Citroën India has facelifted its first offering for the Indian market; the Citroën C5 Aircross. The facelifted version is priced at INR 36,67,000/- for the Shine Dual-Tone variant. This is an increase of Rupees 2.89 lakh compared to the previous model. The Shine Dual-Tone is the only variant of the facelifted C5 Aircross, discontinuing the previously offered Feel entry-level trim. There are some noticeable exterior and interior tweaks, but the same 2.0L diesel engine is continued from the outgoing version.
The 2.0L four-cylinder diesel engine continues to make the same 174hp and 400Nm of torque. It comes mated to the same eight-speed automatic transmission as before. The car offers a claimed fuel efficiency of 17.5Kmpl.
The car gets a new gloss black front grille with a piano key detail. The split headlamp setup is replaced by a unique integrated headlight setup, the DRLs, which diverge at the outer edges. The two DRLs line up the grille with the Citroën logo in the centre. The central air intakes are now sleeker, and the blocky design is gone. The front design also gets a new skid plate and side air intake which visually widens the car's looks.
The car's front end features sharper lines, but the side profile remains unchanged. The car gets a new set of 18-inch alloy wheels, which lend the car a majestic look. The rear end remains unchanged save for the unique 3D effect LED tail lights. The vehicle comes with an array of colour options. There are four monochrome options, three dual-tone options, and two colour packages available for buyers.
The interior sees a host of new changes starting with the 10-inch infotainment screen that is now popping out of that dashboard, similar to a BMW rather than the previous integrated screen. This screen also houses the control for the car's dual-zone climate control. The side-mounted air vents now move to the bottom of the screen.
The car continues the 12.3-inch digital driver's display, although with updated graphics which, in addition to all other interior elements, gives a high driving position. The gear knob design changes to a toggle switch similar to many cars in the industry, allowing more space in the central console. The rotary knob for drive mode selection has also been dropped in favour of a rectangular switch to shift between modes. The car gets Citroën's new "Progressive Hydraulic Cushions", which offers unprecedented ride comfort and gives a "flying carpet" feel.
The Citroën C5 Aircross continues with its distinguishing element, the three individual seats in the rear. These come with 15mm of more padding for a comfortable ride. Upholstery finishing now comes in a mix of leather and fabrics in black and grey shades.
Equipment on the C5 Aircross continues to feature auto rain-sensing wipers, LED headlamps, a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free tailgate, hands-free parking, and a powered driver seat. The car features a 580l boot storage capacity of up to 1,630l when the second-row seats are folded down.
In terms of safety, the car features blind-spot monitoring, hill descent control and coffee break alerts, among a wide range of safety features.
The car offers a standard three-year or 1 lakh Km warranty, with extended packages also available. The car competes directly with the Jeep Compass, the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Hyundai Tucson. It is available at 20 La Maison Citroën showrooms in addition to the option to buy the car online. Our spec comparison for these cars is coming sooner than you think!
Words: Sresht Garg
