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Citroen C3 Aircross unveiled
Date: 14 June 2017 | Author: Matthew Griffiths
Citroen has unveiled an all-new compact SUV called the C3 Aircross to rival the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Crossland X and Fiat 500X.
The all-new model is built on the C3 platform and replaces the C3 Picasso MPV as Citroen becomes the latest carmaker to enter the SUV market.
Based on the C-Aircross Concept showcased at this year's Geneva motor show, it measures 4.15m long, 1.76m wide and 1.64m tall, and boasts now familiar Citroen styling cues such as two-tier headlights and 3-D effect taillights.
Adding to its SUV credentials are front and rear skid plates, wheel arch extensions, at least 16in wheels and a 20mm raised ride height compared with the C3.
There will be five engines to choose from and three trim levels: Touch, Feel and Flair.
Three petrol variants ? Puretech 82, Puretech 110 and Puretech 130 ? are derived from the same 1.2-litre engine. The two lesser-powered models get a five-speed manual gearbox while the 130 gets a six-speed manual. A six-speed auto shifter is an option on the 110.
The C3 Aircross offers two variants of the same 1.6-litre diesel ? BlueHDI 100 and BlueHDI 120. The former gets a five-speed manual and the latter a six-speed.
Performance, emission and economy figures are yet to be confirmed.
Inside, the cabin benefits from large and comfortable seats, a feeling of spaciousness, tactile fabric inserts on the dash and doors, and a panoramic sunroof that spills light in. There are five interior colour options (standard, Metropolitan Grey, Urban Ref, Hype Mistral and Hype Colorado) as Citroen looks to recreate a living room feel inside its vehicles.
Key to the success and individuality of the C3 Aircross is the way it retains the practicality of the C3 Picasso with a high roof line, a 60/40 split-folding rear bench that can individually slide up to 150mm and rear seat backs that can also tilt.
Those seats can be folded flat (as can the passenger seat) meaning the vehicle can take items up to 2.4m long. Boot capacity varies between 410 and 520 litres depending on the position of the rear seats; the boot itself is flat, wide and has an adjustable floor.
Citroen expects the Flair trim to be the most popular among fleet users combined with either the 100 BlueHDI or 120 BlueHDi engines.
Prices and specifications will be announced in July but expect the C3 Aircross to undercut the £16,200 starting price of the Peugeot 2008 when the new SUV is launched in November.
