Introduction
Usually, when a new brand enters the Indian automotive market, they would bring their most affordable cars to grab maximum attention, but Citroen decided to bring what they thought India needed the most, their super comfortable "Comfort Class SUV" the C5 Aircross.
The C5 Aircross is different & innovative, something the Indian automotive market hasn't seen in recent times.
Exterior
Citroen C5 Aircross is something like you've never seen, wherever we've been with, it would turn a lot of heads, people would try to identify the brand and try to search the logo in the front, Citroen has integrated the logo neatly with the front grille design which no brand has ever showcased in India. It creates a very unique front design.
The proportions are very aesthetically pleasing & the overall design is very distinctive. The "Shine" variant which is top of the line, features Full-LED headlights which provide sufficient illumination at night without blinding other drivers, The taillights have a 3D effect that looks very appealing. The daytime running lights also double up as turn indicators.
Not only that, but thanks to some neat design features, such as the contrasting color accents dotted around the body, the Citroen C5 Aircross looks considerably more interesting than its main rivals the Hyundai Tucson, Skoda Kodiaq, and VW Tiguan.
The 18" wheels make the C5 Aircross look even more stylish and also fill up the wheel arches suitably.
Interior
The interior of the C5 Aircross is really well built and where you could literally spend hours without even adjusting your posture, the seats are super comfortable and supportive, the driver seat is electric (Shine variant) and offers a great level of adjustments.
The interior is more towards minimalism yet it is functional, the comfort theme continues in the rear as well. There you’ll find three individual seats – something most similarly priced alternatives don’t have. This lets you move the seats forwards or backward or recline them independently. 3 full-size adults can sit very comfortably, but not quite the same story for bigger size adults.
The Interior is full of interesting quirks, like the minimalistic digital speedometer, futuristic-looking gear selector & steering column-mounted paddle shifters.
The "Shine" variant has an electronic tailgate with handsfree opening and closing, the boot has 580Litres of storage which is also quite generous even with all the seats up, while with all the seats down the boot space extends to massive 1680Litres.
Drive
The Citroen C5 Aircross only comes with a 2.0L diesel engine option in India mated with a super smooth 8-speed gearbox.
The 2.0L engine churns out 177Bhp & 400Nm torque, the engine is super refined and feels really powerful when you go all out. Due to the gearbox, the fuel economy level is also very respectable, in our 350kms journey the fuel economy we perceived was 14kmpl, which is really amazing considering the fuel prices right now.
There are Eco, Sport & Manual modes to choose from for an engaging drive. Eco as the name suggest will try to maximise the fuel efficiency, Sport will change all the settings to enhance the driving pleasure & the manual mode will give you the full control for the gear changes, you can upshift or downshift using the steering column-mounted paddle shifters.
Even after being an FWD setup, you get multiple terrain modes which Citroen calls "Grip Modes".
They're as follows:-
Standard,
Snow,
All-Terrain (Mud, Damp Grass etc.),
Sand
Traction Control Off
Citroen's "Flying Carpet Effect" is the most important thing to talk about here. "Citroen's Advanced Comfort - Suspension With Progressive Hydraulic Cushions" makes the ride super plush, all the bumps and uneven road surfaces and almost like not there anymore.
Every time you get in some other vehicle, you'll instantly start missing the plushness of the C5's ride quality. Even the front windows & windshield are acoustically laminated for outside noise reduction.
Unless there are massive crater-like potholes or mountainous speed breakers, the C5 can take it all. It is one of the best suspension systems that we've tested from a new entrant manufacturer.
Verdict
JustCar says: The overall packaging for C5 Aircross is very appreciable. It is superbly engineered, drives amazing. The looks are something that'll attract you at first glance as it's something you might have not seen especially in the Indian market, but your pocket will look the other way as the C5 has been priced very high at 31.30 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom - Feel variant).
Pros
Cabin Space
Comfort
Driving
Cons
Price
Audio quality is average
Picture Gallery
Rolling Pictures: Shivam Maurya