2022 Citroen C3 Aircross

Citroen C3 Aircross

Citroen’s C3 Aircross seven-seater dives straight into the compact SUV fray, battling it out with the likes of the Renault Triber, Suzuki Ertiga, and Chery Tiggo 4 Pro. Only one example is listed locally, a 2026 model for R369,900, so you’re not going to find one second-hand even if you hunt. Under the bonnet, there’s a 1.2-litre turbopetrol hooked to a dual-clutch automatic — no manual, no diesel, no hybrid, just the one drivetrain. That dual-clutch setup makes sense on paper at least, but the real test will be how it deals with the daily grind through Sandton’s snarl or those uphill traffic lights in Durban. Spec sheet bravado quickly fades if the gearbox fumbles in stop-start traffic. They’ve kept it simple: just one Max trim, nothing else. R369,900 gets you everything Citroen’s willing to throw at this model — no fiddling with options lists, no confusion about what you’re actually buying, and that’s the point. For South Africans, the value is clear: genuine seven-seater space well below the price of anything from the D-segment, making it a sharp deal if you pack smart. No used stock means you’re buying new or you’re not buying at all, with average mileage at a laughable 18 kilometres. The bigger question is whether Citroen can stick around long enough to build a proper used market of its own, or if these will be rare birds on local roads for the foreseeable future.