2021 Citroen C5 Aircross India review, test drive

Just how quirky is the Citroen C5 Aircross’ model? 

We’re made use of to describing cars with phrases like sporty, modern, muscular, butch, complex and so on. But with the C5, it is challenging to occur up with familiar terminology, so let’s just go with stylish, coincidentally a French word.

The C5 Aircross has an ‘odd nonetheless attractive’ appear with it can be multi-layered front and special blocky styling components.

The C5 does a great work of balancing the ‘odd nonetheless attractive’ appear, the multi-layered front has the double-chevron symbol extending out into two chrome strips encapsulating the DRLs. Underneath are the LED projector headlights flanking a instead unconventional grille layout that has an additional air consumption slot down below. The bumper consumption is flanked by a couple of fake inlets, and fog lights sit at the intense finishes. All in, the front has a load of layout components and judging by the reactions we received, though many will like it, some may find it abnormal.

At the rear the taillamps with four rectangular, 3D LED modules are the standout attribute.

At the sides, the doorways are effortlessly contoured, but the edges down below have mouldings with some blocky styling components. On our grey take a look at car – as also on two other body colors – there are silver accents on the facet moulding, underneath the roof rails and also on the front bumper. On the white car, nonetheless, these are accomplished up in orange and appear very appealing and funky. All cars get eighteen-inch alloys that have a neat swirl-like sample. The rear has a pair of faux air and exhaust outlets but it is the tail-lights that are the standout attribute, with each individual housing four rectangular, 3D LED modules that are eye-catching even in daylight.

Does quirky apply to the Citroen C5 interiors much too?

The block-like exterior layout information are in abundance on the within much too. The seats have a block-stitched floor and are very retro cool, many thanks to the grey tones offset by the white stripe.The doorway pads also have embossed blocks, and the handles are in the same way styled. Even the steering wheel is like a ‘squircle’ with the bottom and top rated edges flattened. Each aircon vent is also split into two separate cubes, nevertheless they operate as a one device.

The block like layout components attribute within as effectively with the seat upholstery, special dice-like air-con vents and ‘squircle’ steering.

Though some may find this detailing overdone, it can be tastefully executed, and the layout appears to be refreshing. The instrumentation is a bit much too radical nevertheless and the ‘Dial’ screen method (precisely what it is identified as) has anything but dials! The tachometer is a bar graph, there a numeric go through-out for the velocity and an additional slide-rule velocity screen. It is all very unconventional and very French I guess, but it actually isn’t easy to go through. Also, regardless of the instrument cluster staying a configurable electronic monitor, there is no alternative for a dial screen, not even in the other two modes. Toggle to Particular and you can pick to screen facts on the stereo features, although in Nominal, the only go through-outs you get are speedo and odo, even the fuel gauge is knocked out. The 8.-inch touchscreen has no residence webpage but you can instantly accessibility specific features and their settings by the poking the icons on the touch panel down below.

The electronic instrument cluster is customiseable but does not present an alternative for a dial screen. Bar-like tacho not easy to go through.

The C5 Aircross will come in two versions – Feel and Glow – and the two are effectively equipped, with the foundation Feel variant shedding out only on the panoramic sunroof, LED headlamps and a fingers-totally free tailgate, which is common on the Glow. This usually means even the foundation Feel edition will get goodies like an electric powered regulate driver’s seat, twin-zone auto local weather management, an air-top quality system, outside puddle lamps, and a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Missing nevertheless are bits like wi-fi charging, an electric powered regulate passenger seat and connected-car tech.

8.-inch touchscreen has no homescreen but specific features can be accessed by using a touch-delicate panel down below the screen.

Security products common on the two variants consists of six airbags, Abs, ESP, terrain management modes with hill descent, blind location warning, coffee split alert, auto park guide, and a rear digicam that also stitches a 360-degree watch with past footage, this usually means nevertheless that only the rear has a dwell feed.

Seatbelt reminders for rear occupants as effectively

Is the Citroen C5 convenience as considerably as it is created out to be?

