Citroen India has begun trial assembly of its first product for our market, the C5 Aircross SUV, which is slated for a market launch sometime in early 2021. Here’s what’s new about it:
- Citroen C5 Aircross to be locally assembled from CKD kits.
- Will be sold in a single, fully-loaded trim, costing upwards of Rs 30 lakh.
- Citroen to launch made-for-India compact SUV and other models in future.
What’s new on Citroen’s India-bound C5 Aircross SUV?
The company has recently begun trial assembly of a handful units of the C5 Aircross SUV at CK Birla’s facility in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. These made-in-India units will be used for testing across the country, according to sources. While test mules of the C5 Aircross SUVs have already been seen in India, those were fully-imported units.
Citroen C5 Aircross: India launch plans and expected pricing?
Citroën announced earlier this year that the India launch of its C5 Aircross will be delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and will now happen sometime in January-March 2021, instead of late 2020. Sources tell us that, since the C5 Aircross will be “locally assembled” and not “locally made”, prices are expected to start upwards of Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom).
The SUV will be sold in a single trim and is expected to come with features like an electronic parking brake, dual-zone climate control, a hands-free tailgate, split-LED headlamps with DRLs, a panoramic sunroof, a powered driver’s seat, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument screen.
Powering the SUV will be a 2.0-litre diesel engine good for 180hp, mated to an 8-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. The SUV was earlier pegged to come with a less powerful 131hp, 1.5-litre diesel unit, but the additional performance will be welcome at this price point.
What else is Citroen planning for India?
Citroen doesn’t plan on selling large numbers of the C5 Aircross SUV in India SUV. Instead, the French brand is betting big on its future made-in-India models from its ‘C-Cubed’ programme, which should be the volume sellers. These models will have a high level of local content – the C21 compact SUV is expected to achieve 90-95 percent localisation, which could mean a starting price of about Rs 7 lakh.
How many Citroen India showrooms are expected in first phase?
The first showroom in Ahmedabad for the Citroen brand is almost ready. 10-15 outlets – all of which will be based on the brand’s ‘La Maison Citroen’ concept – are expected to be introduced in the first phase.