Citroen C3 Aircross is a comfy £18k runaround that has just right amount of tech… hardest choice is which engine to pick

HANDS up who has bought a tub of Heroes or Quality Street to put away for Christmas?

Now, hands up who has polished them off already? Same.

But it’s all good. They’re treat-size. Perfect for family movie nights. And they’re always on offer.

That’s kind of how I view Citroen’s C3 Aircross.

It’s a right-size family motor with a load of choice at a tasty price.

Five seats or seven. Petrol, hybrid or pure electric. All super comfy. All with the right amount of tech. All under £25k.

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There’s not a single one I don’t like. And I mean that.

Now I should perhaps explain that C3 Aircross is a regular C3 that’s been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d at the back.

Good starting point. C3 is a cracking £18k runabout that’s often unfairly overlooked.

The five-seat C3 Aircross can boast best-in-class knee room in row two and a decent 460-litre boot that’ll swallow strollers and the Friday big shop.

The seven-seat version has less rear knee room, but the same as a regular C3, with easy-tilt seat backs to give access to the third row.

Let’s say the third-row seats are best described as “occasional seats”.

Fine for ferrying kiddlywinks on play dates. But not for long distances.

And you’ll have zero boot space with all seven seats up. You’ll fold them flat when you’re not using them.

Up front, life is good. We like the squishy seats stuffed with extra foam and the soft suspension that laughs at speed bumps.

We like the thin driver display at the bottom of the windscreen and the reversing camera.

We like the red Levi-style tabs on the armrests that say “be cool”, “be happy”, “have fun” and “feel good”.

In a C3 Aircross, you do feel good. You just need to decide which engine you want.

We tried the cheapest 1.2-litre turbo petrol with a six-speed manual gearbox.

If you want an auto, the 1.2-litre hybrid recharges itself on the go and has a bit more poke. But it costs £3k more.

Then there’s the EV with the option of a 189-mile or 249-mile battery.

What with the silent drive, it’s a properly zen way of getting about.

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The EV starts at £21,595, including a £1,500 electric car grant, and can be recharged at home for not much at all.

About the price of a tub of Heroes.