Citroen is a brand that has long been coming to India. They would made their debut in the Indian market around mid-2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic had other plans for the world. We already know that the first Citroen in India will be the C5 Aircorss and now, we finally have a debut date of the same. The Citroen C5 Aircross will officially make its debut on February 1, 2021, in India. Positioned as a premium mid-size SUV, it will be locally assembled at the brand's Thiruvallur plant in Tamil Nadu.
The
Citroen C5 Aircross is quite an unique looking SUV with a crossover-like
silhouette. Citroen's quirky design language is something very fresh for the
Indian market and it will certainly stand out in the sea of SUVs in our
country. The C5 Aircross gets a split grille design that are flanked by LED
DRLs on either side along with dual beam headlamps. The overall design of the
SUV is quite rounded but at the rear, it gets an upright tail gate with split
LED tail lamps. There are plenty of red accents on the exterior to further
enhance the design.
The
quirky and premium design theme continues on the inside as well. The split
design theme can even be noted on the split AC vents on the design. The
interior design is again very quirky and fresh, something Indian customers
would really appreciate. The C5 Aircross comes plenty well loaded with features
in Europe and we expect the same here in India as well. Notable features will
include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch infotainment system
with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate
control, and wireless smartphone charging. The Euro-spec C5 even gets heating
and massage function for the front seats.
Being
a CKD model, the Citroen C5 Aircross will be sold with a sole engine option in
India. It will be powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine that produces 177hp and
400Nm of peak torque. Transmission options will include both manual and
automatic gearboxes. It is however interesting to note that going further,
Citroen will not be using diesel engines for their mass market, made-in-India
cars.
While
there are no official reports, Citroen is likely to retail just one,
fully-loaded variant of the C5 Aircross. Citroen's first product for India will
also not be so affordable. On account of being a CKD, it will be priced at a
premium and we expect prices to start from around INR 25 lakh (ex-showroom).
The launch of the Citroen C5 Aircross is expected sometime in March 2021, when
it will rival other premium mid-size SUVs like the Jeep Compass, Skoda Karoq
and the Hyundai Tuscon.