What's all this about?

We've got our first look at the all-new, second-generation Citroen C3 Aircross. As you can see, it is a much edgier confection this time around when compared to the old model, which launched in 2017. Instead, the latest version is inspired by the look of the incoming C3 supermini, which in turn takes its inspiration from the Oli concept.

It does look good. So what do we know about it so far?

Not a huge amount, beyond what you can see. Like the hatchback that's due to land any day now, the Aircross has some funky personalisation options, like colour clips on the bumpers and the quarter-panels which can be switched out for different shades if you feel like it, as well as a two-tone roof option, but in general it's the strong, vertical design language of the Oli made into a production-ready vehicle. And we think it works pretty well.

Interestingly, this C3 Aircross has wider tracks and (accordingly) wheel arches too, while it has also grown in length to an overall shipping figure of 4.39 metres. This not only gives it a best-in-class wheelbase, reckons Citroen, but it means the latest model is big enough to be offered with a seven-seat option for this generation - the old car was a five-seater only. Again, that means Citroen is claiming that it is the first car of its type to provide this feature in its class, because the C3 Aircross sits a segment or two below the Mercedes GLB (currently the smallest seven-seat crossover we can think of, although the Dacia Jogger might have something to say about all of this).

Inside, the C3 Aircross will be comfortable and spacious, and should have some of Citroen's neat tricks to make life onboard as easy as possible for families, as the company has a good track record in this department with some of its now obsolete MPVs.

And what about powertrains?

No concrete details on exact engine sizes and outputs have been revealed as yet, but Citroen has confirmed that petrol, hybrid and full electric versions of the C3 Aircross will be available. We'd guess the first of these will be the 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinder turbo unit which sees service right across the Stellantis group, while the hybrid is likely to be the same engine, only with the augmentation of the organisation's 48-volt mild-hybrid tech to save a bit of fuel.

But because it's on the 'Smart Car' platform, like the C3, it means there can be a fully electric Aircross going forward. This will be called the e-C3 Aircross, continuing Citroen's accepted naming convention for its electrics... and also visible in the badging on the model shown in the pictures here.

As soon as we have more details on the all-new Citroen C3 Aircross, we'll bring them to you in a future news story.