Citroen C3 Aircross Looks Larger Than Outgoing Model In New Spy Shots

Citroen is developing the second-generation C3 Aircross. The automaker made it a standalone offering in 2017, giving it its mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year. The new C3 Aircross that will replace the current offering was caught by our spy photographers testing in northern Sweden, and it doesn’t look anything like the C3 on sale today. 

The vehicle looks much larger than the current model. It will allegedly ride on Stellantis’ CMP architecture, which was introduced in 2019 and underpins several models from the company’s various brands. The platform also underpins the Peugeot 2008, which our spy photographers also recently caught out and about.

The camouflage and cladding hide the crossover’s styling details. Cladding along the front and rear fascias distort the shape, although the split radiator openings are clearly visible. It’s also clear that the crossover is wearing its production lighting units, with the daytime running lights tucked near the hood line. Silvers of red peek through the rear camouflage, exposing just a portion of the taillights.

The car should wear a more chiseled design with pronounced fenders protected by plastic cladding. We expect the next-generation C3 Aircross will look more like an SUV and less like a small MPV. The increased size will mean more room for passengers and cargo in the cabin, which should be thoroughly modernized. Expect to see screens and a lot of technology in the C3’s revamped interior.

It’s too early to know for sure what kind of powertrains Citroen will offer in the model. However, Stellantis aims to become a fully electric automaker in Europe by the end of the decade. We expect gasoline hybrid engines to be the norm, with a fully electric version also in development. It’ll ride on the company’s e-CMP battery-electric architecture.

The new Citroen is supposed to go on sale for the 2024 model year, so a debut should happen sometime this year. With the crossover still wearing a lot of camouflage and cladding, we don’t expect it to happen until later in 2023, but Citroen could surprise us anytime. The new Peugeot 2008 that shares the same platform looks much more ready for production than the Citroen.