New Citroen C5 Aircross makes European debut

Citroen adds the C5 Aircross SUV to its line-up with semi-autonomous tech and with a plug-in hybrid on the way too
The new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV has made its European debut in Paris, months on from its Chinese market launch. Now it???‚?„?s ready to hit British showrooms next January priced from around ?’?€23,000.

It arrives as Citroen???‚?„?s flagship SUV and is closely inspired by the Aircross concept revealed at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2015. It sits on the PSA Group???‚?„?s EMP2 platform, shared with sister cars the Peugeot 3008 and the DS 7 Crossback, plus Vauxhall???‚?„?s Grandland X.

Citroen says that the 2015 concept exhibited a ???—?…?colourful???‚?„? personality in terms of design, and the production C5 Aircross carries over a near identical shape, although some design elements have been toned down for production. The floating roof with 360-degree windows, capped off with the new chrome C-pillar design, has made the cut, alongside flared wheelarches and Airbump-equipped body cladding for a chunky look.
The two-tiered lighting at the front of the car is full LED, while the taillights are LED units too. 30 exterior colour combinations will be available, plus alloy wheels measuring from 17-inches to 19-inches in size. A large glass panoramic roof opens the cabin up to the sunlight.

New Citroen C5 Aircross dimensions
It comes in at 4,500mm long, 1,840mm wide and 1,670mm tall, while the wheelbase of 2,730mm means Citroen promises ???—?…?best in class???‚?„? space for passengers, especially those in the rear. Ground clearance comes in at 230mm.

Citroen has applied a new look in the cabin with an interior layout partly inspired by the concept. Up front, the dashboard takes on a horizontal design with large vertical air vents, and is matched with a flat, wide centre console. Sitting above it is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a touch sensitive strip of menu buttons, while a 12.3-inch customisable digital instrument cluster finds its place behind the steering wheel as well. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included.

Like the heavily facelifted C4 Cactus, the C5 Aircross arrives in Europe with an emphasis placed on comfort. It gets new Advanced Comfort Seats with extra thick, soft padding, which can be upgraded to feature heating elements and a massage feature. Double-glazed front windows are equipped in a bid to keep road and wind noise down as much as possible, while the firm???‚?„?s new Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension system is fitted as standard.