Citroën gives its affordable models a new range-topping version, but the adventure is mostly visual
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Citroën is adding a new Outdoor trim to the C3, C3 Aircross and Ami ranges, positioned above the existing Max trim for the first two. The name may suggest adventure, but there is no all-wheel drive, extra ground clearance or other serious off-road hardware to be found. Outdoor primarily means a more rugged appearance and more generous equipment.
The formula is familiar. Dacia has already shown with its Extreme versions that an affordable car needs only a few SUV-style details, distinctive upholstery and the right colour to make an everyday vehicle look at least a little more adventurous in the car park.
The C3 gets the looks, not off-road capability
The C3 Outdoor receives specially designed front and rear bumpers, black wheel arches, 17-inch diamond-cut Aragonite alloy wheels and Outdoor graphics. Inside, Citroën uses special light-grey and black seat upholstery with yellow accents.
Equipment is based on the Max trim, meaning it includes Citroën Advanced Comfort seats, a 10.25-inch central screen, navigation, automatic climate control and wireless phone charging.
The choice of powertrains depends on the market. Outdoor does not mean a separate, more powerful engine or a new all-wheel-drive system; it is essentially an equipment and design package.
The C3 Aircross plays the same game on a larger scale
The C3 Aircross Outdoor follows the same principle, but its larger body gives the SUV-style costume a little more credibility. It too gets specially designed bumpers, black details, Outdoor badging and its own seat upholstery.
Citroën is also adding a new 81 kW hybrid powertrain to the C3 Aircross range. It combines a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electrified six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It is not a plug-in hybrid, so external charging is not something to consider. The system uses a small 48 V battery and an electric motor to reduce the petrol engine's workload in urban traffic.
The Outdoor remains front-wheel drive. So if there is a mountain in the background of the promotional photo, it is probably best to admire the mountain.
The Ami gets at least something genuinely new
The most entertaining Outdoor is actually the cheapest vehicle. The electric Ami gets Khaki Green body paint, black wheel covers, yellow details and more adventurous graphics.
More important, however, is the roof. For the first time, the enclosed-body Ami gets an opening fabric roof. It does have to be rolled back manually, because an electric roof on an Ami would probably bring it perilously close to luxury-car territory.
The technology remains unchanged. The Ami remains a light urban vehicle, not a miniature off-roader.
Citroën wants to play on Dacia's turf
Outdoor is a fairly transparent attempt to give Citroën's more affordable models more character while raising the average selling price. There is a perfectly understandable reason for this in the European market.
Dacia uses its Extreme trim for essentially the same purpose, and SUV aesthetics have long since spread to cars whose owners see dirt roads less often than automatic car washes.
Citroën does not claim that Outdoor turns the C3 or C3 Aircross into an off-road vehicle. The manufacturer talks about “everyday adventures”, an elegant way for the marketing department to say that the underlying technology remains the same.
And there is really nothing wrong with that. The point of the C3 remains to offer a relatively affordable and comfortable car in the European market. Outdoor simply gives buyers the option of paying a little more to look as though they have something far more exciting planned for the weekend.