Citroen absolutely are speaking up ‘comfort’ – it is really considerably the USP or cornerstone for the firm globally –and as soon as you are past the instead unconventional interiors, you’ll see the large total of house.

The C5 is wider, taller and longer than the two, the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson, and by a great margin, much too, when you have a appear at the enough place within. Offered the car’s size – and 1 appear at the deep boot – it is evident that legroom could have been far better, but it is adequate. Getting edge of the broad cabin, Citroen has plonked in a few impartial and equivalent rear seats, and with each individual acquiring the capacity to slide and recline (also fold)there is no will need to struggle in excess of who has to sit in the centre.

Legroom is adequate though head and shoulder place is in abundance. Seats are cozy nevertheless lumbar assistance is a touch abnormal.

The slide adjustment also will allow you to stagger a few huge travellers to make a small additional shoulder place the centre seat much too will get a top-adjustable head restraint and a a few-place seat belt.

It is all a very progressive and special setup, and as a 5-seater, the C5 actually nails it, but as a 4-seater, not very so. The difficulties is, staying confined to an specific seat, outer travellers cannot actually spread out and make use of the vacant house in the center, as well as you also skip out on an arm rest. So just how relaxed the rear seats are actually is dependent on your specific usage sample.

Exclusive to the C5 Aircross are the a few impartial rear seats than can slide, recline and fold separately.

The seats on their own are cozy sufficient, the foam density is just about ideal, nevertheless lumbar assistance is a touch abnormal at the rear. The front seats are incredibly cozy and nice and broad as effectively. A prolonged working day at the wheel didn’t leave us with any aches and pains.

Front seats are broad and incredibly cozy.

There’s a great deal of cargo house much too and though the boot is huge, at 580 litres, what is truly amazing is in-cabin storage, which Citroen says adds up to 33 litres. The doorway pockets, cubby holes and the phone tray are all actually huge and deep, and the centre console storage box is uncomplicated large luckily, it is illuminated, which helps make it easy to find little products, particularly when it is dark.

What’s the Citroen C5 push like?

The fast you twirl the wheel, you realise that the convenience emphasis or ‘Citroen Highly developed Comfort’ programme, as the firm phone calls it, extends to the complete push experience much too. The steering is very mild and it is easy to manoeuvre the C5 by means of city targeted traffic. Even at velocity, hard work remains mild and though there is a Activity method, it has only a little effect on steering truly feel, as also on powertrain responsiveness. This is a car squarely aimed at all those seeking a relaxed and pleasant push.

two.-litre diesel develops 177hp and 400Nm of torque and delivers electrical power in a solid and linear way. It’s also very easy and refined.

If you think this usually means a meek engine, you’ll be completely wrong – the two.-litre diesel helps make 177hp and 400Nm of torque, and electrical power delivery is nice and solid. Retaining with the cars character, it is also very linear, with no spikes and surges, even in Activity method. Element-throttle reaction is great and when you set your foot down at just about any velocity and you’ll be rewarded with a nice solid surge forward.

In our assessments, we clocked 9.61sec for the -100kph sprint, which for reference is a lot quicker than the diesel Compass’ time of ten.30sec. Roll-on instances are amazing as effectively – twenty-80kph will come in at 5.89sec, though forty-100kph takes seven.71sec this, much too, is a lot quicker than the Compass, which takes 6.05sec and 8.36sec, respectively. 

Amplifying the engine’s energy is the 8-velocity gearbox that does not rush by means of its cogs and holds on to decreased gears for longer, this usually means you are seldom out of the meaty electrical power band, which begins at all over 1,800rpm and builds properly till somewhere all over the 4,000rpm mark. I say ‘somewhere’ as it is virtually not possible to precisely go through the tacho bar, and no make a difference the push method, or even if you are in total guide method and shifting with the paddles, the car will upshift. It is all about convenience then, no noisy engine, nevertheless at larger revs, you can listen to the diesel drone within.

8-velocity auto ‘box retains the SUV in the meat of the powerband and will automatically upshift at all over 4,000 rpm even in guide method.

