Citroen e-C3 Aircross review: All-electric family SUV offers great value

Citroen’s small SUV has proven hugely popular with buyers. Now it’s gone all-electric and grown to offer more space, yet the prices prove family electric driving needn’t cost a fortune. Citroen’s C3 Aircross has been something of a hit among those who want a stylish, spacious, small SUV that’s good value. The new model takes all that and just makes it all a bit better. It has a whole new look inspired by the wacky Citroen Oli concept of 2023 – and Citroen is at its best when it goes wacky. It’s got more room than ever – so much so that non-electric versions can squeeze seven seats inside. There’s more kit than ever, too, and at prices that will surprise those who say EVs are all too expensive, it’s better value than ever.

The elephant in the room is the range of what is, currently, the only version available with a 44kWh battery pack – just 188 miles. But if you think about your daily usage – and this is a family runaround after all – most people will be fine with that and may not have to charge up more than once a week. If you can wait and are willing to pay more, a bigger battery version will go on sale later this year, upping the range to around 250 miles.

What you’ll get either way with the new e-C3 Aircross is a car that’s really easy to live with and hugely comfortable. The ride is soft, the seats are soft yet supportive, the view out is good and the controls are easy to use. With cost savings on ‘fuelling’ costs, it’s a great value family EV. We headed to Barcelona to drive the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, where we put the car through its paces on a variety of urban, country and motorway roads, while also loading up the boot and checking out the space in the back seats.

Independent rating: 9/10. Battery, range, charging, performance and drive. There’s currently just the one battery available. It’s a 44kWh unit that gives the e-C3 Aircross a range of 188 miles. If you think about your average usage, you may find that it’ll work fine for you – especially at the prices, which start at just £22,990 for the Plus model. If you can find a super-fast charger, the e-C3 Aircross will charge at speeds up to 100kW – again, not bad given the price of the car. That means you’ll get from 20 to 80 per cent charge in around 26 minutes. On a 7kW home charger that would likely take four hours and ten minutes, making a decent overnight charge on a low-rate energy tariff ideal with an e-C3 Aircross.

Performance isn’t exactly scintillating – you might be better off measuring the zero to 62mph sprint with a calendar rather than a stopwatch. 12.9 seconds is, er, relaxed. But relaxation is what this car is all about. With fancy hydraulic bump stops in the suspension, the e-C3 Aircross feels smoother across broken roads than most rivals – ideal for when the family’s on board. In fact, the ride feels very much like Citroens of old, which were famous for their limo-like ride quality.

As the 0-62mph time suggests, this is no sports car and the softer set-up means the car will lean a bit if you take corners quickly. Not that you’re likely to, this car encourages a more relaxed driving manner, which will also boost efficiency from the small-ish battery. Interior, practicality and boot space. The e-C3 Aircross’s boost in size – it now measures 4,390mm in length, around 200mm longer than before – means there’s plenty of space in the back, while the upright SUV style means you’ll never have to worry about headroom.

There’s also been a handy increase in boot space, too. It’s a shame you can’t get seven seats in the EV – that’s down to having a battery under the car’s floor – but you’ve still got an excellent 460 litres of space that can be increased to a small van-like 1,600 litres if you fold the rear seats down. There are also plenty of neat storage spaces for those in the front or the back of the car, too, while although some of the plastics feel a bit cheap inside, Citroen has covered them across the dashboard with a strip of material that makes the car look posher and warms things up a treat.

The seats use Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seating system, which basically means they’re a bit wider and squishier than many other car seats, yet they still feel reasonably supportive. Combined with the soft ride, this car will be one of the most comfortable family cars you can buy over the UK’s broken up roads. The small oval steering wheel helps to make the car feel easy to manoeuvre, too, while the digital instruments are placed high up on the dash where they’re easy to see.

And with a big glass area, everyone gets a good view out, and with a high-up driving position, parking the car is easy, too, helped by a decent camera system. Technology, stereo and infotainment. For a relatively low price, you get a decent amount of kit. The highlight is the 10.25-inch touchscreen, which comes with wireless smartphone connectivity for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. We were delighted to see separate controls for the heating and ventilation system below the touchscreen, which will make life much easier adjusting the temperature on the move.