Citroen has started the trial assembly of its C5 Aircross SUV, which in all likelihood may be the first Citroen offering in India. Though there is no official confirmation regarding the exact launch date, it is expected to be launched in India sometime early in 2021.
Where has the assembly trial begun?
The company has started the assembly trials at CK Birla’s facility located in Thiruvallur, Tamilnadu. As the trials are in the primary stage, only a few units of the C5 Aircross SUV are being assembled.
These cars are being assembled completely at the facility from CKD (Completely knocked down) units and will be used for testing across the country. The test mules, though have been spied previously as well, but they happened to be the completely built units (CBU) exported to the country.
Citroen C5 Aircross: What to expect?
Engine Options
Gladly, It is expected to offer both petrol and diesel engine options, a powerful 1.6 L turbocharged unit (180 PS/250 Nm) is expected to be offered as a petrol engine option. As far as the diesel engine is concerned, it will get a 2.0L unit that develops 176 PS of power and 400 Nm of torque. Both engines will definitely come paired with the choice of 8-speed automatic transmission. For the Indian market, Citroen might also offer the SUV with a manual gearbox in addition to the 8-speed torque converter automatic.
*only for representational purpose
Features
The C5 Aircross SUV will come loaded up to the brim, offering luxury features like a panoramic sunroof, hands-free parking, powered driver seat, dual-zone climate control, 12.4-inch digital instrumentation cluster, hands-free operable tailgate and electronic parking brake. Even on the safety front, it will be packed with important features like front and rear parking sensors, hill-start assist, and multiple airbags, etc.
Launch in early 2021
Though its launch was supposed to take place in 2020 itself, the lockdown restrictions that were imposed eventually pushed the launch to early 2021. According to the sources, completely knocked down units will be imported and as mentioned earlier will be assembled at the CK Birla facility.
Price
The SUV can be expected to retail at a price of about Rs 30 Lakhs, and since it is a Mid-sized SUV, it will compete with the likes of Honda CR-V, Skoda Karoq, and Jeep Compass.
Author's Take
Citroen looks like a company with a well-jotted plan to enter the Indian market and apart from the C5 Aircross SUV, the French automaker is all set to introduce the C21 sub-4m SUV, with almost 90-95% localization, which means that the company can manage to price it competitively and spice up the competition in cut-throat sub-4m space.
The past few years have witnessed a considerable spike in prominent global auto manufacturers making their way to the Indian market, this has led to a healthy competition among the plethora of manufacturers and with all of them offering great value, it has ultimately been buyer's gain.
