Citroen C3 Aircross

FIRST DRIVE French firm takes all that's great about the C3 supermini and refines it in chunky new small SUV

- Alastair Crooks

AEX DESPITE sitting on a supermini platform, the new C3 Aircross takes aim at the SUV sector with petrol, hybrid and full-electric power. There's also the choice of five or seven seats, so the C3 Aircross - or the e-C3 Aircross should you prefer an EV - has lots of showroom appeal.

Just like the C3 and e-C3 superminis, with which the C3 Aircross shares its new Smart Car architecture (nothing to do with the Smart brand) the C3 Aircross focuses on value. Prices start at a touch over £20,000 for the pure-petrol option or just under £23,000 for the e-C3 Aircross, with the hybrid model from £23,700. Those figures are for the entry-spec Plus trim, with the plusher Max available on the hybrid and EV for £2,000 more.

The C3 Aircross is longer, wider and taller than the C4 hatch, but sits below it in Citroen's range. It faces tough competition, including the latest Dacia Duster and the updated MG ZS. Fellow Stellantis brand Vauxhall has also made use of the platform for its new Frontera, so that's an alternative, too. As with that model, a seven-seat option (£765) is offered on petrol and hybrid versions of the Citroen.

The pure-petrol car features the familiar 99bhp 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine that's used throughout the Stellantis group. It's paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The Hybrid 136 uses a 134bhp turbocharged three-cylinder unit linked to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that integrates a 28bhp electric motor. Citroen claims up to 50 per cent of the hybrid's driving will be done on electric power around town.

As ever, Citroen's approach is focused on comfort, but trying to couple this with a good-value small vehicle seems a tall order when you factor in the lack of sound deadening, suspension technology and refinement usually found at this price point.