Introduction
The upwards pointing double caret brand – Citroen has left a lasting impression on us. We tell you why in this detailed review of C5 Aircross – Citroen’s very first flagship SUV. Let us discuss a little bit about the brand, before we start on the review of C5 Aircross. The Citroen is a popular European/French brand which has been building cars with love since 1919. Recently (2-3 years from Today), the company has focussed to bring their beautiful cars for the Indian market to explore the untapped potential of World’s 2nd largest populous country. There are plentiful brands that have entered and exited India – So what is it that Citroen is bringing to the table to win the hearts and minds of Indians? What is Citroen’s recipe for success? How it wants people to remember its brand as? With a hope filled TV and digital campaigns with a tagline “Inspired by India, Inspired by You”, Citroen is positioning itself as a premium brand and they seem like they are restless to build the Most comfortable car for the World and for India. How comfortable and welcoming is their new C5 Aircross for Indians? Let us find out
First Impressions and Design
Team Citroen were kind enough to offer GaadiKey their C5 Aircross SUV for couple of days to experience the car. The C5 Aircross which we received was dressed in Tijuca Blue color with black roof (dual tone) color option. It looked stunning and very stylish – it is a big sized SUV with large sized wheels when we saw it for the very first time. As you get closer, the Citroen C5 features a large Citroen Logo / Emblem which is very satisfying and unique to look at – It looks very pleasant and proportionate from the front. The front grille is huge and houses LED Vision Projector headlamps and LED DRLs. Near the bumper, there is a unique design with cladding that houses fog lamps with cornering function. When you look at the side profile, the car looks really big with those beautiful large 18-inch Swirl two tone diamond cut alloy wheels which is surrounded by wheel arches with thick cladding. The thick black cladding runs through out the sides of the car, and stylish design elements is added on to the front doors of the car. The Citroen C5 Aircoss features a large Panoramic sunroof, the roof rails on dual tone body adds upto the style quotient.
Talking about the rear side of the car, it features unique LED Tail lamps that runs on to the tail gate of the car – there is a big Citroen logo in the middle with “C5 Aircross” badge on to right side of the tailgate. At the rear, the car also features chrome dual exhaust pipes which looks stylish. Overall the Citroen C5 SUV has a very simple, neat looking rear profile.
Interior
There is a lot to talk about the interior/cabin space of New C5 Air Cross. It is very very spacious inside the car – and the quality of materials, color schemes used are pleasing and welcoming. It gives you a very luxurious feeling as you sit inside – The car features a very wide touchscreen centre console where you can control dual-zone AC controls and all the infotainment features in the car. The car variant which we tested was top of the line – SHINE variant that had all the best features unlocked.
The C5 Aircross in India is launched only with automatic transmission option in India the gearstick is very premium, gets electric parking brake, gets a dial to adjust different driving modes as per the terrain. The driver seat gets electronically/automatically adjustable seat height settings. It is very intuitive to adjust seats as per your need. Even the front passenger gets similar seat settings but it has to be adjusted manually. There is ample amount of space everywhere in the car to place your stuff like phones, things, water bottles, toll receipts etc. there is also additional space under the arm rest.
The steering wheel featuring Citroen logo is leather wrapped and features multimedia controls, voice assist etc. The steering wheel also features paddle shifters to leverage the additional power while driving. The seats are very comfortable with great quality cushions, offers a very good lamber support as well.
Engine, Performance and Dimensions
The Citroen C5 Aircross is powered by a 4 cylinder, 2 litre diesel engine (1997 cc). The Citroen C5 is only offered in Diesel option as of now, the engine is powerful enough to churn out 177 PS at 3750 rpm and delivers an amazing peak torque of 400 Nm at 2000 rpm. The powerful diesel engine in C5 is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox which is brilliant when its on the duty. You also get sports mode, driving mode dial to further improve your drivability. You can also switch gears manually by going to “M” mode and switch gears via paddle shifters. It is a very good driver’s car and you can optimize the performance as per your liking and mood. The fuel tank capacity of C5 is 52.5 litres. Citroen C5 claims a fuel efficiency of 18.6 Kmpl.
Talking about the dimensions, its a big car by length, almost as lengthy as mid-sized sedan – the car measures 4500mm in length, 2099mm in width, 1710mm in height and has a wheelbase of 2730 mm. The boot space when rear seats are folded is 1630 litres.
Driving the Citroen C5
You may be overwhelmed with tons of features in the car inside and out, but driving the Citroen C5 is truly simple and effortless. The car is 4500mm in length and 2099mm in width – so how do you get this huge car out without breaking the bank? Thanks to Blind Spot Information System, front and rear parking sensors, the car intelligently warns whenever you are about to collide on to the on-coming traffic or the objects around you. The steering is very light and super easy to use – Since the car is only offered in automatic variant, it frees you from thinking about the clutch pedal. And Special thanks to Hill-hold Assist – You now need not panic thinking about traffic jams on steepy up-climb surfaces – the car stands firm and stable – never rolls over backwards.
