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You might think that a Citroen C3 AirCross is just a C3 with extra plastic and you can go home on this bombshell, but things spiral out of control faster than fights in the old town.

Perhaps the regular C3 didn’t catch on much in Europe because it’s too expensive for what it offers, but the C3 AirCross seems to enjoy a mini success because it’s a cheap crossover that looks better than a Duster, even when both are in the base trim level. And speaking of the Duster, the main rival of the Citroen C3 AirCross, at the time of writing this article, the Citroen C3 AirCross starts at 17,700 pounds, 200 pounds cheaper than the Duster, and the only cars cheaper, which I wouldn’t necessarily call crossovers, are the Suzuki Ignis starting at 15,500 pounds and the Kia Stonic starting at 16,800 pounds.

Why choose the C3 AirCross over others in the price range?

That’s a very good question to which I don’t know if I have a mega relevant answer or even a semi-relevant one. Okay, let’s remove the Suzuki Ignis from the list because it’s the cheapest and most utilitarian car on the list. If you want a pseudo-crossover and don’t care much about features or quality, the Suzuki Ignis beats the whole market. And the Ignis also gets the hybrid bonus, and you can get a new Ignis for about 11,500 euros, so there’s really no point in discussing it.

Moving on to the next round, and we quickly understand that the main rival of the C3 AirCross is not the Duster but the Kia Stonic. Both have 84 horsepower, both have millions of customization options ( the C3 AirCross has billions of options ), both are slightly taller superminis ( the Kia Rio for the Stonic and the C3 for the C3 AirCross), both have roughly the same dimensions, with the Citroen C3 AirCross having an additional 12 cm in height and 2 cm in length, practically a whole Kenny Baker in difference. And the Citroen C3 AirCross remains, like the rest of the family, the most stylish in its class. But is that style enough to grab your eye and your money?

Citroen C3 AirCross Engines

Petrol

• 1.2 ED2F of 83 horsepower – If your primary need is for a wasing machine on wheels that you don’t care about but still want it to look somewhat decent, then look no further. 83 horsepower is enough for the city and occasional trips out of town, and this also keeps the price at a more acceptable level.


• 1.2 ED2FT of 110 and 131 horsepower – Or if you want an automagic gearbox and options like seats and windows, you’ll have to raise your budget and go for the turbo version of the PureTech. As in the article about the regular C3, and any car with this engine essentially, you need to be careful with the timing chain, which wears prematurely and can leave you without an engine. And yes, this also applies to the non-turbo engine, the one with 83 horsepower. That’s why I recommend getting the newest model year within your budget.

Diesel

• 1.5D DW5 BlueHDi of 110 and 120 horsepower – Available from 2021 to replace the old 1.6 HDi, this engine is a decent diesel but I don’t see it under the hood of a C3, plain or AirCross, just like I don’t see myself under Sofia Boutella‘s hood. Of course, in my case, it’s impossible because Sofia Boutella’s will never look at me, and she won’t respond to the 6522 messages I’ve sent so far. But with the C3 AirCross? You can have the 1.5 HDi diesel.


• 1.6D DW6 BlueHDi of 99 and 120 horsepower – But I’ll talk collectively about these two engines. Like any modern diesel, they’re decent on long journeys but very bad in the city because the particle filter, EGR valve, injectors, and so on which get clogged. Modern diesel engines also have AdBlue, so make sure to make room for an AdBlue canister in those 50 liters of boot space.

Citroen C3 AirCross Reliability Issues

• I mentioned above that it’s 12 cm taller than the Stonic but roughly the same width, which wouldn’t be a concern at low city speeds, but if you’re on a long journey and take a corner fast, you’ll immediately understand why a tall and narrow car isn’t a good idea. Citroen C3 AirCross, the dynamic successor to the Daewoo Damas.


• It’s a French car, so the complementary moment about electrical issues must come.


• It’s a budget French car, so the complementary moment about the slightly dubious quality of assembly must come, but that can be said about all modern cars really.

Citroen C3 AirCross Verdict

Like the regular C3 version, the Citroen C3 AirCross didn’t do too well here in Europe, and you could argue that the price says enough or maybe everything. In other words, the Crossland platform sibling does slightly better in terms of sales, but not by much, and the value-for-money ratio may not be the best. My opinion and verdict are that a Citroen C3 does exactly the same job as a C3 AirCross and may look the same or even better, and is definitely much more economical.

Which engines do I recommend? For petrol power the entry level 1.0 PureTech and it’s 83 horsepower should do the job, and for diesel just go for the tried and tested 1.6 HDi and it’s 99 horsepower of pure baguette muscle. Or maybe just baguette, as the engine might aswell be made out of baguettes.