This is our first look at the all-new Citroen C3 Aircross, the B-segment compact crossover companion to the already revealed C3 supermini and its e-C3 electric spin-off. One of the big changes for the C3 Aircross this time around is that it will be offered with a seven-seat option - and, of course, like the C3, as an electric variant too.
Seven-seat option available
The visual design language of the C3 Aircross echoes that of the C3, with an altogether edgier look than the more rounded model it is going to replace. The themes all come from the Citroen Oli concept car, which means strong, vertical elements to the Aircross’s face, as well as the new corporate logo on the nose. Citroen keeps the youthful aesthetic touches overall by offering a two-tone roof, while colour clips on the bumpers and in the quarter-panels can be swapped to customise the look of the Aircross.
It's not just visually more assertive, though, but physically bigger, too. It has wider tracks and wings than the old car, while the body has been stretched to 4.39 metres from tip to tail. It is this last feature which, including the longest wheelbase (space between the axles) in the class, allows the C3 Aircross to be offered with seven seats this time, something Citroen claims is a first for this segment of the market (it is a smaller machine than the Mercedes GLB, for instance).
Citroen says that the Aircross will be filled with its ‘tricks’ to make family life easier with greater in-car flexibility and storage solutions, although it has tried to keep the crossover compact enough to make it easy to park. The French firm also reckons the C3 Aircross will offer a ‘serene onboard experience’, complete with its raised ground clearance and high driving position, as well as the company’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ programme that will put the emphasis on mile-munching luxury, over and above any sporty or dynamic handling characteristics.
e-C3 Aircross confirmed
There’s not a great deal of information on drivetrains at this stage, but as the C3 Aircross sits on the same ‘Smart Car’ platform as the Citroen C3 and e-C3 superminis, there’s going to be a significant degree of electrification to proceedings here. There will be a fully electric model, called the e-C3 Aircross (you can see that badging on it in the pictures, for reference), but you can probably also expect the same 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that’s been confirmed for the C3, as well as a hybridised version.
We’ll have more information on the Citroen C3 Aircross a little later in the year as the company reveals more details on it ahead of an Irish-market launch.