The Citroen C5 Aircross SUV a second (and substantial) price hike within a year of its launch, with Citroen India confirming prices of its maiden offering in the country will rise by up to three percent – over Rs 90,000 – from 1 January, 2022. The reason cited for this second hike is a continued rise in the cost of commodities and ocean freight costs.
Introduced in India this April, the Citroen C5 Aircross was launched at an introductory ex-showroom starting price of Rs 29.90 lakh for the base ‘Feel’ variant, and Rs 31.90 lakh for the fully-loaded ‘Shine’ variant. In November, Citroen revised prices for the first time, and at present, the Citroen C5 Aircross Feel costs Rs 31.30 lakh (with the dual-tone version costing Rs 31.80 lakh), while the Citroen C5 Aircross Shine is priced at Rs 32.80 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom), which made it around Rs 90,000 pricier than it was at launch.
In price terms, this second hike also puts the Citroen C5 Aircross precariously close to full-size, three-row ladder-frame SUVs which are substantially larger and offer increased road presence and interior space. Notably, the C5 Aircross will now be the most expensive offering in its segment.
With the latest hike, prices for the Citroen C5 Aircross will rise by over Rs 90,000. Image: Citroen
To recap, the Citroen C5 Aircross is a five-seat SUV, which is roughly the same size as the Hyundai Tucson. It measures in at 4,500 mm in length, 1,969 mm in width and 1,710 mm in height, with a 2,730 mm wheelbase.
The top-spec Citroen C5 Aircross Shine packs features such as dual-zone auto climate control, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital instruments display, an air purifier, hands-free tail gate operation, connected car tech and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Feel version, on the other hand, gets most of the Shine’s features, but has halogen headlights and misses out on the panoramic sunroof, mood lighting and hands-free tail gate operation.
Safety kit includes front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, a reverse camera, disc brakes for all four wheels, a blind-spot monitoring system, an electronic parking brake and active park assist. With a view to highlighting its focus on comfort, Citroen has also equipped the C5 Aircross with double-glazed front windows to reduce NVH levels on the inside.
Powering the Citroen C5 Aircross is a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that makes 177 hp and 400 Nm of torque. Paired with it is an eight-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. Also available are drive modes and a Grip Control system, to help the C5 traverse rough terrain.
The Citroen C5 Aircross’ rivals include the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson and the five-seat Volkswagen Tiguan facelift, which has just been launched at an introductory price of Rs 31.99 lakh. In 2022, Citroen will launch its first mass-market model for India in the form of the all-new Citroen C3 hatchback.
Also read: Citroen C5 Aircross review