► Citroen’s getting lazy with its concept names
► But the C5 Aircross is shaping up to be an interesting car
► It’s bigger and has a choice of petrol and EV power
Stellantis is on a mission right now to replace all its mid-sized SUVs. This year, we’ve had new generations of the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland – and now it’s the turn of Citroen. This rather striking-looking concept is our first official glimpse at the next generation C5 Aircross.
It’s called, rather unimaginatively, the Citroen C5 Aircross Concept – and it is the centrepiece of the brand’s 2024 Paris Motor Show stand. It previews a production-spec car that’s due to hit our showrooms in 2025 but, even though that’s only a few months away, Citroen is still playing its cards close to its chest.
We didn’t even see the concept’s interior at the show and the company’s executives wouldn’t be drawn on the specifics of the car’s powertrains. However, the brand assured us that this new car will be more comfortable, more spacious and more practical than the outgoing model. Scroll down to learn everything we know so far.
What’s changed over the previous C5 Aircross?
Well, this new one’s bigger for a start. The concept measures 4.65 metres long, which is 15cm longer than the outgoing C5 Aircross and should translate to a little more legroom for rear-seat passengers. It’s a little more low-slung than its predecessor, though, with a height of 1.66 metres. For reference, the previous car was 1.69 metres tall.
It also wears Citroen’s latest design language, which was introduced on the smaller C3 and e-C3. So, the C5 shares the same face, similar headlights, the same rough silhouette and kindred surfacing to its smaller sibling.
Citroen has also dedicated a lot of time to improving the C5’s aerodynamics. The car is peppered with flaps and inlets that are designed to smooth out the air passing over the bodywork. The rear bumper is particularly clever, though. It partly reverses the direction of the air that would normally get trapped behind the panel and create drag. The result? You get a little bit of thrust that helps to push the car down the road.
What’s powering the new Citroen C5 Aircross?
No prizes for guessing this one. Like the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland (with which it’ll be competing), the Citroen C5 Aircross concept is built on the STLA Medium platform. That means it’ll be available with a choice of petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains. And that’s no bad thing considering how poor consumer confidence has been in EV tech of late.
Citroen hasn’t yet broken down the new C5’s engine range but, given how deep the synergies run within Stellantis, we can figure that out for ourselves. It’ll mirror that of its chassis siblings. The C5 range should open with a 134bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that’s supported by a 28bhp 48-volt mild-hybrid system.
Above that will be a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a maximum electric range of around 50 miles. At the top of the tree, we’ll get a full EV powered by a massive 98kWh battery pack offering an official WLTP driving range of more than 400 miles.
And because this is a car from comfort-focused Citroen, the next C5’s chassis will be propped up by some exceptionally forgiving suspension. Citroen hasn’t yet explained the setup, but the brand promises the finished car will allow five occupants to ‘relax and travel in complete serenity.’
We’ll be judge of that, Citroen. Although, if the new C3 is anything to go by, we ought to mind our tongue. Stay tuned. We’ll update you with more info about the C5 Aircross Concept from the Paris Motor Show as it arrives.