India-spec 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross revealed

Tuhin Guha Updated: February 01, 2021, 05:05 PM IST

Citroen has taken the wraps off the India-spec Citroen C5 Aircross, ahead of its launch later in February. The C5 Aircross is the French brand's global flagship and will be the first of one new launch every year for the Indian market going forward. The C5 Aircross is being locally manufactured in India, at Citroen's facility in Tamil Nadu, with locally produced engines and other components, the eventual goal is to achieve over 90 per cent localization.

The C5 Aircross' styling follows the brand's quite offbeat design language. So while the overall shape is quite like that of any other SUV, the car is dotted with unique geometric design touches. This comes across in the split headlamp cluster, the air-intakes below the grille, the Airbumps along the side of the car, the shape of the glass-house and even the taillamps. Other touches which bring some of the requisite SUV aggression is the swept-back bonnet, and the stocky, high beltline stance of the whole car. The C5 Aircross sits on the PSA Group's EMP2 modular lightweight architecture, also seen on other cars like Peugeot 5008, the Opel Grandland X, the more upmarket DS 7 Crossback and the Peugeot 508 sedan. Dimensionally, the C5 Aircross is 4,500mm long, 2,099mm wide, 1,710mm tall and has a 2,730mm wheelbase. There are four single and three dual-tone colour options available.

The interiors carry forward this design theme too. Everything has a rounded geometric theme to it right from the pattern on the seat covers, the airvents, door latches and trim to the steering wheel. A high level of adjustability and comfort is being touted as the brand's USP. To this effect, the brand's comfort seats make an appearance here with their high-density foam inner and textured foam outer cushioning. The driver's seat can be electrically adjusted while there are three individual rear seats, each slidable and reclinable. There is acoustic glass on the front windows and windscreen for better noise insulation. Another comfort-focused feature is the suspension with the Progressive
Hydraulic Cushions. This mechanism uses two hydraulic stops - one for rebound and one for compression - to dissipate impacts from the road surface.

The Citroen C5 Aircross will be available in two variants - Feel and Shine. The Feel variants gets contrasting or body-coloured highlights for the Airbumps, 235/55 R18 tires on dual tone alloy wheels, halogen projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED taillamps, front fog lamps with cornering function, rear foglamps, rake and reach adjustable steering wheel, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto/Apple Carplay and 6 speakers, keyless entry and push-button start, dual-zone climate control, cabin air filter, cruise control, key-operated power windows, powered and heated ORVMs, puddle lamps, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and LED interior and mood lighting. The top Shine variant further adds full LED headlamps, a panoramic sunroof and a powered tailgate. Boot space is 580l, increasing to 720l with the rear seats in their forward position and 1,630l when they have folded away.

Safety features are highlighted by the segment-first blind-spot monitoring function. Alongside this is available auto parking, reversing camera, TPMS, driver attention monitor, six airbags, hill-start assist, ISOFIX seat mounts on front and rear passenger seats, ABS and traction control.

The sole engine option is a 1,997cc four-cylinder turbo-diesel motor named DW10FC. This unit puts out 177PS at 3,750rpm and 400 Nm at 2,000 rpm and has a claimed fuel efficiency figure of 18.6 kmpl. This is paired with an eight-speed torque-converter sending power to only the front wheels. There are two drive modes, eco and sport and five ESC-based traction modes - standard, snow, all terrain (mud, damp grass etc.), sand and traction control off.

The Citroen C5 Aircross will be priced similarly to SUVs like the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, Toyota Fortuner and the like, with prices between Rs 25-30 lakh

Everything you need to know about the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV

Citroen C5 Aircross to be sold at 10 dealerships across India at launch

Read our review of the Citroen C5 Aircross here or watch the video review below