Between Karoq And A Hard Place

BATTLING CITROEN JOINS THE BOOMING BABY SUV BUNCH, BUT IS IT CZECH MATE FOR THE NEW C3 AIRCROSS?

- Ron Mathioudakis

WHAT DOES Citroen have to do to catch a break in Australia? Famous as an early pioneer of front-drive, monocoque construction, aerodynamics, and hydro pneumatics for superior suspension, steering and braking, the brand has been present here for most of its 100-year history – and in this magazine since August 1953 (only our third issue). Additionally, assembled in Melbourne for a time, the DS’s beauty has proven transcendental and tough alike, inspiring the Concorde while conquering rallies – including 1968’s gruelling London to Sydney marathon (until it crashed near the finish line). Yet Aussies choose to ignore such illustrious and inclusive heritage and instead treat Citroens with uncertainty and even suspicion. Just last year, it managed only 494 sales, against Mercedes’ 40,000 and 217,000 Toyotas.

Maybe the box-fresh C3 Aircross will breakthrough. Based on the pretty C3 supermini, it is distinctive but not divisive, thrusting the Spanish-built bijou crossover into a happening segment for the first time … that is, if you ignore the Mitsubishi ASX-derived C4 Aircross of 2012 (which almost everybody did).

Priced from a steep $32,990, the Aircross resides between the $20-something-K mainstream ASXs and $45K-plus premium Volvo XC40s of this world, but it comes loaded with gear like AEB, blindspot monitoring (BSM), lane-departure warning (LDW), Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, aerial-view camera, auto on/off lights and wipers, climate control, DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry/start, a head-up display (HUD), sat-nav, self-parking and a Qi wireless phone charger. Fancy paint with some flamboyant detailing – as per our example – is the only option.