Which brings me to cabin insulation – in addition to the frequent audio-deadening products, the C5 employs double-laminated front home windows and a windshield glass that lowers audio ranges. It does function and for most sections, cruising in the C5 is a silent affair, nevertheless in excess of some street surfaces, you listen to tyre sound and in excess of sharp ruts and edges, you will listen to a ‘whack’ from the suspension.

What does the Citroen C5 suspension truly feel like?

Apart from some sharp edges that catch the suspension out, the C5 does as advertised, which is to sail in excess of negative roadways and deliver a actually nice and pliant ride. Broken surfaces and stripped away tarmac do not trouble the car and retaining superior speeds in excess of negative stretches is very easy. The solution listed here is the C5’s dampers or what Citroen connect with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’.

Citroen’s ‘Progresive Hydraulic Cushions’ suspension soaks up negative roadways and off street trails properly nevertheless you will truly feel a thud in excess of sharp edges.

They utilise additional springs within and, importantly, hydraulic chambers as bump stops (frequent bump stops are usually rubber).These gradually or progressively sluggish down the damper stroke, supplying the car a wafting-on-air form of truly feel. On the flipside, this also liable for the thuds that filter by means of in excess of sharp edges. This is because, as the compression builds up, the effective damping price rises sharply, identical to air springs in which the air compresses promptly towards the rigid conclude of their travel.

The Aircross’ softer suspension does guide to some body roll and the nose tends to bob underneath aggressive braking, but grip is very great.

On the complete nevertheless, the ride top quality is absolutely a superior place for the C5, and for the vast majority of its suspension travel, it will truly feel very pliant and composed, supplying you a nice and plush ride. This does signify that handling isn’t its forte nevertheless, though tyre grip is great, the softer springs signify there is body roll and you’ll even see some added pitch that will get the nose bobbing when you dab the spongy brake pedal a small aggressively. Established up for convenience, the C5 doesn’t have the sharp responses of, say, a Compass. What it also misses out on is four-wheel push, but there are terrain reaction modes for far better traction in excess of unfastened surfaces like mud and snow, and there is also a hill descent method.

No four-wheel push but terrain reaction modes let you to alter electrical power delivery and braking qualities for far better traction in excess of unfastened surfaces.

You can tackle an odd off-crushed trail, but this isn’t a little something to conquer a new route into the forest with, nor a little something you’d toss corners at, but the firm helps make no apologies about that. This is a car aimed squarely at all those seeking a relaxed and pleasant push, and it delivers that in spades.

Really should you purchase the Citroen C5 Aircross?

Citroen is very considerably the newcomer – it is manufacturer that has not existed in fashionable India till now and is mainly not known. But to compensate for the deficiency of manufacturer recognition, do not assume Citroen to peg the C5 at an aggressively low selling price. The C5 is not likely to be low-cost and according to firm sources the entry variant will be pegged at all over Rs thirty lakh. At that selling price, there will not be many takers for the C5 but with only ten dealers to begin with, evidently, volumes is not the focus on. The firm believes it is listed here for the prolonged haul and wishes its solutions and expert services to speak for on their own. Like their haute couture manner then, the French imagine in paying out for what you get, also considerably akin to superior manner, it is not for every person.

The C5 isn’t for all those seeking sharp handling or severe off-roading, nor will all those progressive rear seats be what the one, chauffeur-driven proprietor is hunting for. But that’s precisely what helps make the C5 so fantastic, it isn’t seeking to be sure to all, instead it is preferred a established of parameters and made a decision to actually double down on all those.

The car appears to be stylish and will come as a breath of fresh new air, and it nails its said mission of convenience with great ride top quality, amazing refinement and an easy-to-push nature aided by a mild steering and a easy and responsive engine. In addition, there is enough house within and the products listing is very comprehensive much too. So, though the C5 possibly usually French, its preferred emphasis factors are regular Indian needs, and that’s what Citroen will absolutely be counting to open up a solid innings in India.

Also see:

Citroen C5 Aircross India video clip assessment