Citroen is developing the second generation C3 Aircross. The automaker made it a standalone offering in 2017, providing a mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year. The new C3 Aircross that will replace the current offering was captured by our spy photographers tested in northern Sweden, and looks nothing like the C3 on sale today.
The vehicle looks much bigger than the current model. It will allegedly use the Stellantis CMP architecture, which was introduced in 2019 and supports multiple models from the company’s various brands. The platform also supports the 2008 Peugeot, which our spy photographer also recently noticed.
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Camouflage and cladding hide the crossover styling details. The cladding along the front and rear fascia distorts its shape, although a split radiator opening is clearly visible. It’s also clear that the crossover sports a production lighting unit, with daytime running lights tucked near the bonnet trim. Silver-red peeps through the rear camouflage, exposing only part of the taillights.
The car should have sported a more chiselled design with knobby fenders protected by plastic cladding. We hope the next generation C3 Aircross will look more like an SUV and less like a small MPV. The increase in size meant more space for passengers and cargo in the cabin, which had to be thoroughly modernised. Expect to see screens and lots of technology in the revamped C3’s interior.
It’s too early to know exactly what kind of powertrain Citroen will offer in the model. However, Stellantis aims to become a fully electric car manufacturer in Europe by the end of the decade. We expect petrol hybrid engines to become the norm, with a fully electric version also in development. It will use the company’s e-CMP battery-electric architecture.
The new Citroen should go on sale for the 2024 model year, so its debut should be sometime this year. With the crossover still wearing a lot of camouflage and cladding, we don’t expect that to happen until later in 2023, but Citroen could surprise us any time. The new 2008 Peugeot which shares the same platform looks much more production-ready than the Citroen.
