Citroen has modified its C3 Aircross compact SUV in time for the new year with a host of updates to the engines and equipment.

The crossover, which is Citroen’s second best-selling car in the UK after the C3 supermini, has been bestowed with what Citroen calls “carefully designed” updates to make the car “even more compelling”. Those include a new engine-and-gearbox combination, as well as extra standard kit - particularly for the top-of-the-range Flair model, which accounts for the majority of sales.

Heading up that list of tweaks is the ‘Urban Red’ interior ambiance, which is now standard across all Flair models. The colour scheme, which includes a fleet of red styling details, will adorn a cabin newly equipped with a folding driver’s armrest and seat back pockets.

2018 Citroen C3 Aircross

These updates join a kit list that already included 17-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera and keyless entry, not to mention push-button engine start and satellite navigation. The car also comes with autonomous emergency braking and a three-year subscription to TomTom’s real-time traffic updates.

The Flair model will also be the sole recipient of the new 1.2-litre PureTech 130 petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox combination. The three-cylinder turbocharged engine is already in use under the bonnets of other Peugeot-Citroen models, including the C4 Cactus and Peugeot 308, and produces a respectable 129 bhp. It will be the most powerful engine available in the C3 Aircross, but Citroen has tuned it and its less powerful sibling - the PureTech 110 engine - to ensure they meet the Euro 6.3 emissions standards. The company calls that decision a “proactive” measure, as that emission standard will not be a legal minimum until 2021.

2018 Citroen C3 Aircross

All these tweaks are made at the pinnacle of a range that begins with the rather more modestly equipped Feel version. Available with a choice of petrol or diesel power, in the shape of the PureTech 110 petrol engine and the BlueHDi 100 diesel motor, that model starts at £18,225. For that money, you get 16-inch alloy wheels and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, plus a space-saver spare wheel, fog lights and cruise control.

Sitting in the middle of the range is the Origins variant, which is designed to celebrate Citroen’s centenary this year. That £19,725 car is offered solely with the PureTech 110 engine, but it features satellite navigation, rear parking sensors and automatic lights, plus the black alloy wheels, bronze light surrounds and bronze door mirror accents that denote the special edition.

The Flair, meanwhile, is available with all three engines, and starts at £20,480 for the basic PureTech 100, rising to £22,080 for the range-topping PureTech 130.

Gallery: Citroen C3 Aircross blue