The C5 Aircross is currently Citroen’s largest SUV. It is now waiting for a major generational update. Backed by the expertise and resources of Stellantis, Citroen is readying an EV based on the C5 Aircross. The conglomeration has recently been facing rough winds and financial hurdles globally. It recently announced exit from the Australian market, following low sales. These, however, do not seem to deter Citroen’s flagship EV plans. The C5 Aircross EV has now been spotted on test in Southern Europe.
A New Chapter for the C5 Aircross: 100% Electric
The sighting shows a mule that is likely in its final stage of testing and shows identical bodywork to the PHEV version sold globally. It even gets a tailgate badge that reads ‘ Hybrid’. Citroen could be using a PHEV shell to skilfully disguise the mule’s actual design during tests.
Citroen sells a 48V self-charging hybrid and a more advanced PHEV version of the C5 Aircross in many markets including Europe. It could thus be easy for someone to mistake the mule for another hybrid C5. However, should you have an eye keen enough, certain things would shout it to be an EV.
First, the C5 Aircross 48V hybrid and PHEV versions get proper exhaust pipes. These are missing on the mule. What you see here, are faux tailpipes instead. These are mere design elements with no functional value. Secondly, the rear-end pictures reveal what appears to be a large battery pack, to be protruding out of the floor of the vehicle. There is no such thing on the hybrid C5s.
Furthermore, sources say the spy photographers to have confirmed the vehicle to be running on electric motors all the time. Now the cherry on top, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares had confessed Citroen to be developing an EV based on the flagship C5 Aircross, a year back! Connect these dots and you’ll get the mule in these pictures!
What these could also mean is that Citroen could debut notable styling/design changes on the production EV, as the mules continue to use misleading bodyshells. The test car’s wheels are likely to be EV-spec. The ground clearance, as indicated by the pictures, could be lower than that of the PHEV. More details about all these are expected to surface closer to launch.
The electric C5 Aircross is internally called CR3. It will also witness the shift from the ageing EMP2 chassis to the new-age STLA Medium platform of Stellantis Group. This BEV platform is capable of underpinning EVs that could offer ranges of up to 700 km (435 miles) range. Battery sizes could vary between 87kWh and 105kWh. FWD, RWD and AWD formats are also supported by this platform.
Various rumours suggest that the upcoming CR3 SUV could be powered by an 86 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, and have a 400V architecture, with an expected range of 500 km. The actual powertrain specs and range continue to remain under the veil.
Stellantis Group seems to have planned investments of 160 million Euros for an all-new, premium electric SUV. The battery assembly line and plastic moulding centres will be set up at Citroen’s Rennes production facility in France. The vehicle will initially be produced here. European launch is expected in 2025. The production form of CR3 EV will compete with the likes of Renault Scenic and will technically be related to the Peugeot E-3008 and Opel Grandland Electric.
Source: Motor.ES
