The older Citroen C3 Aircross proved a hit when it launched, offering oodles of space and premium SUV stylings on a shoestring budget. Costs were kept down by a relatively wimpy motor and a basic interior – but these were worthy compromises in pursuit of producing a comfortable family car at an unbeatable price.
Now an all-new C3 Aircross has arrived – and it’s gone electric. It directly addresses its predecessor’s biggest shortcomings while doubling down on its strengths, so the new e-C3 is slightly more spacious, built on a more cost-effective platform, is still an absolute bargain and is available in two different flavours: a standard range car offering 189 miles or an extended range version that delivers 249 miles of driving.
Comfort is still key, to the detriment of much excitement behind the wheel. Citroen’s much-touted ‘magic carpet’ suspension makes light work of dilapidated roads and there’s plenty of room for long-legged rear passengers or space-invading child seats, while the ride is dreamily relaxed, if bordering on sedentary. If your nan was in the back seat with a cup of tea – like your driving instructor always warned you about – she wouldn’t spill a drop.
How we tested
I drove the new Citroen e-C3 Aircross around the Chilterns, testing it on a mix of demanding B-roads, motorways, village streets and narrow country lanes to assess its practicality, range and trademark comfort on challenging British tarmac.
Citroen e-C3 Aircross: From £21,095, Citroen.co.uk
Independent rating: 9/10
- Pros: Superb ride comfort, spacious for a small SUV, new long-range option, excellent value for money
- Cons: Slow acceleration, some cheap-feeling interior plastics, seven-seat option reserved for petrol/hybrid models
Citroen e-C3 Aircross specs
- Price range: £21,095 to £25,495
- Battery size: 44kWh or 54kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 189/249 miles
- Miles per kWh: Approx. 4.1 (WLTP)
- Maximum charging rate: 100kW
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
Since we first drove the e-C3 Aircross at the beginning of the year, the headline improvement is the choice of two battery sizes. The extended range model uses a 54kWh battery to deliver an official range of up to 249 miles. That hardly makes it a long distance cruiser, but it’s around a 25 per cent increase in range over the original e-C3 Aircross and peace of mind if you regularly drive with a full car.
The standard range version retains the same 44kWh battery we drove previously for a claimed range of 189 miles. Not great in 2025, but it’s just about adequate for anyone whose driving is mostly local. It also keeps the price way down, which you have to assume is the point. Both electric versions support DC rapid charging at up to 100kW, which is perfectly respectable for this class. This means a 20 to 80 per cent top-up takes under half an hour for either battery.
Performance, however, is way down the list of Citroen’s priorities for the e-C3 Aircross. The 113hp motor delivers leisurely acceleration, with a 0-62mph sprint taking a dawdling 11.7 seconds. It’s a world apart from the giddying takeoff speeds EVs are known for – you wouldn’t want to rob the Louvre with an e-C3 Aircross waiting outside – but the relaxed pace feels in tune with the car’s gentle disposition, and the instant torque of an electric motor is evident once you’re at speed. You won’t struggle to join a motorway or overtake, but you might feel your foot hit the floor when navigating a staggered junction across a busy A-road.
What the e-C3 Aircross lacks in zippy thrills it makes up for in ride quality. This is the first Aircross to feature Citroen’s fancy advanced comfort suspension across all models, and the effect is noticeable. Coupled with Citroen’s luxurious standard seats, the car glides over bumps and absorbs potholes with a suppleness and poise that shames many more expensive SUVs – doctors should be prescribing the e-C3 Aircross for piles.
Interior, practicality and boot space
The e-C3 Aircross is something of an optical illusion, with that rugged SUV shape suggesting it’s beefier than it actually is. Still, Citroen has created a cabin with what feels like an unlikely amount of space for a small SUV, while keeping relatively compact dimensions. The five-seater electric model offers what Citroen claims is the best rear knee and elbow room in the segment, with 8cm more for knees and 2.5cm more for elbows than the segment average. I wouldn’t contest this: the e-C3 feels suitably roomy in the rear, with the car’s boxy, upright SUV shape giving ample headroom all round.
