Citroen e-C3 Aircross Extended Range brings bigger battery and £25k price
Orders have opened for the new Citroen e-C3 Aircross Extended Range, which brings a 249-mile maximum range to the French compact SUV.
The new bigger-batteried version of Citroen’s latest EV is on sale now priced from £24,995 – a £1,900 premium over the Standard Range model.
As with the rest of Citroen’s EV range it is also one of the first cars approved for the government’s Electric Car Grant. That knocks £1,500 off the starting price, meaning the entry-level ë-C3 Aircross Extended Range Plus costs from £23,495 while the higher-specification Max model is priced from £25,495 with the grant applied.
The launch of the long-range E-C3 Aircross comes hot on the heels of the closely related Vauxhall Frontera Long Range. While the Vauxhall ekes an extra four miles of range from the same running gear, the Citroen is £3,000 cheaper before any government or manufacturer-backed discounts.
The Extended Range e-C3 Aircross uses a 54kWh battery in place of the regular car’s 44kWh unit. That brings a 61-mile boost in range but is the only upgrade over the regular car. Both models use the same 111bhp motor and have 100kW peak DC charging, allowing a 20-80% charge in 28 minutes.
Like the Standard Range car, the long-range model comes in Plus and Max grades. All versions come with 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, Citroen Advanced Comfort seats and suspension and a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A reversing camera, auto lights and wipers and ‘follow-me-home’ lights are also standard.
Max specification adds heated seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charging, front and side parking sensors and blind spot monitoring. It also brings integrated fog lights, LED tail lights and a contrast roof in black or white.
The E-C3 Aircross is competing in the increasingly crowed electric B-SUV segment where Citroen says it offers class-leading rear space. It also offers a best-in-class 460 litres of boot space. However, the all-electric model does not come with the seven-seat option available in the hybrid version.
