Citroën C5 Aircross PHEV to be released mid 2020

Citroën has presented the new C5 Aircross Hybrid, which is offered in the UK at gross list prices starting at £35,340, or in France at €39,950. Deliveries are scheduled to start in mid-2020.

In the compact SUV, Citroën is relying on the smaller of the two possible PHEV variants. PSA’s EMP2 platform basically allows the combination of a combustion engine with an electric motor on the front axle and optionally a second electric motor on the rear axle. In contrast to the Opel Grandland X Hybrid4, the all-wheel-drive version is not used here, but rather the one with pure front-wheel drive.

In other words, the plug-in hybrid offers a system output of 165 kW, to which the electric motor contributes 80 kW. The battery with a capacity of 13.2 kWh enables a purely electric WLTP range of up to 50 kilometres. The battery is charged exclusively with AC, but the built-in onboard charger is designed for single-phase only. At an appropriate wall box or public AC charging point, the charging time should be less than three hours; at a household socket, Citroën indicates the charging time as seven hours.

The charging flap itself is located on the left side of the vehicle above the rear wheel, the tank nozzle is on the right side. The charging cable can be stored in a compartment under the boot floor. According to the manufacturer, the PHEV version retains the variability of the boot. Since the battery is installed under the rear seats, the loading capacity remains at 460 to 600 litres. In addition, the individual rear seats can be lowered, moved and adjusted. When the backrests are folded down, a 1.90-metre long storage area is created.

All in all, Citroën has focused on the comfort of the vehicle, according to the press release. The tuning of the “Advanced Comfort Suspension” is intended to filter out disruptive factors and increase driving comfort. The front side windows are also made of insulating laminated glass to ensure that acoustic comfort is maintained in quiet electric operation. Citroën is even so convinced of its development that it is quickly converting the SUV abbreviation of the Sports Utility Vehicle into a “Silent Urban Vehicle”.

The new Citroën C5 Aircross Hybrid will be produced in Rennes-La Janais, France, and will be delivered from mid-2020. According to Citroën, the C5 Aircross is the prelude to the electrification offensive. The French company promises to offer electrified versions for 80 per cent of its models by 2023 and for the entire model range by 2025.

citröen.com, citröen.com (UK)