The French automaker, Citroen is the new international brand to enter the Indian automobile market this year. It is planning to unveil its first offering, the C5 Aircross on February 1. Observing the rapid growth of the Indian automobile market, Citroen decided to cash in the opportunity to try its luck here. As a result of the keen study of our market, Citroen has decided to enter the SUV segment, which is actually the most profitable and popular segment in the country at the moment. In fact, it is the case globally, with the SUV trend catching on everywhere. To enable all this, Citroen has also set up 10 showrooms in 10 cities, to begin with. Depending on the demand and requirements, it will further increase its touchpoints and increase its product range. Let us take a look at what to expect from the brand and C5 Aircross!
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Citroen – 10 Dealer and Service Touchpoints
Initially, Citroen has set up the 10 showrooms under La Maison name in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Cochin, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune. These cities will receive the showrooms in the first phase. The showrooms will feature 3D configurators for the customers to customize and choose their desired models. Citroen is aware of the fact that their first product, the C5 Aircross is not a volume-oriented product. It is aimed at establishing the brand in India and getting people’s reception of the brand. That is the reason Citroen is unveiling the luxury SUV, which will be priced above Rs 30 lakh mark. The long term plans of Citroen are very clear as they have announced that once they come up with other volume-oriented products, they will not have diesel engines in the lineup. The prime reason for that being an overall shift of the industry towards powerful turbo petrol powertrains.
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Citroen C5 Aircross
C5 Aircross will be the first product in Citroen’s Indian lineup and will be unveiled on February 1. Linda Jackson, the CEO, Citroen, mentioned clearly that the C5 Aircross will be a product that will concentrate on design and comfort. The typical square themed exterior and interior are unique to Citroen. The front grille will feature chrome elements and the LED DRLs on the top of the bonnet. The headlamps unit will be placed below the DRLs but not entirely on the bumper. There are pronounced squared-off air dams housing the fog lamps cluster. The sides also feature the squared-off elements lower down. The C5 Aircross will have handy roof rails to give it a more practical and sporty look. The tail lamps also feature small squares to carry the theme of the Citroen design language.
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Once you move inside the car, the most prominent thing you will notice is the same square theme in the center console with air-con vents. The Digital Instrument Cluster also features the prominent square theme. The quality and fit and finish of the C5 Aircross will be high. This is the factor that Citroen is backing itself on to establish its name in our market. Citroen has confirmed that its prime focus will be on design and comfort. So one can expect the C5 Aircross to come with a ton of convenience and comfort features.
C5 Aircross – Engine, Price and Rivals
The Citroen C5 Aircross will be the only offering from the brand to have a diesel engine. The C5 Aircross will come with a 1.5-litre diesel engine producing 130hp, combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Apart from this model, all the other models from Citroen will come with a sole petrol option and no diesel engine will be available. The prices are expected to be around Rs 25 lakh, ex-showroom. This will attract competition from the likes of Jeep Compass and Skoda Karoq.
