After driving fully electric cars for three weeks in-a-row, it was a pleasant change to sit into a petrol-engine car last week. And to make it a more retro week for me, the car was a manual Citroën C3 Aircross.
Citroën make some very stylish cars, but for some reason those cars have never been big sellers in Ireland. However, I met a woman in Baggot Street last week, who said she loved French cars and wanted to know more about my C3.
In a radical shift to the way it approaches the compact SUV market, Citroën has completely reinvented the C3 Aircross, and I think you will be impressed when you check out this neat motor.
The C3 is available in petrol, hybrid and full electric. And the car I tested was a seven-seat version.
Back in darkest February, Colin Sheridan MD of Citroën Ireland, was in great form (to be fair he always is), as he revealed not one, but two new cars at Gowans headquarters in Citywest, the C3 Aircross and the C5 Aircross.
Citroën is part of the Stellantis group, and their cars are distributed in Ireland by the Gowan group.
My test car came in a lovely shade of green, officially Montana Green, with a white roof and black roof rails. Those colours combined to give the car a gorgeous external look, and the interior is also very colourful.
Measuring 4.39 metres long, the new C3 Aircross combines new proportions with a new attitude. This new attitude we are told, is more assertive, more muscular and more robust, with more upright styling and sharper angles.
A straight roof and height of 1.66 metres provide decent onboard space for all passengers, but the third row is only suitable for very young children. With over 200mm of ground clearance there is no doubt you do get that SUV look.
However, it does seem strange that the C3 has a seven-seat option, while the larger C5 only offers a five-seater version. When all seven seats are in use there is really no boot space.
In the cabin there are some lovely stylish touches with bright colours which should brighten your mood in the morning. Known as the Sofa Design, the dashboard area is covered in a special fabric and embellished at both ends with new zones of warm light, adding to the feeling of well-being.
Automatic cars are very relaxing, but I always feel that I am more aware of my surroundings when working through the gears in a car with a manual gearbox. My test car was a 1.2-litre petrol version.
I will be testing the C5 in a few weeks; it’s a C-Segment vehicle, a premium SUV, whereas the C3 is a budget-friendly B-Segment car.
It looks like Citroën has been assigned a new role within the Stellantis group, effectively positioning it as the value-focused brand. Considering the success of Skoda and Dacia within the VW and Renault groups respectively, Stellantis has opted for a similar strategy, and Citroën now looks like it’s on that path.
Prices for the C3 start at €27,790 for the five-seat version, while the seven-seat version I drove will cost you €29K. Prices for the EV version of the C3 start at €28,450. It’s competitively priced and it was very enjoyable week for me.
This cute C3 is definitely worth a test drive. And if you take a test drive you will get a free Citroën Teddy Bear at your local Citroën dealer. The Citroën Teddy Bear has been used in the advertising campaign for the new car.
