New Citroen C3 Aircross: full specs for hybrid and electric 7-seater SUV revealed

• All-new small SUV
• Room for up to seven passengers
• Same engines as the C3 supermini

The all-new Citroen C3 Aircross will soon be available to order, and we now have full details about the petrol, hybrid and fully-electric versions of the new seven-seater. It takes the quirky styling and efficient engines of the new C3 Supermini and repackages them into a trendy small SUV body, with a starting price that’s only expected to be £2,000 to £3,000 more expensive.

Practically every mainstream manufacturer wants a slice of the small SUV pie these days – there’s a model for every budget, size and engine choice, from the best-selling Ford Puma to the electric Jeep Avenger. Citroen will be hoping that the new C3 Aircross can win over buyers with its Dacia Jogger-rivalling seven-seat layout and focus on value for money.

What do I need to know about the new Citroen C3 Aircross?

By squeezing seven seats into its 4,390mm length, Citroen has given the new C3 Aircross a unique selling-point in the small SUV market, as most rivals can only seat five. While not quite an SUV, the Dacia Jogger is perhaps the closest competitor to the seven-seat C3 Aircross in terms of passenger capacity, although it's closer in size to the new Dacia Duster. Citroen will also offer the C3 Aircross with five seats, directly competing with the Duster and other rivals such as the new Renault Captur.

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The Citroen C3 Aircross is built around the ‘Smart Car’ platform that underpins the new C3 hatchback, albeit lengthened to accommodate the extra pair of rear seats. It’s the same setup used by the new Vauxhall Frontera, which serves as the sister car to the C3 Aircross. Look closely, and you’ll even spot that the two models share many of the same body panels, along with their windows, door handles and mirrors.

The C3 Aircross may share its upright, boxy proportions with the Vauxhall, but the front and rear have received a unique design treatment. The LED headlights are carried over from the C3 hatchback, and sit above a suitably chunky bumper. Citroen’s new oval logo is present on the nose and bootlid, complemented by horizontal black trim. Buyers will be able to order their C3 Aircross in a range of two-tone paint schemes, with contrasting colours for the roof and bodywork.

As expected, the dashboard has been carried over from the C3 supermini, meaning you get the same head-up display for driving information and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen as standard. Climb into the back of the C3 Aircross and things are quite different from the regular C3, with more legroom and a larger 460-litre boot in the five-seater version. The rear pair of seats in the seven-seater C3 Aircross shrink boot space to a token 40 litres, but they can be folded away when not being used to create 330 litres of cargo volume. Importantly, rear-seat passengers get their own cupholders, USB charging ports and air conditioning vents.

What engines are available with the new Citroen C3 Aircross?

Citroen will offer the C3 Aircross with a similar range of engines to its supermini twin, including petrol, hybrid and fully electric options, although the latter will only be available as a five-seater. 

The petrol offering uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine connected to a six-speed manual gearbox. Its power output of 100bhp won’t set anyone’s heart racing, but it’ll be the most affordable model in the lineup and probably the most popular as a result. Hybrid models use the same engine alongside a small electric motor to boost efficiency. It’s a mild-hybrid system, allowing for limited low-speed electric-only driving and delivering a slightly punchier 136bhp. The six-speed manual is swapped for a dual-clutch automatic gearbox for this model.

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Completing the lineup is the electric Citroen e-C3 Aircross. It uses the same 44kWh battery and 113bhp electric motor found in the e-C3 hatchback, with the same 100kW DC rapid-charging capability. Range stands at around 186 miles according to Citroen, which is only slightly behind the 199 miles of the C3 supermini. A model with a larger battery pack will be offered further down the line, which Citroen claims will be able to travel over 250 miles on a charge.

How much will the new Citroen C3 Aircross cost and when can I buy one?

Pricing for the Citroen C3 Aircross is still under wraps, but Citroen has suggested that it will only cost around £2,000 to £3,000 more than the C3 supermini. That would translate to a starting price of roughly £20,000 for the petrol model, while the e-C3 Aircross could cost less than £25,000. Seven-seater versions are expected to command a £1,000 premium over the five-seaters.

We’ll receive official UK pricing before the C3 Aircross hits the market in September. First customers can expect their car to be delivered before the end of 2024.

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