► New C3 Aircross SUV
► Now with seven-seat option
► Starting from £20k
The all-new 2025 Citroen C3 Aircross has broken ground as the first B-segment car to be offered as a seven-seater family SUV. Right… let’s tackle this first…
If the new C3 Aircross is a seven-seater, then my old flat in Manchester was a five bed. I mean it wasn’t, but I technically could’ve slung a couple of additional visitors into the airing cupboard with a duvet and pillow and told them to get on with it. I reckon my pals would’ve done some terrible things to me in the night by way of retribution, and by the same token, I wouldn’t really want to condemn anyone to the back row of the new C3 Aircross, either.
On a technicality, though, it does have capacity for seven, and since it also starts from just a touch over £20k, the new Citroen C3 Aircross is no doubt a unique specimen.
Unveiled last year, the 2025 car showcases Citroen’s changing design language. It’s even got a new logo, ditching the extended louvres of the old example for a cleaner pair of chevrons, contained within an oval shape. The new C3 Aircross is bigger than the old model and has a revised interior yet still commands a highly affordable opening price. It’s also available as an electric car, though we’ve reviewed the Citroen e-C3 Aircross separately
There’s plenty to unpack with the new model, but to find out what the new C3 Aircross is really like to drive, I’ve been to the hills of north-eastern Spain to try it out. Read on for the full review from CAR, or head over to our how we test cars page for everything you need to know on how we reached our verdict.
At a glance
Pros: Very comfortable, roomy first couple of rows, great value
Cons: Noisy engine at idle, not very refined, third-row space non existent
What’s new?
At first glance, you’ll notice the SUVification of the C3 Aircross. The 2025 model has sharper edges around the windowsills and bonnet, the sum of which contribute to a stockier look. The high bonnet line complements this, but the protruding front bumper had me wondering whether the car was going to talk me into starting a shrimp fishing business. It’s a little awkward, to my eyes at least.
The 2025 C3 Aircross is bigger than the old model, and as already mentioned, can be spec’d as either a five- or seven-seater. I reckon I’ve already made my thoughts on the latter quite clear, but it should be noted that opting for the seven-seater slashes boot space to just 40 litres with the third-row seats up, and 330 litres with them folded down. That’s 130 litres less than you get in the five-seater version. For a capacity bonus you’d only ever want to exploit in a pinch? Doesn’t seem worth it to me.
The 2025 C3 Aircross’ front end apes several details from the angular – and rather gopping – Citroen Oli concept car. They share the same revised logo, and the new car’s headlights are reminiscent of the Oli’s with horizontal signatures and blocky main beam.
Moving inside, the interior has a subtly revised look in Citroen’s C-Zen lounge style, complete with new comfort seats and a 10.25-inch colour infotainment screen. Its horizontal instrument cluster is set back into the dash, and so the new C3 Aircross is still recognisably French in the best ways, but more on the interior later.
And finally…
The ICE version of the C3 Aircross is now offered with just two power units. A 97bhp engine – hooked up to a six-speed manual – or a 134bhp hybrid automatic.
What are the specs?
The C3 Aircross’ entry-level power option is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder unit that produces 97 horsepower and 151lb ft of torque, delivering both to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. With this power unit, the C3 Aircross has a top speed of 114mph which is reasonably enough, but the 0-62mph is very sluggish at 10.8 seconds. Without any additional electrical help, it has the worst fuel economy of the two, drinking 6 litres per 100km, and produces more CO2: 136g/km. The total kerbweight in this spec is 1298 kg.
The more powerful option utilises the same engine, only with the help of a hybrid system to produce 134bhp and 170 ft lbs of torque. Max speed in the hybrid auto is 120mph, while the 0-62mph time is set at 10.1 seconds. It has a combined fuel economy of between 53.3 and 52 mpg, but improves on the weaker engine’s CO2 output with 121 g/km produced. With this engine, the C3 Aircross is slightly heavier – 1389kg total.
What’s it like to drive?
My test car was a 134bhp hybrid model, and so I had no gears to change. Curiously, though the two cars share the same engine and a comparable kerb weight, the C3 Aircross is slower to 62 mph than its cousin, the Citroen C4 X, by two seconds. Is this pace disparity noticeable on the road? I reckon so.
Initial set off was okay, but the C3 Aircross felt sluggish under hard acceleration, to the extent that certain get aways had to be planned a little more carefully. When pulling onto motorways or roundabouts, I would’ve appreciated a healthier provision of shove to distance myself from other road users in better time… but we can’t always get what we want.
When pootling around town, what I had at my disposal felt adequate enough, though I’d advise keeping away from the 97bhp power option if at all possible. I didn’t get the chance to test one, but if 134 seemed insufficient, then I can only imagine how lethargic the weaker engine would feel.
I’m happy to report that the 2025 C3 Aircross rides beautifully. The last model didn’t have Citroen’s hydraulic cushion dampers, and we weren’t impressed by the way it squished and crashed on its suspension. But this 2025 model does come with the tech equipped, and it glides along with a composure hard to find elsewhere.
So this latest-generation car wasn’t engineered to combat road blemishes with an especially springy set up, but rather a rock-steady float on the road. It even cornered okay despite its shape and size. The car rolled a little bit through tighter bends, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by how flat it generally took corners.
The steering tune is too light, lazy and unengaging to inspire any dynamic pursuit, but it does the job for a laid-back, compact family SUV. Like all Citroen’s, the new C3 Aircross doesn’t attempt to be anything it isn’t in the way it drives. The 2025 model would make a very easy-going car to live with, and I reckon for that it should be applauded.
What’s the interior like
With its set-back horizontal instrument cluster and quirky dashboard design, the C3 Aircross’ interior is about as French as you’d hope it to be. The cabin feels cut-rate, with plenty of scratchy plastics and a general lack of opulent allure, but it’s practical, robust and there’s a strange charm to its arrangement.
The various surface textures serve well in breaking up the panels, and mercifully the entire dash doesn’t come awash in one enveloping charcoal grey colour like that of the C4 and Citroen C4 X. The seats are indeed comfortable, though I couldn’t really notice the benefit of their 15mm extra foam cushioning. There’s ample storage space in the C3 Aircross with myriad shelves and cubby holes, plus interior room is excellent by virtue of the car’s almost van-like shape.
Head-room is generous and second-row leg room is impressive. Of course, the same can’t be said for the third row. I did get into the far rear seats of a static seven-seat C3 Aircross, and I felt as though I were sitting on the carpet.
I’m 6’2”, and so of course I was never going to find comfort back there, but even a couple of children would no doubt be very cramped. Better seven-seaters exist, so I reckon stay away on this one and utilise the extra boot space of a five-seat version.
Before you buy
The C3 Aircross starts from £20,240 in base-spec PLUS trim with the weaker engine. PLUS can also be paired with the more powerful hybrid engine for three-and-a-half-grand more, but the C3 Aircross’ top level MAX trim is exclusively offered with the 134bhp hybrid power unit.
In the latter trim spec, you do get electrically heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, among a handful of other features, for the £25,740 asking price.
Verdict
The 2025 Citroen C3 Aircross is limited in its abilities, but there’s no pretence to the way it drives. In a world where most cars are built too firm for the sake of some half-achieved ‘sporty side’ marketing ploy, I found the relaxed, easy-going nature of the C3 Aircross quite refreshing. It’s not very refined, and humble in just about every regard, but the new car still a marked improvement over the last edition. If you’re after an affordable, inoffensive family wagon, this one is worth considering.
Just leave the seven-seater box empty…