The new e-C3 Aircross doesn’t get the optional seven-seat layout found on the petrol and hybrid versions, presumably as a big battery and economics won’t allow it. Despite this, the five-seater EV remains practical. The boot offers a generous 460 litres of space, which expands to a cavernous 1,600 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Like seemingly every other car brand in 2025, Citroen’s interior styling is intended to evoke a zen-like feeling of being in your own lounge. In the e-C3 this mostly means a fabric strip along the length of the dashboard, which is surprisingly effective at offsetting the otherwise plasticky interior. Citroen keeps costs down inside the e-C3 Aircross, but mostly does an admirable job of ensuring things don’t feel cheap or scratchy. The compact, leather-effect steering wheel (heated in the Max trim level) feels nicely premium, and those comfortable seats could have been swiped from a much more expensive car.
Technology, stereo and infotainment
All models feature a 10.25in central touchscreen running on relatively simple Citroen software, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to enable a wider range of functionality – useful as the entry-level Plus trim doesn’t offer its own navigation. Sensibly, Citroen has kept physical buttons for key functions like climate control, so there’s less fiddling around with a screen while driving.
The two trim levels, Plus and Max, are both well-specified for their price. The entry-level Plus includes a reversing camera, active lane keeping assist, blind spot detection and an emergency active safety brake. Stepping up to the Max adds a bi-tone roof, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a charging pad for your phone.
Two small annoyances here: the charging pad is incredibly finicky about positioning, requiring a lot of trial and error to get right; and the speed sign recognition is inaccurate often enough that you’ll ignore it. The audible beeps whenever a speed limit changes are maddening, too, and must be deactivated every time you start the car. Sorry, that’s three small annoyances.
Prices and running costs
You’d suffer any number of bleeps and bloops for the price Citroen is charging for the e-C3 Aircross. The entry-level standard range model starts at £21,595, including the electric car grant, heading up to £25,495 for the extended range in Max trim, making it one of the most affordable electric family SUVs on the market.
This aggressive pricing, combined with the car’s space and comfort, makes the e-C3 Aircross a compelling value proposition, and puts any concerns about leisurely performance in a much more reasonable context.
Citroen e-C3 Aircross rivals
- Vauxhall Frontera
- Hyundai Inster
- Fiat Grande Panda
FAQs:
How long does it take to charge?
On a 100kW DC rapid charger, both versions will go from 20 to 80 per cent charge in under 30 minutes. A full charge on a 7kW home wallbox takes around 4-5 hours.
How much does it cost - is it worth it?
With prices starting from an estimated £21,595 with the government’s electric car grant, the e-C3 Aircross represents great value. Its worth depends on whether you can live with the lacklustre range and basic interior in exchange for comfort, practicality and a heavier wallet.
What’s the battery and main warranty like?
The e-C3 Aircross is covered by Citroen’s new 8-year / 100,000-mile vehicle and battery warranty, which guarantees capacity won’t drop below 70 per cent in that time.
Why trust us
Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we recommend, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic.
The verdict: Citroen e-C3 Aircross
Citroen has directly addressed range concerns and played to its strengths with the new e-C3 Aircross. It’s fantastically comfortable, practical and spacious, and while the laid-back performance and middling range is unlikely to get your heart racing, it remains one of the smartest buys in family SUVs.
Volvo ES90 review: Brilliant new EV that’s perfect for SUV haters
KGM Musso EV review: An affordable Tesla Cybertruck rival with added cool
Best used electric cars 2025: Top 10 second-hand EVs to buy
Smart #5 review: Tesla-rivalling family SUV is both big and clever
Kia EV6 review: A great EV gets even better, with improved range and faster charging
Tesla Model Y Performance review: The best Tesla yet is an SUV supercar slayer
