THE FUN OF THE AIR

CITROEN'S SECOND-GENERATION C3 AIRCROSS OFFERS FAMILIES A PERFECTLY PRACTICAL SUV, IF YOU DON'T MIND MAKING A FEW COMPROMISES ON THE WAY

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CITROEN is on a roll with its SUVs, and the latest to get a makeover is the C3 Aircross.

The original was a quirky, practical, small family SUV that proved to be very popular.

It's now been eight years since it launched, and with the market even more competitive, the French firm is back with its second-generation model.

The C3 Aircross sits on Stellantis's "Smart Car" platform.

The exterior takes styling cues from the Oli concept from 2022, while there is also an electric variant for the first time.

All models come with Advanced Comfort seats and suspension, and the Aircross is available with a choice of five and seven-seat configurations.

Two trim levels are on offer, with its focus being value for money.

It's available in petrol and hybrid, and we've got the latter. It combines a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 48V battery for a total of 136bhp and 205Nm torque. It goes 0-60mph in 9.9 seconds and the car will go up to 125mph. This setup should make the car cheap to run too, as Citroen claims it can manage up to 57.4mpg on the combined cycle.