The upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross is a premium five-seater SUV, which will rival the likes of Jeep Compass in India
Citroen’s first vehicle for the Indian market, the C5 Aircross, is expected to arrive in our market by May 2021. The vehicle has been spied multiple times during testing, uncamouflaged, in near-production form. The SUV will be assembled in India at Groupe PSA and CK Birla’s joint manufacturing plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
The Citroen C5 Aircross will be powered by a 2.0-litre, inline-4, turbocharged diesel engine. This motor is rated at 176 HP and 400 Nm of maximum power and torque, respectively. Apparently, the company was also planning to offer a 1.5-litre oil-burner, but considering the upcoming SUV’s premium market placement, that plan was dropped.
According to sources, Groupe PSA isn’t too keen on offering petrol engines in its products, at least not initially. This is in contrast to all most other car manufacturers in India, which are focussing more on petrol powertrains (turbocharged mostly). E.g., Skoda and VW don’t have any diesel engines in their range, not even on the premium vehicles like Skoda Superb and Karoq, or Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.
The C5 Aircross is quite a looker, with its split headlamps and grille design, stylish front bumper, blacked-out pillars, beautiful machine-cut alloy wheels, and black roof rails. The logo on the nose is neatly integrated into the front grille, which looks brilliant. The SUV also gets all-LED lighting, which adds a premium feel to the styling.
The international version gets a lot of impressive equipment, like a 12.3-inch digital instrument console, 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable driver’s seat, an e-parking brake, a panoramic sunroof, powered tailgate with gesture control, and up to six airbags. The India-spec model will probably be available in a single trim, will all bells and whistles available.
The price of the upcoming Citroen C5 Aircross is expected to be between Rs. 25 lakh and Rs. 30 lakh, and its biggest rival in the Indian market will be the Jeep Compass. Groupe PSA has plans to launch more vehicles following the C5, including a sub-4-metre SUV (codenamed C21), a premium hatchback, and a sedan (expected to be based on said hatchback).