WHEN it comes to car design Citroen has a habit of doing things differently, and never more so than with the funky C3 Aircross.

Popular since its launch in 2017 this trendy little crossover has now been given a makeover to ensure its appeal stays fresh.

And importantly the changes are just as noticeable on the inside as the outside improving both its looks and comfort.

For starters the entire front end has been redesigned so the little car now gets a new-look grille, new super slim LED headlights, a higher set clamshell bonnet and an aluminium grey skid plate with coloured inserts.

Add to all that the contrasting roof and body colours, contrasting mirror colours. distinctive black roof rails and trendy looking 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels and the Aircross certainly bristles with kerb appeal.

Step inside and the first thing that strikes you are the very wide, leather effect square seats with smart cloth panels on the shoulder sections and on the fronts of the squabs. A matching cloth strip runs along the top of the dashboard to complement them.

And its these large seats which are a major feature of this car as they have been given additional padding to ensure you don't get stiff and uncomfortable on long journeys and feel you need to take a break. Simple but very effective.

The new look Aircross comes with an easy to use centre set touch screen for onboard features which also acts as the monitor for the colour reversing camera. Parking sensors all round add to the ease of slotting the Aircross into the supermarket parking bay aided by an excellent turning circle.

There's a new style manual parking brake too with the release button on the top of the lever rather than on the end, a feature which didn't endear itself to me as I found it harder to operate. Sometimes the old ways are the best.

When it comes to coping with luggage, however, the Aircross is a past master. Not only does it have sliding rear seats but as you fold the seatbacks down the squabs move forward to give you an excellent flat loading bay.

Add to that a front passenger seat with a backrest that folds flat to make carrying long items easy and a double decker boot and you can see why this car is so popular with families.

And if you have babies and toddlers you will find the blinds on the windows of the rear doors a useful bonus.

Despite the relatively small, three-cylinder engine the Aircross has a respectable 0-62 mph acceleration time of 10.1 seconds and certainly feels much quicker, particularly on take off.

And despite its very comfortable ride there's relatively little body roll and the stability at high speed on the motorway is impressive.

High speed refinement is another noticeable plus with a very quiet cabin ensuring relaxed cruising. Only under real pressure do you notice the distinctive note of the three cylinder engine.

And as with most SUV models the height makes it easy to get in and out of and ensures good all round vision.