The implementation of the Government’s Clean Car strategy combined with ongoing supply chain disruption has become a headache for many fleet buyers.
But they’ve been a godsend for European brands like Citroën who can offer low-emission vehicles which sit in the neutral or rebate category.
With a CO2 emission figure of 166g/ km the revamped Citroën C3 Aircross Shine small SUV sits in the cost neutral zone of the Clean Car Discount (146grams/km to 192g/km), only 20gm away from a potential rebate.
Wiseley, Citroën has elected to market just one version of the C3 Aircross, the comprehensive Shine specification for $38,990.
As well as new and more aggressive frontal design, the revised C3 Aircross also offers new seat construction to provide greater occupant comfort on which the brand prides itself.
THE NUMBERS
Powered by the perky and rorty PureTech three-cylinder 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine matched to a six-speed automatic gearbox, the C3 Aircross isn’t short of character or a decent turn of speed.
But it’s a fairly chunky beast with a kerb weight of 1188kg which affects its fuel consumption. The quoted zero to 100km/h sprint takes 10.6 seconds.
Towing capacity is 840/1620kg (unbraked/braked) and it has a 45-litre fuel tank.
NZ importer Auto Distributors NZ quotes combined fuel consumption of 7.3 litres/100km but we were hard pressed to get into single digits like 9 litres/100km, though we used the car mainly for short urban hops.
The sole option on the C3 Aircross is an opening panoramic roof with electric interior blind for an additional $2990.
A three-year/45,000km service plan costs an extra $1590 or a fiveyear/75,000km service plan is an additional $2790.
OUTSIDE
Citroën has discarded the cute and friendly front-end design of the previous C3 Aircross for a new signature look with an assertive and unique identity inspired by the Cxperience concept car and introduced on the new C3 hatch.
A new headlight design combines LED lights with upgraded chrome-trimmed chevrons.
And the C3 Aircross also sports a new grille with a new geometric pattern and a silver-grey skidplate with coloured inserts.
The design is enhanced by lower-body and wheelarch protections, front and rear skidplates, and roof bars.
And though the C3 Aircross is available only in one model grade, Citroën offers a range of body colours and colour packs with a total of 70 possible combinations.
There are seven body colours, Bianca White (solid), Khaki Grey (solid) and the metallic options are Cumulus Grey, Nimbus Grey, Nera Black, Pepper Red, and Voltaic Blue.
The four colour packs – Black, White, Orange, and Blue – include the front lower bumper trims, wing mirror shells, and the rear quarter window trim.
Customers can choose between two roof colours: white or black, with gloss black painted roof bars.
The White colour pack is available with all seven paint colours but the orange and blue packs aren’t available with the Pepper Red paint.
INSIDE
All New Zealand C3 Aircrosses have a Metropolitan Graphite interior, which includes black leatherette and grey cloth upholstery.
There are “advanced comfort” seats, driver seat with height adjustment and armrest, map pockets on the front seatbacks and a grey cloth dashboard finish with chrome air vents and gloss black trims.
A nine-inch touchscreen dominates the central dashboard and is still the only way to regulate the heating, ventilation and sound system as well as the navigation and other vehicle functions.
Citroën says adding an extra 15mm of foam in the seats makes for more comfort, thanks to a combination of a high-density sheet in the centre of the seat and thicker, structured foam.
Further functionality is provided by a new central console featuring a large storage space at the rear that can be accessed by front- and back-seat passengers and closed with a sliding shutter.
There’s also a a small tray ahead of the front passenger, and more cup holders are built into the folding central backrest on the rear bench seat
For people who need to move stuff occasionally, the front passenger seat folds flat and provides a load length of up to 2400mm.
The rear bench seat can slide 150mm fore and aft in two parts for great load flexibility.
Boot volume can be increased from 410 litres to 520 litres with the rear bench in its forward-most position and up to 1289 litres with the rear bench seatback folded down.
THE DRIVE
As you’d expect from a mass market European brand, the C3 Aircross is laden with active and passive safety tech including a colour head-up display that keeps useful information in the driver’s line of vision.
There are also traffic sign recognition, active safety brake, tyre pressure monitoring, and automatic high/low beam control.
It also features lane departure warning, park assist and top rear vision reversing camera, which displays the environment behind the vehicle on the touchscreen.
Uniquely for this segment the frontwheel drive C3 Aircross has grip control with hill descent assist.
The system enables drivers to adjust front-wheel traction depending on the terrain and maintain speed when descending hills, even on steep inclines.
We can see this function being beneficial for rural users on unsealed surfaces, or leisure seekers who venture to the ski fields regularly.
OUR VIEW
Putting the new front face aside, the new C3 Aircross is still a great daily driver, thanks to its combination of a higher seating position which makes getting in and out easier for people with reduced mobility.
The short-but-tall body style provides plenty of space inside for up to five occupnats, yet its compact footprint makes for a very manoeuvrable vehicle in which parking in constrained places is a doddle.
In a sea of mundane banality in the small SUV/Crossover space, the Aircross offers character in both sight and sound, a bit of fun-to-drive, and a bit of joie de vivre.
It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea or cafe au lait.
But in an era where fleets must look outside the usual supply chain for a safe, functional, and economic vehicle that isn’t going to be compromised by additional Clean Car fees, the business case for the C3 Aircross becomes more compelling.
