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such as it looked like a tarted-up mobility scooter, made to look different by its owner, and refused to be seen in it, never mind drive it.
His reaction, though, when I finally persuaded him to try out the Flair version of the Citroën C3 Aircross, was one of amazement. Here’s a person whose pride and joy is his dramatically quick V6 Alfa GTV.
What would he make of the C3 Aircross, especially as it had a tiny three cylinder 1.2-litre engine?
It was, without doubt, a Marmite moment. And guess what? He loved it. Well why not? In my opinion, having already driven it 225 miles from Essex to Mighty Macclesfield, it was amazing. But trying to convince a V6 Alfa nut that something as weird as a C3 Aircross, especially with a tiny engine, can only be done one way. From the driver’s seat. Son of Motormouth was, to say the least, instantly impressed by the Aircross. He couldn’t believe the way it leapt away from traffic lights, comfortably cruised at high speed, had such a fantastic open view from the driver’s seat, was hugely equipped, had a big boot and was surprisingly spacious inside. Well he believed me after trying it out. Maybe dad isn’t such a doddering old fool after all? Mind you, I do have an advantage. After 21 years of writing my Motormouth column maybe I have learned something about cars. It’s the sheer fresh air feel of the C3 Aircross that instantly wins people over. You wouldn’t believe how a car the size of the C3 can be transformed into such a delightful, airy, place to be.
All the windows are refreshingly high, the back seat is on rails so leg room can be adult or kiddie sized, instrumentation is clear, ultra hitech, yet easy to use.
Space
The stereo is brilliant, there are 10 safety and driving aids, which I immediately switched off, and if you fold down the back seats it leaves a five feet deep space.
Standard kit on the top-spec Flair model is excellent and then there’s that incredible engine, which is shockingly powerful considering its size.
Personally, I adored its oddball looks which made it a cross between a kid’s toy and an SUV, but there again, not everyone likes Marmite.
Me? I can’t get enough of it.