October 2023 - Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Book?

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What Are The Pros And Cons Of Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Citroen C3 Aircross petrol are:

• The only 3-row C-segment SUV
• Very reasonable starting price makes the C3 the only C-SUV under Rs. 10.0 lakh ex-showroom
• Healthy ground clearance of 200mm
• Good ride comfort over broken roads
• 1.2L turbo petrol engine makes it more punchy than base 1.0L turbo and 1.5L normal petrol engines while enjoying 7% lower GST as well as keeping manufacturing costs in check

The Citroen C3 Aircross petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• Several features missing for a car of this price and size; e.g., sliding 2nd row seats and armrest not available in 3-row version, rear AC vents not available in 5-seat version, auto AC, LED/projector headlamps, cruise control and keyless entry also missing
• No automatic transmission of any kind
• Limited sales and service network with no track record for long-term reliability
• 2nd row legroom is less in 3-row variants; moreover, 2nd row seats don’t slide to help with this problem when the 3rd row is not in use

Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol You  - Base Model Standard Features

The You variant of the C3 Aircross is available with 1.2L normal petrol-manual powertrains and it only gets a 5-seat option. It gets the following notable standard features:

• Touchscreen or music system
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Front armrest
• Steering-mounted control
• Rear parcel tray

If you’re absolutely budget constrained, you’re comfortable with some aftermarket accessories and you have to pay much higher taxes on cars above Rs. 10.0 lakh, only then the base variant makes sense. For most buyers, it just won’t cut it. Moreover, the next Plus trim adds so many useful features. If our estimations turn out to be true, then it’ll even offer a decent value for money.

Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol You vs Plus Variant - Feature Comparison

The Plus variant of the Citroen C3 Aircross also gets the same powertrain but adds the option of 7-seat layout in addition to the existing 5-seat configuration. It gets the following notable features on top of the You trim’s features:

In this variant, you may miss features like:

• 2nd row centre armrest
• Sliding 2nd row seats (typically, 3-row cars in this price range offer this feature)
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear AC vents (missing in 5-seat layout)

From the features point of view, the mid trim is the most well balanced option as the top variant mostly adds good-to-have features. So, this remains our top recommendation for 5-seater as well as 7-seater buyers.

Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol Plus vs Max Top Model - Features Comparison

The Max top variant of the C3 Aircross also gets the same powertrain and seating options as the mid-spec Plus trim. It adds the following notable features to the mix:

Even in the top variant, you don’t get features like:

• Projector or LED headlamps
• Cruise control
• 2nd row centre armrest (missing in 7-seat layout)
• Sliding 2nd row seats (typically, 3-row cars in this price range offer this feature)
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Rear AC vents (missing in 5-seat layout)

Besides the rear washer wiper and rear armrest, most of its features are either good-to-have at best or easy to install from the aftermarket or both. So, we would suggest you wait for the final prices before you decide to go with the top model. You could also book the mid variant and upgrade to the top model if the launch prices are satisfactory.

Which Variant Of The Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol Should You Book?

Whether you’re interested in the 5-seater or the 7-seater versions, the C3’s mid Plus variant makes immense sense. The base model feels too basic for its own good. Although, if you’re comfortable with a few aftermarket accessories and there are considerably higher taxes in your state on cars above Rs. 10.0 lakh ex-showroom, only then the base variant makes some sense. For the top variant, you should hold your booking or book the mid trim and upgrade to Max if the prices are satisfactory.

What Is The Expected Price Of Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol Variants?

The Citroen C3 Aircross will come in 3 variants — You, Plus and Max. All 3 variants get the same 1.2L turbo petrol-manual powertrain and 5-seat layout but higher 2 trims also get a 7-seat option. The following table contains our Citroen C3 Aircross price expectations:

*Confirmed

While the starting price of the C3 Aircross is confirmed, we expect the higher two 5-seater variants to cost Rs. 11.0 lakh and Rs. 12.0 lakh. Meanwhile, the Plus and Max trims with 7 seats could cost Rs. 11.70 lakh and 12.70 lakh. To find out how we arrived at these numbers, you can go through the following Expected Price With Logic article:

Citroen C3 Aircross Price Expectation - With Logic

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol?

Against the non-turbo C-segment SUVs, the C3 Aircross comes across as a more punchy alternative. While it doesn't have a significantly better power output, its torque output is a few notches above the cars in this comparison. The C3 Aircross also has a decent mileage figure of 18.50kmpl, which is better than all cars except for the Grand Vitara and Hyryder twins. The only weak spot for the C3 Aircross is the lack of an automatic transmission of any kind.

*Estimated

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

Compared to the cars with a small turbo petrol engine, the C3 Aircross once again gets to flex its muscles with a higher torque output. However, it’s not significantly higher than the Kushaq and Taigun 1.0L turbo. The C3 Aircross is also at a slight disadvantage in terms of mileage when compared to the Kushaq and Taigun 1.0L. The lack of any kind of automatic transmission also hurts the C3 Aircross as there are some buyers who won’t even consider it.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

V3Cars Fuel Cost Calculator

What Are The Dimensions Of The Citroen C3 Aircross?

In terms of dimensions, the C3 Aircross is about as big as a typical C-segment SUV. Its ground clearance of 200mm is also pretty good and it’s one of the few cars in this segment to offer 17-inch wheels as standard. The boot space of the 5-seat version is also pretty good at 444 litres. In the 7-seat configuration, you get 511 litres of cargo volume with the 3rd row removed.

*Estimated

What Are The Colour Options Of The Citroen C3 Aircross Petrol?

The C3 Aircross is available in the following 4 monotone exterior colours:

• White
• Silver
• Grey
• Blue (not in base model)

With the higher 2 variants, the C3 Aircross also gets the following 6 dual-tone colour options:

• Silver with white roof
• Grey with white roof
• Blue with white roof
• Silver with blue roof
• White with blue roof
• White with grey roof

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.

Also Read: Car Segments Explained - With Body Styles And Examples