New Citroën C3 Aircross launched in Mzansi with R105,000 price cut

Stellantis has launched a new Citroën C3 Aircross in South Africa that is R105,000 cheaper than the old model.

Imported from India, the compact SUV arrives in local showrooms this week in two guises: the five-seat C3 Aircross Max 1.2T priced at R344,900 and the seven-seat version retailing for R354,900.

They represent huge price cuts over the previous European-built C3 Aircross which offered two five-seater models selling for R449,900 and R474,900. It should make the car a more popular seller in the competitive B-SUV segment against rivals such as the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Kia Seltos and Volkswagen T-Cross.

The new range retains the same turbocharged 1.2l petrol engine as before with outputs of 81kW and 205Nm. The C3 Aircross Plus 1.2 will be launched in the fourth quarter as an entry-level model powered by a normally-aspirated 61kW engine and a price to be confirmed.

A year ago Stellantis South Africa adopted a similar price-cutting strategy with its smaller C3 hatchback when an India-built model was launched at a major saving over its European-sourced predecessor.

“The Citroën C3 Aircross SUV is intelligently created with regional input to meet the specific needs of customers in South Africa,” said Deidre du Plessis, head of corporate communications for Stellantis South Africa.

She said the car was manufactured in India for warm climates and harsh roads and was tested extensively in South Africa to ensure it meets local driving conditions. 

At 4,323mm in length the new C3 Aircross is larger than the outgoing car (4,142mm) and has a higher 200mm ground clearance compared to 178mm.

The wheelbase has also grown and Citroën said the five-seat version offers generous knee room for rear seat passengers and a 444l boot, which houses a full-size spare wheel. For the first time the C3 Aircross is available as a seven-seater version with a third row of two individual seats. These can be folded down or removed individually with up to 511l of boot capacity. The seven-seater has a ventilation module in the roof panel for rear passengers.

Mated to six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, the front-wheel drive C3 Aircross delivers a claimed combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.3l/100km.

The new C3 Aircross no longer has comforts such as leather seats, navigation, cruise control and automatic climate control, which partly accounts for the price difference compared to the outgoing model.

Standard features in the latest C3 Aircross include manual air-conditioning, leather multifunction steering wheel, a soft-touch grain dashboard, digital instrument panel, front and rear USB ports, central locking, cloth seats and an infotainment system with a 10” touchscreen with connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Both cars ride on 17” alloy wheels and have LED daytime running lights, with front and rear skid plates. There are four colour options and six dual-tone roof combinations to choose from.

Standard safety specification includes front airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability program, tyre pressure monitoring system, hill-hold assist, rearview camera and park distance control.

PRICING:

• C3 Aircross MAX 1.2T 6AT  –  R344,900
• C3 Aircross MAX 1.2T 6AT seven-seater – R354,900

Includes five-year/100,000km warranty and four-year/60,000km service plan (previously a three-year/60,000km plan)