Citroën C3 Aircross: hybrid or electric?

Small SUVs are very popular in the UK, and their relatively low prices means that many are eligible for the government’s Electric Car Grant.

One such model is the Citroën e-C3 Aircross. Launched in 2025, it’s the electric version of the second-generation Citroën C3 Aircross. It’s the latest in a long list of Citroëns, with virtually its entire range having been replaced or updated during 2025.

Apart from the entry-level petrol manual model, the e-C3 Aircross is cheaper to buy than the hybrid version of the C3 Aircross as a result of the Electric Car Grant. But is it the better choice?

Ahead of full lab tests, I’ve performed initial test drives of both the hybrid and electric versions. Here, I’ll compare both models to see if the electric e-C3 is better than the hybrid C3 Aircross.

Electric vs Hybrid: key specs

Interior space and overall quality

I found nothing to complain about regarding build quality on either car.

The centre consoles of both cars didn’t move about (something I've seen on other cars, recently) and the touchscreen is also fixed firmly to the dashboard. I did notice that the rear door panel of the cars I drove were noticeably misaligned to the rear quarter body panel, although this didn’t have any impact on the cars.

The interior materials are quite basic and are mostly hard black plastic apart from a padded area in the centre of the dashboard. The headlining is also basic.

Both versions of the C3 Aircross have very spacious interiors for a small SUV, although that’s not surprising as it’s only a few centimetres shorter than some medium SUVs. I could sit comfortably in all seats in the front and second row of both cars, with legroom to spare when the driver’s seat was set up for me (I’m 6ft 2in tall).

But unless you’ve got very small children, I'd suggest avoiding the seven-seat hybrid model (the e-C3 Aircross isn’t available with seven seats) as you won’t be able to sit comfortably in the third row.

With my height and large feet, I found it very hard to squeeze myself into the third row because of the lack of space. It’s even harder to get out as the mechanism to flip the second row seats up isn’t easy to reach.

All cars come with what Citroën calls ‘advanced comfort seats’.

While the front seats are comfortable (despite only being adjustable for backrest angle, height and position), the rear seats aren’t as well-shaped. I found that the second-row seating position of the hybrid model was more comfortable as the seat bench of the e-C3 Aircross isn’t as well-positioned.

Both models have the same sized boot, which is impressive as many EVs that are built on car platforms designed for engines lose boot space to accommodate the car’s batteries. It’s pleasantly long and both cars come with a large underfloor storage area. Note that there’s virtually no boot space in seven-seat cars when all seats are used.

While the third row seats fold flat, there’s a large step when the second row seats are folded away. And while you can flip the second-row seats up, they can’t be positioned there to accommodate more luggage as they can’t be fixed in position.

Driving characteristics

Many electric cars have more power than their counterparts with engines, but that’s not the case with the e-C3 Aircross.

I found it accelerates well at low speeds, but it’s harder to increase your speed outside of town as there isn’t much power available. At least it’s refined, with only a subtle hint of motor noise filtering through to the cabin.

The hybrid model has up to 145hp, with a maximum of 136hp generated by the engine. It’s noticeably faster when accelerating at higher speeds and the hybrid system helps to provide extra power. However, I did notice a significant delay to power becoming available when using the car’s kickdown function.

It’s not the most refined engine either, with engine noise prominent when accelerating hard. You can also hear a whine from the transmission when driving along, while the engine is noisy when idling after being started when cold. But apart from a subtle whine from the electric motor when the engine isn’t used, it’s generally fine when driving along at a steady pace.

The hybrid’s gearbox is generally fine to use even if it isn’t always smooth when changing gears. As the e-C3 Aircross has no gears it’s slightly easier to drive although you only get one regenerative braking setting.

Wind noise around the side windows is very noticeable in both cars.

I thought that the e-C3 Aircross was more comfortable than the hybrid model, even though both cars have the same ‘advanced comfort’ suspension that many Citroën models have. Potholes and road joints can be felt more clearly in the hybrid C3 Aircross than in the e-C3 Aircross. The ride comfort is still acceptable for a lower-priced car, though

.Neither car is particularly engaging to drive. While you can corner quickly in both cars, some body roll is noticeable. Even though the steering is fairly direct it lacks feel and precision especially when you steer more and it can be hard to know how far you need to steer to get round a corner.

Tech and safety equipment

When you step inside, you’ll notice that the cabin is relatively simple in design. The 10.25-inch touchscreen that’s standard on all UK cars is easy to use as you can’t control much through it. It’s generally responsive but also looked a bit dated.

One very positive step in my opinion is the inclusion of physical climate controls, although there's no dial to alter the temperature, which is a shame. Dials for the volume and zooming in and out of the touchscreen aren’t included either.

All C3 Aircross models have the same head-up display as standard C3 models. This is no bad thing as it looks good and is generally easy to read, being in the driver’s line of sight. It can’t be configured that much, though.

Models such as the Peugeot e-3008 and DS N°8 scored four stars out of five when crash-tested in 2025. The C3 and e-C3 Aircross are also both affected by a ‘stop-drive’ recall due to the potential for the brake pedal to come loose from the car. Note that this doesn’t affect new cars as they have already been fixed.

None of the C3 Aircross models come with much driver assist tech, either. No model gets adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist or a driver distraction monitor – things that are typically standard in most new cars. You do get hill start assist and standard cruise control. Top-spec Max models also have blind-spot monitors.

But it was the intelligent speed assist technology in the hybrid car that annoyed me during my tests. It rarely worked and didn't always display the speed limit in the head-up display.

It also sometimes displayed the wrong speed limit and at one point said the speed limit of a country road was 80mph. Additionally, it didn’t seem to know what the UK’s national speed limit was, displaying 50mph on 60mph roads.

Interestingly this tech worked much better in the e-C3 Aircross and rarely slipped up.

I also noticed that the rear-seat headrests couldn’t be positioned high enough for tall people.

Final thoughts

We’ll reserve final judgement on these cars until we lab test them, but based on my experiences of both cars it’s clear that the e-C3 Aircross is a better overall package as it’s more comfortable, more refined and should be cheaper to run than the C3 Aircross Hybrid.

It’s also relatively cheap considering many rival small electric SUVs cost over £30,000. Just be aware that basic 'You!' models aren’t sold in the UK, which would have made the e-C3 Aircross even cheaper.

Even the Vauxhall Frontera Electric, which shares the same platform as the e-C3 Aircross, is more expensive and it doesn’t come with the eight-year service activated warranty Citroën offers. It does come with slightly more equipment as standard, though, and we’ll be publishing our full lab test of the hybrid model (along with the standard e-C3) soon to see how they stack up.

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