Citroën C3 Aircross

New small SUV goes big on practicality and little on cost, making it a rival for the popular Dacia Duster On sale Now Price from £20,240

- OLIVER YOUNG

WE'D LIKE TO say that the new Citroën C3 Aircross will have a tough time following up on the previous one - perhaps to reel you in with some tension and suspense - but we'd be lying. The outgoing model ended its days with a two-star rating, due to rivals outclassing it in virtually every area other than practicality.

Fortunately, for this new, second-generation C3 Aircross, Citroën has started again from scratch. It sits on new underpinnings shared with the latest C3 hatchback and the similarly proportioned Vauxhall Frontera, with buyers offered the choice of petrol engines (with or without mild hybrid technology) or pure electric power - the latter bringing the name e-C3 Aircross. The new C3 Aircross is also larger than before and, for the first time in the UK, petrol versions are available with seven seats if you tick a £765 box on the options list.

Here, we're focusing on the Hybrid 136, which has a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid electrical assistance and is teamed with a six-speed automatic gearbox (there's no manual alternative). With 134bhp, it's grunty enough to keep up with urban traffic and doesn't feel out of its depth on the motorway. It's not the most refined, though; you'll hear and feel it at low revs and when it takes over from electric power. The latter is mostly used in stop-start traffic, or briefly when you've reached cruising speed.

We're yet to try the non-hybrid 99bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine (badged Turbo 100), which is offered only with a six-speed manual gearbox.

Much smoother than its engine is the C3 Aircross's ride. With soft suspension, it glides down the road, sponging up the majority of imperfections with only a little side-toside sway over the worst lumps and bumps.