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By Jonathan Crouch

Might this Citroen C3 Aircross Hybrid be tailored to fit your family's needs? Jonathan Crouch decides.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 47

Citroen's frugal little C3 Aircross Hybrid might just be all the small car your family really needs. It's trendy-looking, electrified when it needs to be and practical to live with. It might not have been on your second family car shopping list, but it probably should be.

Backgroundword count: 184

So here's the buying brief: you need a family second car. Something not too big but reasonably spacious. You've looked at small EVs but aren't tempted, yet you'd like enough electrification to significantly reduce running costs and environmental impact. Pricing must be affordable - you've long thought small cars were over-priced. But must include a decent level of equipment. Oh and you don't want anything that looks too 'budget brand'. If you recognise your requirements from that little list, here's a car we think might admirably meet them; Citroen C3 Aircross Hybrid. You might dimly be aware of the C3 Aircross. Launched in 2017 as Citroen's take on the small SUV genre, it sold in reasonable numbers in its original form but couldn't be in any way electrified because of its ancient turn-of-the-century platform. All that changed when the second generation model was launched in 2024, rolling on the same Stellantis 'Smart Car' chassis as the brand's C3 supermini (and Vauxhall's Frontera SUV). This time round, we've got a full-EV version, the e-C3 Aircross. As well as the Hybrid model that's our focus here.

Driving Experienceword count: 213

The Hybrid engine here isn't really a full-Hybrid, but it's more than a mild hybrid. Perhaps that's a good compromise. It keeps up-front costs down while still delivering decent efficiency, as part of a very driveable powerplant that likes to frequently revert to battery power for town travel and things like low-speed manoeuvring. In case you're not familiar with this 48V unit from other Stellantis models, we'll tell you that it's a 1.2-litre three cylinder engine mated to a bespoke dual clutch six-speed gearbox, into the casing of which has been integrated a little 34hp motor. Everything you need from a hybrid and nothing you don't - well that's how Stellantis sees it anyway. In this case, this powertrain puts out 136hp, which means 62mph from rest can be reached in 10.1s en route 125mph. Which is quite as fast as you'd really want to go in this Citroen. Like other C3 Aircross variants, this one benefits from the brand's special hydraulic bump stop suspension set-up - something you'll appreciate over speed humps and potholes. But be less appreciative of at speed around tight corners, where this Citroen rolls more than the class norm. There's just one drive mode and a fixed level of regenerative braking. Plus a relatively tight 10.9m turning circle.

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