Citroën C5 Aircross is a comfy but pricey launch by the French car-maker

The C5 Aircross is a comfy but pricey launch by the French car-maker

Most car-makers that look to enter India come with a small car, a sporty sedan or gingerly experiment to see if they can create a product that is in tune with a cost-sensitive market of choosy customers.

Citroën has been a contrarian on these counts. The French brand has come in with a largish SUV that is quirky, originally designed for the European market and priced high at around Rs 32 lakh ex-showroom, which means around Rs 35 lakh on the road.

This isn’t a bad thing. After all, the Jeep Compass and other premium SUVs in the Volkswagen stable that include the Tiguan and the T-Roc have shown that there is a discerning audience willing to buy expensive vehicles. That is if styling and design are unique, the cars ride well and have high degrees of comfort, technology and safety.

While the front seats in the C5 Aircross are firm and plush, as expected from a foreign car-maker, it's the comfort in the back seat row that goes above and beyond in comparison to most other vehicles. Interestingly, the seating in the rear is designed to have three individual seats that retract back, which also means that there is no central armrest or structure that serves to hold cups or water flasks.

It's important to note that world over, Citroën is known not particularly for its SUVs but for its sedans and even smaller cars. What makes it unique as a car-maker is the fan following or, as the French say, the Citroënists. One hears that France is actually divided, in automotive terms, between Citroënists and the rest.

Once you turn on the engine, the automatic gear shift, which is as comfy to use as it is unusual, makes for easy driving in the city. The 2-litre diesel engine pulls along without rumbles and much noise — testament to either its well-insulated cabin or refined motor, or both. The cabin is well-appointed with chrome brushed handles and accents.

Citroën, which started its legacy as a car-maker over a century ago in 1919 with the 10 HP Type A, has made all sorts of vehicles across the decades to include compact cars, sedans, sports cars, concept cars, roadsters, minivans, smaller buses, fire-fighter vehicles, tractors and even helicopters for a short time in the seventies. The Aircross is Citroën’s first SUV that was launched in 2015 and has had relative success and popularity in European markets.

Citroën C5 Aircross

Back to the roads in Mumbai, while in drive mode, the Aircross is quite respectable when held up to the famed “magic carpet”-style suspension feeling that has made cars like Mercedes-Benz Maybach and its S Class legendary. Of course, the C5 Aircross is neither a Mercedes-Benz nor is it a sedan, but at its price and for what it offers, the level of comfort while driving is amply evident, especially on bad roads.

The interiors are comfortable and premium but not overtly plush and in certain lower sections where the glove compartment is, the texture can even feel a tad on the cheaper side. That said, it's well designed and has smartly organised compartments and interiors that allow for easy ingress and egress.

Because of its price, this car won’t drive huge numbers, but will it excite the audience into becoming Citroënists in India? The pricing will eventually make or break the Aircross and Citroën, unless it quickly follows with other products that can help it scale up in volume. That would mean the company moving fast to bring in smaller SUVs, a sedan or two, and then expanding its service offering in tandem.

French cars are less complex with their powertrains and are thus more reliable than most of their counterparts. Individualists will no doubt pick up on the C5 Aircross, but more will be needed soon to flesh out the company’s offerings in India. Vive la Citroën!

Citroën C5 Aircross SUV

Power: 177 PS [130 kW] @ 3,750 rpm

Torque: 400 Nm @2,000 rpm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Engine: DW10FC (diesel)

Cylinders: 4 Inline

Displacement: 1,997 cc

Fuel type: diesel

Variant: Shine

Price: Rs 32.30 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai)