After the new C3, in 2024 Citroën will begin the renewal of another of its bestsellers: the C3 Aircross. With two new cars in the B-segment, Citroën will be back on the offensive, offering two cars that are smart, electric and affordable to meet the needs of consumers without breaking the bank.
A more adventurous and family-friendly SUV
The new Citroën C3 has been eagerly awaited because it delivers on the brand's promise to make electric vehicles affordable, while establishing Citroën as a popular brand that is accessible without being cheap. We saw with the C3 that popular and accessible does not mean infamous or outdated, Citroën managed to show that it knows how to combine an affordable price with style, equipment and comfort.
The future C3 Aircross should follow the same path, with a more family dimension. These dimensions should increase significantly to over 4.30 m, making it one of the largest B-segment SUVs in its segment. Based on the SmartCar platform, the new Citroën C3 Aircross should have the same wheelbase as the Indian or South American versions, i.e. 2m67 or exactly the same as the C4, there will be internal battles in the range.
These more generous dimensions will allow it to offer up to 7 seats, which Citroën revealed in the teaser released during the presentation of the C3, an offer that has become extremely rare at this level of the range and even almost unique in the B segment. SUV. This will allow Citroën to offer an accessible 7-seater version and meet the needs of families who will benefit from a vehicle spacious enough to accommodate 7 people but compact enough to manoeuvre better, while offering stronger competition to the Dacia Jogger, even if the latter is not an SUV but a station wagon.
With this new C3 Aircross, Citroën is playing the adventurous card with a vehicle that is clearly more adventurous and a real SUV, unlike the current C3 Aircross, which in certain aspects still retains a disguised minivan line. There is no doubt that the new C3 Aircross will clearly be an SUV with an adventurous character and an assertive personality.
A more expressive style
From the images released by Citroën during the presentation of the C3, we can assume that the new C3 Aircross will benefit from the same design with a verticalised front to which the new style identity will be applied. However, this will not be a copy and paste and the brand has not simply applied the front of the C3 to the C3 Aircross.
The C3 Aircross was to have a different, more massive bumper to emphasise its adventurous side and give it a real personality. However, unlike the C3, we should find a good part of the exterior lines of the versions sold outside Europe, versions which show a very careful design, very worked, especially in the body folds, and which will bring a nice perceived quality to this new C3 Aircross, breaking with the softness of the lines of the current generation.
Finally, the rear should also benefit from modifications, which could be less here than at the front and we could concentrate on modifying the rear lights to adopt the same style as those of the C3. This is a good thing, as the lights are technological and bring a real difference to the C3 with their dark side, which is linked to the black stripe of the chevrons that we should also find.
In conclusion, the new C3 Aircross should be much more adventurous and assertive than the current generation. The new C3 Aircross will also benefit from very detailed styling with an obvious sense of quality to reassure consumers, borrowing some features from the non-European versions. As a worthy SUV, it will be particularly spacious, even going so far as to offer 7-seater versions to differentiate itself from the competition. Above all, it will offer an electric engine that the brand will be able to market at attractive prices, and the C3 Aircross will benefit from the brand's advances in the development of the C3. This new generation of the C3 Aircross should have enough qualities to bring it back up to the level of its main competitors and allow Citroën to gain valuable sales.