I didn’t hold out much hope for the Citroen C3 Aircross. It looks like a scaled up children’s toy.
Its styling grew on me over the week I spent with it, however, and it wouldn’t be a proper Citroen if it wasn’t a bit quirky.
The Aircross is the SUV version of Citroen’s C3 hatchback. Rivals include the Seat Arona, Kia Stonic, Suzuki Vitara and Hyundai Kona.
Prices start at £14,350, which is not quite £3,000 more than the entry level C3 hatchback.
There’s a good choice of petrol and diesel engines available, and a range of customisation options make it easy for your Aircross to be unique.
My model, for example, came with a “soft sand” paintjob on the body and a roof that was “spicy orange.” You can pick your own pairing to create literally hundreds of combinations.
All petrol options are 1.2 litre units but there are three power outputs to pick from. The entry level unit has just 82bhp, while the others are endowed with a more respectable 109 and 129bhp.
On the diesel front, there are a pair of 1.6 litre units with 98 or 118bhp.
I drove the 129bhp petrol version in Flair trim, costing £18,845.
The turbocharged little petrol engine is excellent. There’s plenty of power and economy is a respectable 53.3mpg. It’s also quieter and more refined than diesel versions – and doesn’t have the threat of being banned from city centres in a few years’ time hanging over it.
The Aircross has a much more commanding driving position than most of its rivals. The Kia Stonic and Seat Ateca feel barely taller than the hatchbacks they’re based on but in the Aircross you sit loftily above the riffraff.
Practicality is another plus. There’s a lot more room in there than a standard C3. Adults can sit comfortably in the back, there’s plenty of headroom all round, and the boot is more capacious than its rivals too.
The dashboard is dominated by a large touchscreen that looks great. As is the case with many cars these days, however, too many controls are amalgamated into the system and you have to go through several sub-menus to adjust the heating controls. Bring back buttons I say.
With wooly handling, the C3 Aircross isn’t a boy racer’s dream but the payoff is excellent ride quality that makes it a fine steed for long journeys.
If you like its Tonka-toy looks, practicality and comfort make the C3 Aircross a strong choice.
£18,845
0-62mph:
10.4 seconds
Top speed:
124mph
Economy:
53.3mpg
CO2 emissions:
119g/km