Within a year of having been on sale here, the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV has received a huge price hike. Introduced in India this April as Citroen’s maiden offering for our market, the Citroen C5 Aircross was launched at an introductory starting price of Rs 29.90 lakh for the base ‘Feel’ variant, and Rs 31.90 lakh for the fully-loaded ‘Shine’ variant. Now, a little over six months on, Citroen has revised prices of its Jeep Compass rival by as much as Rs 1.90 lakh, which makes the base variant nearly as expensive as the top-spec trim was at launch.
Thanks to the price revision, the Citroen C5 Aircross Feel now costs Rs 31.80 lakh, while the Citroen C5 Aircross Shine is priced at Rs 32.80 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom), which makes it around Rs 90,000 pricier than it was at launch, and brings the difference in prices of the two variants down to just Rs 1 lakh, which is fitting considering the Feel is nearly as well-equipped as the Shine.
With the price hike, the Feel variant of the C5 Aircross now costs nearly as much as the Shine variant did at launch. Image: Citroen
It remains to be seen how the price hike impacts sales of the C5 Aircross, which was anyway deemed to be too expensive compared to other SUVs in the same bracket. This 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.
To recap, the Citroen C5 Aircross is a 5-seat SUV, which is roughly the same size as the Tucson. It measures in at 4,500mm in length, 1,969mm in width and 1,710mm in height, with a 2,730mm 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. Dual-tone paint costs an added Rs 50,000 on the Feel variant.
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.
The C5 Aircross’ interior has some feel-good bits, but it’s not exactly luxurious. Image: Overdrive/Anis Shaikh
Powering the Citroen C5 Aircross is a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine that makes 177 hp and 400 Nm of torque. Citroen claims the C5 Aircross’ ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure of 18.6 kpl is the best in its segment. 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.
For now, the Citroen C5 Aircross’ rivals include the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson, but it will soon also face competition from the five-seat Volkswagen Tiguan facelift, which is set for launch in the coming months.
Also read: Citroen C5 Aircross India review