Citroen C3 Aircross road test, review

Citroën has done a good job of making the C3 Aircross stand out from the crowd by giving it some flair in its design. It is quite similar to the C3 hatchback, with which it shares some sheet metal panels as well as the C-Cubed platform it’s based on. The front, in particular, is very similar—right up to the B-pillar—but the Aircross gets a new lower bumper with a prominent skid plate and a pair of distinctive squarish design elements above it.

There’s a wide air intake placed above the bumper and number plate housing, and the grille and Citroën’s chevron logo are finished in black with chrome detailing. The headlamp and Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) cluster are carried over from the C3 hatchback, and so are the halogen lights. The only LEDs on this SUV are the DRLs. 

The C3 Aircross’ best angle is perhaps its profile. Citroën’s designers have done well to bring together the long, 2,671mm wheelbase and the short overhangs to make it look well-proportioned. It has the typical upright stance expected of an SUV and Citroën has also added some pizzazz to its design. There’s plastic cladding on the doors, which helps reduce the visual mass. There’s cladding around the wheel arches, a distinctive crease in the rear fender, an optional dual-tone roof and smart, stylish 17-inch alloys. 

The wraparound effect given to the small quarter glass and the rear windshield is well executed and the C-shaped tail-lights look attractive, too. However, even these aren’t LEDs, and it only gets one reversing light on the left-hand side. Rounding off the rear design is a chunky, faux skid plate and a roof-mounted spoiler.