All-new seven-seat Citroen C3 Aircross to be unveiled in days
The second-generation Citroen C3 Aircross will be available with five or seven seats, and there will be a pure-electric version
It’s official: the all-new Citroen C3 Aircross will be unveiled on 18 April. Set to be bigger than its predecessor and available as a seven-seater, the new C3 Aircross will rival the family-focused Dacia Jogger, as well as small SUVs like the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.
Citroen has previously confirmed that the new C3 Aircross will be available with either five or seven seats, meanwhile a brief teaser video shared by the French brand supports the exclusive images we created to illustrate how the new model could look. We can see that the Aircross will indeed sport the same chunky design and many of other features seen on the fourth-generation Citroen C3 supermini that’s arriving later this year.
We can see that the new C3 Aircross will wear Citroen’s new retro-inspired badge on its nose and the same light signature as its smaller C3 sibling. But we’ve been told that the Aircross will have a tougher look and, of course, a longer rear overhang in order to accommodate an extra row of seats.
We’ve yet to get a glimpse inside the new Citroen C3 Aircross, but it should feature the same dashboard layout as the C3, which incorporates an ultra-slim head-up display - rather than a traditional instrument cluster - a 10.25-inch touchscreen and small bank of physical climate controls.
The new C3 Aircross will use the same ‘Smart Car’ platform as the C3, and the upcoming Vauxhall Frontera. This will allow the C3 Aircross to be offered with pure-petrol, hybrid and fully-electric powertrains.
Entry-level models are likely to use the turbocharged 99bhp 1.2 three-cylinder PureTech petrol engine from the base C3, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Above this should be a choice of hybrid setups, potentially producing 99bhp or 128bhp, both using a dual-clutch automatic gearbox with a in-built 28bhp electric motor to help boost fuel efficiency and provide some spurts of electric running.
Finally the electric version, likely to be called the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, will probably get the same 44kWh battery and 111bhp motor as the e-C3 – although Citroen may take advantage of the longer wheelbase on the Aircross to fit a larger battery pack down the line.
Now read our list of the best seven-seater cars to buy...
