Citroen debuts the C5 AirCross SUV for India

Renowned French automaker Citroen has showcased its first car for the Indian market. Called the C5 Aircross, it is a crossover styled car and will challenge the Jeep Compass in its segment. The car will be assembled in India using about 70 per cent local contents at PSA’s plant in Tamil Nadu. The official launching of the C5 Aircross will happen in 2020 according to Citroen. It will be an India specific model and different from its European spec model in several fronts. Apart from the C5 Aircross, the company revealed that it will launch a car every year for the next three years and one of them is a model that will make its international debut in India.

The company also revealed its future plans for India today at an event held in Chennai. The French automotive manufacturer is known for stylish and comfortable car and the same will be maintained in India too. Citroen is aiming at 98% localisation on the car parts, which goes down to 95% when including the engine. The transmissions are also will also be made locally. According to the senior company administration, Citroen will be a mass-market brand in India and not a premium brand as was being speculated earlier.

Talking about the Citroen C5 Aircross, it will be built on the Groupe PSA’s EMP2 platform that also underpins the DS7 SUV. It carries the typical European design flair which will make it a unique looking vehicle in India. Dimensionally, it will be larger than the Jeep Compass but still smaller than the Mahindra XUV500. However, it is likely to be positioned in the same price bracket as the Jeep SUV. For the same, the company will delete some features to make it more affordable.

The international version of the AirCross comes with many great features such as a panoramic sunroof, LED headlamps, wireless phone charging, 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, emergency assistance and a hydraulic suspension system. Some of the more sophisticated bits like the hydraulic suspension system will not be carried over on the India- spec model though. There’s an all wheel drive unit as well, which operates through a terrain response system with multiple modes such as Sand, Rock and more. At the time of launch, the C5 Aircross will be available in petrol and diesel engine options

The company will start meeting with the potential dealers from the 1st of July this year. Citroen will set up state-of-the-art retail dealerships and will allow customers to rate their cars, dealerships and their experience. This will help maintain the quality and customer service offered in the dealerships. The company will also consider launching hybrids and EVs in India but only at a time when it makes financial sense. As of now, Citroen targets 2% of the market share which they have set to achieve in the coming 4-5 years.