Citroën to kickstart its India journey with the C5 Aircross SUV

Groupe PSA, the second largest automobile manufacturer in Europe, has officially announced that Citroën will enter India next year. Their first model is set to be the C5 Aircross SUV, which also happens to be Citroën’s flagship model globally. Groupe PSA has brands like Citroën, Peugeot, DS, Opel and Vauxhall under its umbrella.

Citroën C5 Aircross is the company’s flaship SUV

In a first ever press conference held by Groupe PSA in India, the company said that the C5 Aircross SUV will be launched next year. It’s based on the company’s PSA EMP2 platform which is also present in the DS 7 Crossback, Opel Grandland X and Peugeot 4008 and 5008 models. The C5 Aircross will possibly be powered by 1.2-litre petrol, 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines. The power produced will range from 130 bhp to 180 bhp.

The Citroen C5 Aircross has quite a bit of unique design and styling appeal. The 4.5 meter long SUV has a long sculpted bonnet and the grille runs through the width of the car. Sleek LED DRLs are placed above the headlamps and are integrated within the wide front grille. In terms of dimensions, the C5 Aircross comes very close to the Tata Harrier. The interiors of the international spec model however look much premium. Nappa leather and Alcantara dominate the cabin and a large screen sits in the centre of the dash. Overall, the cabin appears to have a fresh and clean design and we hope that similar quality will be brought to the Indian spec model as well.

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Manufacturing to take place in Hosur

The French company Groupe PSA has partnered with CK Birla group for manufacturing and distribution and TCS for engineering. The production facility meanwhile is located in Hosur, Tamil Nadu which is a result of PSA-Avtec joint venture. The Indian programme comes under the company’s C cube name, standing for Cool, Comfort and Clever. When launched, the C5 Aircross should have the likes of Jeep Compass, Tata Harrier, MG Hector and the Mahindra XUV500 in its crosshairs.

MG Hector images revealed

Present at the brand launch, Mr Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board, Groupe PSA said, “India is an important next step for Groupe PSA as part of the Push to Pass plan to increase our international footprint and revenues. With the introduction of Citroen our aim is to “be Indian in India” and our association with CK Birla Group will be important to become a major player in Indian market. Globally we have been successful in Europe and in other parts of the world because of our unique automotive experiences and delivering mobility solutions to meet our customer expectations”

Check out Citroën’s India website here