Citroen C5 Aircross local assembly begins

The first Citroen C5 Aircross has rolled off the assembly line at the CK Birla facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Along with announcing the commencement of production of its first model for India, the French carmaker has also revealed new details regarding the C5 Aircross SUV that is expected to go on sale in March 2021.

• C5 Aircross to get 2.0-litre diesel engine and 8-speed automatic
• To get a panoramic sunroof, reclining rear seats, hands-free boot opening, active parking assist and more
• More details to be revealed on February 1

Citroen C5 Aircross: Mechanical highlights

Citroen has confirmed that the SUV will be introduced with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine (producing 180hp) that’ll be paired to an 8-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. This gearbox comes with a shift-by-wire system – there’s no mechanical link between the gear lever and the transmission – which is said to aid fuel efficiency and provide a smoother ride. The engine will also come with idle start-stop tech to maximise economy.

The C5 Aircross will also come with what Citroen calls a Progressive Hydraulic Cushion equipped suspension system. The system is said to be able to filter out bumps and dips in the road and provide occupants with a suppler ride. A terrain management software, called the Grip Control System that effectively alters drive to the wheels depending on the mode picked, will also be on offer.

Citroen C5 Aircross: Feature highlights

Safety kit on offer with the C5 Aircross will include a blind spot monitoring system and active parking assist. The latter will steer the SUV into a parking space as long as the driver applies the brakes and accelerator.

Citroen has revealed that the top-spec versions of the C5 Aircross will come with a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free boot opening function, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display and an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Citroen C5 Aircross launch details

While the C5 Aircross will be revealed in full on February 1, prices will only be revealed by March 2021. Expect an ex-showroom price tag around Rs 30 lakh.

Citroen will retail its flagship SUV in India through its La Maison dealership chain; the first of 10 initial showrooms was inaugurated just last week.

Unlike the C5 Aircross, which has been brought in as a CKD, Citroen’s next few models for our market will have a much higher level of local content and be positioned to be volume-sellers. Under the brand’s C-Cubed programme, the first made-in-India Citroen will be a Kia Sonet-rivalling compact SUV, codenamed C21.

Also see:

No diesel in Citroen’s mass market range for India

2019 Citroen C5 Aircross review, test drive