Ah, the French. They like to do things differently, not least with their automobiles (and they’ve built some of the most iconic cars in the world, over the decades). I can usually tell a French car when I see one, and the Citroen C5 Aircross, short of saying “Bonjour, je suis français”, is as French as they come.
The company has a long and storied history – they made the legendary 2CV and Traction Avant, cars that I have been fortunate to drive and that are amazing even today – and its parent company, the PSA Group, had a presence in India in the Form of Peugeot until 1997. Peugeot was slated for an Indian comeback a few years ago, but as it’s turned out, the French renaissance here will be Citroen’s responsibility. No pressure, then.
Back to the ‘do things differently’ part. Look at the C5 from the front three-quarter perspective and you’re struck by how… busy it is. There are vertical lines, horizontal lines, chrome strips, LED lights and fog lights, not to mention the swirly alloy wheel design, the creases down its flanks and the multiple design elements below those creases.
There are silver accents in numerous places (the white version has orange ones), and at the back, you see faux air and exhaust outlets, with chunky taillight housings that have rectangular LED lights inside them. It’s as if the designers were told to cater to every possible customer requirement in the aesthetics department and readily agreed to do so, but here’s the thing – I think the C5’s design might just go down well with Indian buyers, who like a bit of excess, especially when it comes to SUVs.
Personally, I’m quite enthused by it, simply because there’s nothing else on our roads that looks anything like it. It also has a hefty presence, which is important.
Let’s Talk Interiors
The cabin is just as quirky, and impressive. Firstly, it’s massive – the C5 is longer, wider and taller than car SUVs like the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. At the back, you get three proper-sized individual seats that can be slid back and forth, reclined and folded, which means that the person sitting in the middle won't feel like they’ve been given a punishment posting.
These seats are very comfortable, too, but not quite as comfortable as the ones up front, which are class-leading in their plushness and width. All the seats have a ‘6-pack abs’ pattern on them, which ties in with the overall blocky design motifs all over the car.
In terms of storage, you get a more than useful 580 litres, and Citroen claims that all the numerous in-cabin storage spaces add up to another 33 litres (the storage in the centre console is cavernous). When it comes to practicality and passenger comfort, the C5 nails it.
ALSO READ: 5 things you need to know about the Citroen C5 Aircross
As I mentioned, there’s a preponderance of blocks everywhere. The steering wheel looks like a block that was squashed into a circle, the A/C vents are twin-cube in design and the door handles have the same design. The instrument panel is wide and a bit narrow, and isn’t the easiest to read.
The tachometer is presented as a bar graph, for example, with your speed being indicated ion digits in the middle. There are three display modes you can choose from, and they're all different shades of confusing, unfortunately. The 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but there’s no home screen; you have to select different settings and modes with icons placed below the screen. You also get column-mounted paddle shifters and hard-to-reach column-mounted cruise control buttons.
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As standard, the C5 gets things like dual-zone climate control, electric-adjust driver’s seat, an air quality system and outside ‘puddle’ lamps, with the top end version getting a panoramic sunroof, LED headlights and a tailgate with hands-free operation. Weirdly, in this day and age, there's no wireless phone charger or connected car technology.
In terms of safety, you're well covered – as standard, you get ABS, ESP, terrain control modes, six airbags, auto parking assist, a rear parking camera and a coffee break alerting system.
Let’s Talk Performance
Fire up the 2-litre diesel engine (it puts out 177 bhp and a healthy 400 Nm of torque) and there’s a bit of a clatter at idle that’s audible if you're standing outside, but which doesn't reach the cabin due to robust sound insulation. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, and both units are best described as ‘unhurried’.
This isn’t to say that the engine is underpowered, mind you – there’s a smooth, strong surge throughout its rev range, and it’s very refined as well, with no sudden spikes. You can easily modulate your velocity by using the accelerator, and the gearbox shifts very smoothly too. The steering is light and very easy to use to pilot the car in all conditions.
Another area in which the C5 delivers is its suspension, which has what Citroen calls Progressive Hydraulic Cushions. These introduce a kind of magic carpet ride quality to the car, which soaks up all manner of bumps in a superb manner and has a plush feel to it at all times (other than when it hits the odd really bad crater).
This plushness does affect its handling a bit, in the sense that it exhibits some body roll and pitch, but then most people aren't going to hurl it around corners like they're on a rally stage. It doesn't have a four-wheel drive system either, although it does get terrain response modes and hill descent control.
When you look at the C5 by itself, it’s a very well-built, roomy, extremely comfortable and easygoing SUV, but it has some pretty strong and well-established competition – and it won't be easy on the pocket, considering prices start at Rs 29.90 lakh. Citroen has its task cut out for it for sure, but on the face of it, it seems to have a product that makes a left-of-field case for itself for those looking for comfort above all else – and a dash of je ne sais quoi.
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