Here, we list the top five reasons why you should buy the soon-to-launch Citroen C5 Aircross, and five reasons why you shouldn’t
Citroen’s first offering for India – C5 Aircross – is scheduled to launch on 7th April 2021. The SUV will be available in two trim levels, namely Feel and Shine, with an expected starting price of around Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom). This upcoming Citroen SUV is high on style, performance, and comfort, and if you’re interested in buying one, you should go for it.
However the upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross isn’t a perfect car, and there are some things we wish it did better. Here, we list the top five pros and cons you should know before buying one.
Good: Extremely stylish exterior
The C5 Aircross has a funky exterior design, with an abundance of shapes all around. The SUV gets vertically-split headlamps, along with multiple air vents on the front bumper. There’s black cladding all around the vehicle, with round-edged trapezoidal cut-outs on the sides. The rear section is the most conventional-looking, but is stylish nonetheless. The vehicle also gets a pair of roof rails, which add a rugged touch to the overall styling.
Bad: Doesn’t get connected car technology
Although the C5 Aircross gets a lot of premium features, like a 12.3-inch fully-digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, parking assist, blind-spot alert, electronic parking brake, panoramic sunroof, etc., it doesn’t get connected car technology. In comparison, relatively more affordable SUVs like Hyundai Creta, MG Hector, etc., have connected tech available.
Good: Independently adjustable rear seats
The interior of the Citroen SUV is just as stylish as the exterior, if not more. The most interesting feature of the cabin, however, is the modular second row. The C5 Aircross has three individual seats at the rear, which can be adjusted independently (slide and recline). Each seat gets an adjustable headrest, which is a nice and practical touch.
Bad: Some controls are still LHD oriented
For the Indian market, Citroen C5 Aircross is offered in a right-hand-drive configuration. However, a few controls are still left-hand-drive oriented (placed far from the driver), like the position of the gear selector, e-parking brake, engine start/stop button, etc. This isn’t really a drawback though, as the reach to the controls isn’t really a bother, despite their mirrored positioning.
Good: Powerful 2.0L diesel engine
The Citroen C5 Aircross is available exclusively with a 2.0-litre, turbocharged, inline-4 diesel engine. This motor is good for 177 PS and 400 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively, and can deliver a fuel economy of 18.6 kmpl (as per ARAI).
Bad: No petrol engine option
Although the sole diesel engine on offer is quite a brilliant one, it would have been great if a petrol engine (preferably turbocharged) was also available. The petrol variants would have served as the more affordable options, thus widening the appeal of the Citroen SUV.
Good: Smooth 8-speed automatic gearbox
There is only one transmission option available on the C5 Aircross – an 8-speed torque-converter automatic unit. This gearbox is smooth in operation, and can easily handle start-stop city traffic. It isn’t a very sporty unit though, and even in manual mode, the gearbox will automatically upshift before the engine approaches redline.
Bad: No manual gearbox option
We would’ve appreciated it if Citroen would have offered a manual gearbox option as well on the India-spec C5 Aircross. It would have made the SUV much more engaging to drive, but considering that this is a niche product, we understand why Citroen kept options to a minimum.
Good: Magic carpet ride quality
The ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’ suspension setup of the C5 Aircross gives it an extremely plush ride quality, which the manufacturer equates to a flying carpet. Interestingly, the handling hasn’t been compromised for the ride, and although there is a fair amount of body roll, the SUV has good cornering capabilities.
Bad: Extremely limited dealer network
Although Citroen C5 Aircross is an extremely impressive vehicle by itself, the brand is relatively unknown in the Indian market. Also, the French carmaker currently only has 10 dealers across India, and we aren’t aware of the quality of aftersales service yet. We’ll have to wait and see how the company satisfies its initial customers to pass a judgement on that.