Of all the motor manufacturers scattered across the globe, Citroën stands out as the one most prepared to seriously challenge design and styling norms and has produced some spectacular, quirky and iconic cars over the years.
Originally launched into South Africa in 1919 the marque quickly developed a dedicated following that continues today through the Citroën Car Club and members own cars dating back to 1925 when it introduced the 5HP Torpedo, or Roadster, which was a two-seater with a simple hood and a fish tail shaped rear.
Since then, the company has introduced a host of innovative and well left-of-field designs including such models as the 1980 Karin, 1986 Xanthia, 1988 Activa 1 and others including the Citela and Bijou. Not all of these were successful or big sellers, but that has never deterred its designers from pushing that proverbial envelope.
The company’s history in South Africa is also one of here, not here and back again where it is now part of the giant conglomerate of Stellantis and slowly, but steadily, building a new following – the latest of which is the C3 Aircross, the second model to be launched locally as part of the brand's C-Cubed programme.
My test unit was the MAX 1.2 Turbo in 5-seater configuration but it can also be specified in 7-seat format and the target audience is very much families seeking space and practicality, while also appealing to young professionals with its blend of style, innovation, and safety.
The style harks back to that first introduced with the Cactus – which I rather liked with its external bump protectors – and is one that will remain modern looking for a good many years.
Positioning it on the price ladder it comes up against the Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XS (R342 500), Nissan Magnite 1.0 Turbo Acenta Plus manual (R343 200) and Haval Jolion 1.5T City (R345 950), making its R344 900 price tag extremely competitive.
The SUV is powered by a 1,2-litre turbo-charged PureTech engine delivering 81 kW at 5 500 r/min and 205 Nm of torque from 1 750 r/min, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel consumption is claimed at 6,3 l/ 100 km but in the real world of my test cycle, the average was 7,5 l/100 km.
This sits in comfortably with what one could expect from the other price competitors but, interestingly, except for the 1,5-litre Haval, the Citroën has more power and torque on offer and this can be felt in both the urban and rural settings where the willing and energetic engine makes light work of both traffic and higher speed runs – even if it is no dragster getting off the line with 0-100 km/h coming up in around 11 seconds.
It has a length of 4 324 mm and a width of 1 796 mm with 200 mm of ground clearance for those forays off the tarmac – this spirit of adventuring complemented by 444 litres of luggage space and 839 litres with the rear seats folded.
The wheelbase of 2 671 mm adds to its solid feel on the road and its driveability is made easier by steering that is sufficiently light in low-speed parking scenarios and hefty enough as the speed increases to inspire a confident approach to the twisties.
For a car displaying quite a lot of plastic trim, the noise, vibration and harshness levels are particularly low, making the open road your chosen musical accompaniment not having to compete with wind noise, rattles and tyre rumble over that intricate guitar solo.
To achieve price parity, especially against the Chinese automakers, Citroën has moved much of its production to the East and this has paid off, considering the price positioning of the C3 Aircross and its level of standard specification – the only complaint here in the fact it has only two crash bags up front.
It rides on 17-inch alloy wheels and has anti-lock braking, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), tyre pressure monitoring, hill-hold assist, internally adjustable headlight positioning and a rearview camera all fitted as standard.
Up front, the dashboard includes a soft-touch finish and a seven-inch TFT cluster, along with a 10-inch touchscreen that provides access to infotainment and connectivity options, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Citroën C3 Aircross comes with a 5-year/100 000 km warranty and a 4-year/60 000 km service plan. The brand also offers the Stellantis WePledge programme, which includes additional support such as mobility guarantees and security assistance.
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