New Citroen C3 Aircross unveiled

If you thought Citroen’s styling couldn’t get any quirkier, hold on to your hats, folks, because the French car-maker has just unveiled the facelifted 2021 Citroen C3 Aircross.

The significant upgrade for the pumped-up light SUV is headlined by revised front-end styling that’s far more aggressive than the current model.

Slimline two-part LED headlights add a more technical edge to the C3 Aircross – in similar fashion to the just-updated Citroen C3 hatchback – while the bigger, bolder grille treatment features a striking new geometric pattern.

A sharper-edged lower skid plate with coloured inserts is also noted.

Citroen says that “while keeping its originality, its playful attitude has evolved, and the model has been upscaled and gained a more assertive, mature and high-end personality commensurate with expectations in the segment”.

Inside, the updated C3 Aircross gets a bigger 9.0-inch infotainment unit.

There’s also a larger centre console that can be more easily accessed from the front or rear seats and is covered by a sliding shutter.

Carryover equipment on Euro-spec models includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), park assist, reversing camera, keyless entry and more, while auto high beam and a colour head-up display are available too.

The cabin also features Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seats, made of thick 15mm memory-like foam and extra padding to make long driving stints more comfortable. The seats can be trimmed in Urban Blue, Metropolitan Graphite or Hype Grey.

A total of 70 colour combinations can optioned on the Citroen C3 Aircross in Europe, including seven body colours (including new Khaki Grey, Voltaic Blue and Polar White), the choice of a black or white roof and four different packs that bring pops of contrasting colour across the body.

The French brand’s Australian distributor says the 2021 Citroen C3 Aircross is under consideration for Australia, but is not yet locked in.

The current model is only a niche player, with Citroen selling 65 examples of the C3 Aircross last year – 10 more than it managed in 2019.

Only one variant is sold here, priced from $34,990 plus on-road costs with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (81kW/205Nm) driving the front wheels through a six-speed automatic.