By T Murrali

In a few weeks from now, customers in India will have yet another choice of not only a new SUV but also a new brand, though it has been around elsewhere for over a century. The entry of the brand Citroen, now part of Stellantis, is made through C5 Aircross SUV that the company claims to be developed for Indian customers, with comfort as its key philosophy encapsulating the ideas of practicality and versatility to make driving and travel enjoyable.

According to the company, C5 Aircross SUV is introduced in India after rigorous testing of the vehicle for over 2.5 lakh kilometres in different terrains and varied weather conditions across the country. Globally, the brand is illustrated by its unique comfort signature accomplished by five key objectives of the brand’s advanced comfort, illustrated in the new vehicle. These include flying carpet effect - for cushioning the discomfort from road bumps through the progressive hydraulic cushion equipped suspension system, exclusively developed by the vehicle maker. 

Comfortable interiors – for a stress-free travel environment the design cocoons the occupants in comfort with acoustic windscreen & front window glasses, advanced comfort seats with memory foam. It offers panoramic life with brighter and airier cabin and panoramic (only in the top-end variant) sunroof. Intuitive Technologies - to simplify life onboard through its offerings including grip control system with multiple drive surface options, blind-spot monitoring system, park assist feature which enables parking of the car with only the brake and accelerator control while the car steers itself. Besides, the engine stop & start function help conserve fuel. It has a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with phone mirroring function. All these are fuelled by the 2.0-litre diesel engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with shift and park by wire control, giving a comfortable drive.

Well, does the car offer all that the manufacturer has promised? To check this out, we took a spin yesterday on a stretch with has the mix of traffic, a reasonable rough-patch and a highway. 

Though a host of technologies offers the occupants’ comfort, the prime amongst them is the progressive hydraulic cushions, which is different from the suspension system in other cars in the same segment or below. These specialised suspension systems are primarily used in high-end cars, and the speciality is that, unlike the conventional suspension system having shock absorbers, springs, and mechanical stops, the system offered by Citroen has two progressive hydraulic cushions – one at the top and the other at the bottom – for rebound and compression. While driving on normal surfaces, the shock absorbers and springs control vertical movement without progressive hydraulic cushions. In potholes and rough patches, the shock absorbers and springs work together with the progressive hydraulic cushions. As they are located at both the ends of the vehicle’s suspension travel, they help cushion slow movement more gradually than a conventional mechanical stop. In the conventional system, the absorbed energy is partially returned, giving discomfort to the vehicle’s occupants. In the case of progressive hydraulic cushions, the absorbed energy is dissipated due to dual hydraulic cushions, eventually delivering ‘magic carpet ride’ for the C5 Aircross. Besides, specific design, structural bonding and seats amply the comfort inside the car.

The first impression that the car gives when onboard is the feeling of comfortable seating for the driver and other occupants. A thick, textured foam flown over the high-density foam, at the surface, makes the seat really comfortable. Three separate seats are provided in the rear with individual tracks to move forward and backwards. In addition to seats, clear outside view for the driver that is accentuated by the cut-glass beyond the C-pillar.

The clean dashboard with the infotainment system gives a nostalgic feeling of a component system or deck with turntable, amplifier and cassette player sandwiched between two towers of speakers boxes. There is enough storage in the car – about 36 litres, in addition to 580L boot space; 720L when the rear seats moved forward and 1,630L with the modular rear seats folded away. The boot can be opened by moving your foot under the rear bumper and close with the touch of a button.

Citroen has gone one step ahead in providing even aircon controls in the touchscreen. Though it may be a good innovation to remove cluster of knobs from the dashboard, it may not give the touch and feel of the knob, which does not need the attention of the driver to divert it to control, while is it not the case in the touch screen.

The DNA of an SUV is to take varied and challenging surfaces in its stride. The Citroën C5 Aircross SUV does precisely that with grip control, which provides secure traction in all conditions, through five modes – standard (ESC), snow, all-terrain (mud, damp grass, etc.), sand and traction control off – that you can select instantly using a dial on the centre console. Besides, it has hill descent assist feature.

The exterior looks are different and pleasing, which makes the vehicle a head-turner. The feminish looks may attract many women customers as they would like to be behind an SUV’s wheels. 

Though the company claims that the vehicle is meant for India, it was not evident on several fronts:

1. Like the other European and American vehicles, the C5 Aircross maintained the turn indicator lever on the left and the wiper on the right.
2. The bonnet opening lever is placed near the door hinges of the left-hand side. This is very difficult while entering star hotels and other secured areas as they expect to open the bonnet for security checks. While driving alone, the driver has to either step out and go to the co-passenger side, open the front door, lift the lever or he or she may have to seek others help to open it.
3. The vehicle is assembled at the company’s Chennai plant with SKD kits that comprise painted body shells. The kit includes even tyres, seats and battery, that can be easily localised. These will inflate the cost.

Still the new brand - Citroen and its new SUV C5 Aircross can make it in the Indian market provided it is prices aggressively. (MT)

NB: See detailed story in March-April 2021 edition.  

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Stellantis-owned Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Leapmotor has announced a significant operational milestone, reaching 1.5 million cumulative vehicle deliveries worldwide.

This delivery landmark comes eight months after the company surpassed the 1-million-unit threshold, signalling an upward shift in its global production and sales trajectory.

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By scaling its manufacturing output, the company aims to sustain this momentum across key international markets by focusing on integrated software innovation, engineering efficiency and user-centric design principles to provide accessible electric mobility solutions.

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The Indian passenger vehicle industry is projected to achieve wholesale volume growth of 4–6 percent in FY2027, according to a sector update by credit rating agency ICRA.

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The product mix in the Indian automotive market continues to skew towards larger body styles, though policy changes have sparked a recovery in entry-level segments. Utility vehicles continued to command the largest market share, contributing approximately 68% of overall passenger vehicle sales in FY2026. Demand recovery became visible across the mini and compact car categories, which was aided by improving affordability following recent GST rate cuts. The adoption of electric vehicles strengthened further, with EV penetration in the broader passenger vehicle segment rising to nearly 6 percent in early FY2027.

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VinFast Auto India, a subsidiary of the global electric vehicle (EV) brand VinFast, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Capital to establish a comprehensive auto and inventory financing framework for its exclusive dealer network.

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Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Since inception, our focus has been to deliver complete peace of mind and a truly joyful ownership experience to our customers. As customer expectations continue to evolve towards greater flexibility and personalised solutions, we are introducing the Smart Maintenance Plan. It is a prepaid service offering designed around individual driving needs. Customers can customise service packages while also protect themselves from future fluctuations in service costs by locking in maintenance expenses. Through this initiative, we aim to further enhance convenience, trust and long-term value for our customers.”

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