Citroen said the starting price in France of the base version of the C3 with a 1.2-litre gasoline engine is €19,400.
The mild hybrid derivative will start at €25,500 while the full-electric variant will start at €27,400 in France.
In addition to the seven-seat option, which Citroen says is a first in Europe, the new model is more of a traditional SUV than the current vehicle, Citroen says. The Frontera also offers seven seats.
“It’s a radical change compared to the previous model,” Thierry Blanchard, Product Manager for B segment (small) cars at Citroen, said at a preview of the new model outside Paris, recently.
The third row of two seats, which fold individually, is mainly geared toward children (or adults on a short trip), Blanchard said.
The small SUV segment has a number of full-electric entrants, but because of its size, EVs account for less than 6 per cent of sales, he said.
Small SUVs made up Europe’s largest segment, with 795,643 sales through April, a 9.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2023, according to figures from Dataforce.
The segment was led by the Toyota Yaris Cross through April, with 65,697 sales. There were 25,099 C3 Aircrosses sold in that period, according to Dataforce.
Citroen has redesigned the C3 Aircross’s interior.
A head-up display projects information on a band below the windshield, while a 10.25-inch central touchscreen is available on higher-trim models. Base models have a clip to hold a mobile phone.
The base C3 Aircross’ three-cylinder gasoline engine offers 100 hp; the 48-volt mild hybrid version offers 136 hp.
Full-electric models have an 83-kilowatt electric motor with a 44 kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery from Svolt.
Range is about 300 km pending certification; a 400 km-range model with a larger battery will be available in 2025, Citroen said.
The C3 Aircross’s exterior design is more SUV-focused than the current model, with an upright grille inspired by the Oli concept and a high, horizontal hood that is common to the C3.
“It’s all new from the current C3, it’s a little boxier, more robust,” said Antoine Gaillot-Drevon, Exterior Designer. “We aimed for a better stance and more voluminous, generous forms at first glance.”
With all rear seats folded down, the C3 Aircross has 1,600 litres of cargo space.
