The Citroën C3 Aircross is a name designated to two SUVs produced under the
Citroën
Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
marque, from the
French automaker
PSA Group
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, and later
Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
. The first is the Brazilian version of C3 Picasso
MPV, and the second is an urban
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...
launched in 2017 that replaces the
C3 Picasso C3, C-3, C.3, C03, C.III or C-III may refer to:
Life and biology
* C3 carbon fixation in plants
* C3-convertase, an enzyme
* Complement component 3, a protein of the innate immune system
* Apolipoprotein C3, a human very low density lipoprotein ...
in Europe.
__TOC__
C3 Picasso C3, C-3, C.3, C03, C.III or C-III may refer to:
Life and biology
* C3 carbon fixation in plants
* C3-convertase, an enzyme
* Complement component 3, a protein of the innate immune system
* Apolipoprotein C3, a human very low density lipoprotein ...
-based model (AI58 ; 2010)
The Citroën C3 Aircross for Latin America is a
C3 Picasso C3, C-3, C.3, C03, C.III or C-III may refer to:
Life and biology
* C3 carbon fixation in plants
* C3-convertase, an enzyme
* Complement component 3, a protein of the innate immune system
* Apolipoprotein C3, a human very low density lipoprotein ...
based
mini SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
, first announced by
Citroën
Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
's Brazilian division in August 2010. The C3 Aircross is manufactured in
Porto Real
Porto Real () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population was 19,974 (2020) and its area is 50.9 km2.IBGE
The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics ( pt, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia ...
, Brazil, and was launched in Brazil and Argentina in September 2010.
Compared with the C3 Picasso, the restyled C3 Aircross has raised suspension, chrome roof bars, mirror covers, side skirts and a rear spare tyre. The Brazilian version is capable of running on
E85
E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume.
In the United States, the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that ...
Bioethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
and is based on the
Peugeot 207
The Peugeot 207 is a supermini car ( B) that was designed and produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 2006 to 2014. It was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006, and entered production in April 2006, as the successor to the Peugeot 2 ...
SW platform.
Ivan Segal, the managing director of Citroën of Brazil predicted sales of 30,000 Aircross models in a full year at launch,
but lowered this expectation in 2011 to 2,000 Aircross models per month. Segal wanted to achieve this by targeting "young and adventurous" buyers.
Late 2014, Citroën C3 Aircross Lunar showcar was revealed at
São Paulo International Motor Show
The São Paulo International Motor Show (Salão International do Automóvel de São Paulo) is the biggest and most important automotive event in Latin America. The São Paulo International Motor Show has been held in São Paulo, Brazil since 1960. ...
.
Design and features
![Citroën C3 Aircross rear - 2012 Montevideo Motor Show](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Citro%C3%ABn_C3_Aircross_rear_-_2012_Montevideo_Motor_Show.jpg)
The Aircross features an upholstered fabric interior, with corduroy or leather options.
The engine supports are designed to collapse downwards slightly in a front end impact to prevent the engine from invading the cabin and injuring passengers. The C3 Aircross SX and Exclusive models have
ABS, one of the few vehicles on sale in the Brazilian market with this feature.
The C3 Aircross was designed with an obligation for
green materials to be used where viable. of the vehicle's polymers, include the parcel shelf, boot carpet, and partial use in the doors, are from natural fibres to meet this target.
Engines
In Brazil, the Aircross is available with a four speed automatic or five speed manual gearbox.
Restyling (2016)
In the end of 2015, a facelifted version of the C3 Aircross was introduced in South America as a model for 2016. The most significant changes are a new front end. The non-Aircross version (C3 Picasso) was dropped.
The name of the C3 Aircross was changed to Citroën Aircross.
In 2016, Citroën revealed a showcar based on the Aircross, called Aircross Beach Crosser.
The production of the Aircross ended late 2020.
File:Citroën C3 Aircross 2016 in Punta del Este a.JPG, Facelift (front view)
File:Citroën C3 Aircross 2016 in Punta del Este b.JPG, Facelift (rear view)
Reviews
''Autoblog.com'' reviewed the C3 Aircross, giving a mostly negative review to aspects and features of the vehicle. The basic X model launched with no airbags, ABS, or temperature sensor; the last of which they consider to be a necessity in the hot Latin American climate. They criticised the boot, calling it awkward and complicated since it can only open once an arm carrying the spare tyre has been unlocked and swung out of the way, which increases the space required for parking.
Further, in their review, they complained that the dashboard mounted displays were difficult for the driver to see comfortably, echoing concerns ''
CNET
''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...
'' had when reviewing the C3 Picasso, where they called the displays "not particularly readable" and possibly dangerous to use while driving.
Only one engine is available for the C3 Aircross; a 1.6-litre HDi used in other Citroën cars, including the Latin American market's C3 Picasso. ''Autoblog.coms review was favourable to it since it performed very well in the Aircross off-road, although it was noisy on road. They found no discernible issues with the suspension, which handled well on and off the road, traversing irregular terrain without issues.
Overall, ''Autoblog.com'' considered the price of to be unrealistically high for the lack of features they considered to be essential, and when compared to rivals.
Standalone model (A88 ; 2017)
![2018 Citroen C3 Aircross Flair Puretec 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/2018_Citroen_C3_Aircross_Flair_Puretec_1.2_Rear.jpg)
The Citroën C3 Aircross for Europe is a
subcompact crossover SUV
Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcompact ...
from Citroën. Presented on 12 June 2017 in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, it has been marketed from October of the same year. The C3 Aircross was announced by the C-Aircross concept car, presented at the
2017 Geneva Motor Show.
It shares its platform and many elements with its cousin the
Opel Crossland X
The Opel Crossland is a subcompact crossover SUV (B-segment) marketed by Opel since 2017. It is also marketed as the Vauxhall Crossland in the United Kingdom, officially unveiled to the media in January 2017. The car was officially shown at the ...
that replaces the
Meriva, following the partnership between
Groupe PSA
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
and
General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
, which was first announced in 2012. Its style, directed by
Pierre Authier
Pierre Authier is a French car designer known for the Peugeot 208 and the urban cross-over Peugeot 2008. Award Rising Star Designer by ''Automotive News'' in 2014.
After studying at the Art Center College of Design in Vevey in Switzerland, he j ...
, is in harmony with that of the new Citroën range: front double decker, "3D" lights. The C3 Aircross also offers numerous possibilities for customisation.
Citroën C4 Aircross
In
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, a
long wheel base version is launched in 2018. It is known as the C4 Aircross (full name:
Dongfeng Citroën Yunyi C4 Aircross). Its wheelbase at 2,655 mm is 11.5 centimetres longer which results into a length of 4,270 mm. The Citroën C4 Aircross is prematurely discontinued in 2020 due to poor sales
.
File:2022 Citroen C3 Aircross SUV red interior view in Brunei.jpg, Interior
File:Citroën C4 Aircross CN 01 China 2019-03-14.jpg, Citroën C4 Aircross (China)
Facelift
Sales
Like its predecessor, the C3 Picasso, the C3 Aircross is mostly popular in France and Italy, which together absorb almost half of total production.
The vehicle's main export market outside Europe is Turkey.
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Citroen C3 Aircross
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
C3
2010s cars
Cars of Brazil
Mini sport utility vehicles
Crossover sport utility vehicles