The Citroën C3 Aircross has been named “Best Users’ Car of Europe 2026” by the AUTOBEST jury, winning the title on Saturday 28 March at the inaugural AUTOBEST Conquest show, where the award was announced live before a continental audience.
The recognition marks a notable shift in how the prestigious award is decided. For the first time in its 25-year history, the European public played an equal role in determining the outcome, with online voting open across 32 countries from January to March 2026. Public votes accounted for 50% of the final score, with the remaining half assessed by AUTOBEST’s jury of independent automotive journalists, the largest such jury by the number of nations represented in any European car award.
Founded in 2001, AUTOBEST pioneered the concept of identifying Europe’s Best Buy Car, the model offering the strongest balance between price and performance for the widest range of customers. This year’s expanded format, AUTOBEST Conquest, introduced several new award categories alongside the overall Best Buy Car title, including Best Design, Best Technology, and the user-focused category won by the C3 Aircross.
The C3 Aircross, built on the Smart Car platform shared with the latest Citroën C3, measures 4.39 metres in length and is available in both five-seat and seven-seat configurations, a first for the compact SUV segment. The model features Citroën’s C-Zen-Lounge concept with a Head-Up Display, Advanced Comfort seats, and suspension with dual progressive hydraulic bump stops across all versions. It also comes equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a full suite of driver assistance technologies.
The powertrain lineup includes a petrol engine, a 145 horsepower (hp) hybrid variant, and a fully electric version with a range of over 300 or 400 kilometres depending on battery size. The vehicle is produced at Citroën’s Trnava plant in Slovakia.
Vehicles assessed under the AUTOBEST system are evaluated against 13 criteria, covering affordability, service network reach, spare parts availability, design, versatility, and new technologies, as well as the manufacturer’s broader commitments to job creation, regional development, and green technology progress.
