Citroen Begins Trial Production In India For C5 Aircross SUV

• The C5 Aircross will be Citroën’s first model for the Indian market.

• Its launch has been delayed till early 2021 due to the pandemic.

• It could get a panoramic sunroof and dual-zone climate control.

• Citroën is expected to price it from Rs 20 lakh onwards (ex-showroom).

Citroën will enter India in early-2021 with the C5 Aircross SUV. It was originally scheduled to be launched around September 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. The carmaker recently started trial production of the C5 Aircross at its Thiruvallur plant in Tamil Nadu. It will be Citroën’s first offering for the Indian market.

While the details of the India-spec C5 Aircross are yet unknown, it is expected to be offered with both petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engine is expected to be a 1.6-litre turbocharged motor rated at 180PS and 250Nm, while the diesel engine is likely to be a 2.0-litre unit developing 176PS and 400Nm. Internationally, both engines of the SUV are available with an 8-speed automatic transmission. However, we expect Citroën to offer a manual gearbox on the India-spec model along with the automatic option.

Also Read: Citroen’s Made-In-India Car On Track For 2021 Launch Despite Coronavirus Pandemic

The C5 Aircross is expected to get a panoramic sunroof, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, hands-free parking, powered driver seat, dual-zone climate control, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Expected safety features include multiple airbags, front and rear parking sensors, and hill-start assist.

Since it’s a mid-size SUV, it will rival the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and the higher variants of the Jeep Compass. We expect Citroën to price the C5 Aircross from around Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom).