The C5 Aircross will be the first model to be launched in India by Citroen
European auto major Groupe PSA is all set to introduce its Citroen brand in India. The French brand will set off its innings with the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV. Scheduled for a debut on 1st Feb 2021, this mid-sized SUV has now entered production.
Today, the first unit of C5 Aircross SUV has rolled off the production line. Company plant is located in Thiruvallur, which is about 50 kms from Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Citroen cars in India will be retailed via an exclusive retail network called “La Maison Citroen” meaning “Home of Citroen”.
For a start, the French automaker will have showrooms in 10 major cities across the country including Ahmedabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Cochin and will expand its reach in a phased manner. One model each year with 100 percent localization is its target.
La Maison Citroen
Literally translated to the Home of Citroen, the dealerships will sport a homely feel with extensive use of wood and colours in a warm earthy tone to make customers feel comfortable. The showrooms in India will have vast glass expanses in the front and will be dominated by huge vertical screens to attract buyers.
Large 3D configurators will enable customers to view all details of the car and various options offered by the company for special configurations while one screen will allow customers to have access to the Citroen virtual museum. Citroenist Café will allow customers to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee while a special area has been set apart for deliveries.
‘Service on Wheels’ and RSA
Besides opening these exclusive dealerships, Citroen will also offer customers ‘Service on Wheels’. This service is especially being offered taking into account the current pandemic situation in the country. The automaker will also offer pan India road side assistance.
Citroen C5 Aircross
The first such showroom in Ahmedabad will be spread over a 4,000 sq ft area. The work on the showroom is nearing completion ahead of the official unveil of the Citroen C5 Aircross on 1st Feb 2021. Even as this mid-size SUV will come in as a CKD and is expected to be priced upwards of Rs.30 lakhs, the company has extensive localization plans in place under what is called the ‘C-Cubed’ program.
The Citroen C5 Aircross has been spied testing and attention has been draw to its dual tone paint scheme, silver colour body panels, blacked out roofline and split headlamps along with a sleek front grille.
It will also receive large air intakes, wheel arch cladding and wrap around LED tail lamps and will ride on 17 inch alloy wheels. The Citroen double arrow logo is positioned on the boot lid. Interiors will also show off some premium features with a dual tone colour scheme, an 8 inch touchscreen infotainment system, 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster and a panoramic sunroof, etc.
The Citroen C5 Aircross will likely be powered by a 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder diesel engine offering 175 hp power and 400 Nm torque and a 1.6 liter turbo petrol unit making 180 hp power and 250 Nm torque. Transmission options will include an 8 speed automatic for both engines while the petrol unit also gets a 6 speed manual gearbox.
Highlights
As per Citroen, their new C5 Aircross for India has been developed keeping in mind 5 key points under the company’s Advanced Comfort Programme. These are – Flying Carpet Effect (to deliver the best in class suspension, thanks to Progressive Hydraulic Cushion), Stress Free Travel (thanks to Acoustic glasses all around, except rear windscreen, comfortable seats with memory foam and 3 settings, reclining passenger seats with flat fold), Panoramic Life (large panoramic sunroof), Intuitive Technology (state of the art touchscreen system) and Powerful yet refined engines.
Emmanuel Delay, Executive Vice President, Stellantis & Chairman, PCA Automobile India Pvt Ltd & PSA AVTEC Powertrain Pvt Ltd., said, “We are excited to officially rollout the first Citroen C5 Aircross SUV, which will be the first of many differentiating products for India from the brand. There is lot of market anticipation for the new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV, which will set a benchmark in style, comfort and innovation in its segment in India.
I would like to congratulate all our employees at the plants who have worked tirelessly to achieve this key milestone despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic. We are looking forward to welcoming the customers to the La Maison Citroen dealership network, which means ‘the home of Citroen’ in a few weeks from now, across key cities of India.”