The urban tight spaces, traffic conditions can be easily handled with this car – The car is so powerful and it gets you all the power when you ask for it. The suspension system in this car is excellent – you do not feel uneven shakes or sudden jerks when you are inside this car when the car is negotiating a bad road or pothole as the car is equipped with Macpherson Strut Suspension With Double Progressive Hydraulic Cushions with Compression And Rebound. The brakes are powerful and good with a short braking distance – all the 4 wheels are equipped with disc brakes. The car is high on safety features, gets safety airbags for both driver and front passengers, side airbags and curtain airbags. Safety features include Electronic Stability Program, Hill Descent Control, Hill Start Assist and Traction Control. Other safety features include Isofix – Rear Side Seats w/Mountings On Front Passenger Seats, Front Driver & Passenger Seat Belts – Height Adjustable With Pretensioner And Force Limiter, Auto Door Unlock On Crash, Electric Child Lock in Rear Door etc.
The car is very stable at higher speeds above 130 Kmph, the driver gets a very high viewing angle and all driving related information is displayed on a large MID in front of the driver which includes gear mode, gear number, speed etc.. You can also configure the MID to show maps in front by using the 3-dial display mode. You are also warned when you cross the speed limits or when you are not wearing the seats belts. The Sports mode offers you additional power and torque, and its great to use it on highways. What we missed is comfort of Wireless Android Auto/Car Play for navigation.
The car comes with Automatic Park assist feature which claims to support parallel parking and bay parking without the driver’s intervention. However, the park assist feature didnt work for us when we tested it.
The NVH levels inside the car cabin is very good. You can barely hear any noise from outside including the engine noise. The 2 litre diesel engine of Citroen C5 Aircoss is very powerful and noisy(for outsiders). The front bonnet can be unlocked from a button placed under the glove box – however the engine and related components are fully sealed inside the bonnet – only a Citroen authorized service personnel may be able to handle it.
What was very annoying was the placement of side indicators and lights control lever – which is towards the left side of the car and the wiper related controls on to right side of the driver – So a typical Indian car driver would need some time to get adjusted to the new positions. Probably these were designed for European roads and needs a fix in future versions to meet the expectations of Indians.
Space and Features
No doubt, the Citroen C5 works as advertised and the COMFORT which it claims as its unique selling point is justified. The back side seats are huge and 3 people can easily sit very very comfortably. And all the 3 seats can be adjusted independently as per your liking and can be adjusted for reclining. The AC is very well distributed – and the rear passengers can enjoy a cool breeze even under hot sun. The rear seats can be folded and the boot space can be further extended to 1630 litres – so it is very good for camping with friends over night. When the rear seats are used, you still get 580 to 720 litres of space – that is more than enough to place bags for 15-day outing for 4 people.
The handsfree automatic opening of tailgate is very purposeful and can be really useful when you are on the shopping spree and good for quick loading and unloading without much worries and just using gesture using your leg. To remind you, this handsfree tailgate is available only in SHINE variant.
The large panoramic sunroof further enhances the comfort level – gives you a very good connection/visibility to sky and the world above you. It is a 2-layered sunroof, you can allow the air inside by fully opening all the 2 layers or you can make your car fully transparent on roof by opening the single layer.
Colours and Variants
The Citroen C5 Aircoss SUV is offered in 4 prominent colors – Pearl White, Cumulus Grey, Tijuca Blue, Perla Nera Black. The white, blue and Grey can be customized with dual tone black roof – so there are totally 7 color paint schemes to choose from.
The Citroen C5 Aircross is available in FEEL and SHINE variants. The FEEL variant doesn’t feature panoramic sunroof, LED Vision Projector headlamps, handsfree electric tailgate opening while the SHINE variant does.
Verdict
The Ex-showroom price of Citroen C5 Aircross starts from Rs 32 lakhs. This 5-seater car is a very premium offering from the French brand Citroen. The car for sure stands out from the crowd and makes its own style statement. The automatic park assist, blind spot detection system, safety features, comfort features, powerful diesel engine, ease of using 8-speed automatic gearbox, large MID and centre console, driver friendly features, handsfree tailgate makes this car very comprehensive and is a perfect selection for those who are looking out for a reliable alternatives other than Mercedes-Benz GLC 200, BMW X3 etc.
For full set of Citroen C5 Aircross Drive photos please visit this link – GaadiKey Photos – Citroen C5 Aircross.
What do you think of this car? Let us know by commenting below.
