[neel911]

So after the Tiguan launch, inspite of pricing that surprised me, I still had checked out in person. I somehow did not get that wow feeling be it from outside nor from inside.

Today, I checked the C5 Aircross in person and this car has all wow factor and it looks much more premium in person than what you see online. Even inside it has nicely laid out cabin and feels very nice. They did not have test drive car available today. The rear space, the boot and overall practicality looked to check most of boxes. The seat felt comfortable as well. I definitely found it more premium in person than Tiguan. I agree that you are still paying a premium over Tiguan and only getting front wheel drive, but somewhere it will boil down to individual requirements. If you are going to do lot of city driving in city like Bangalore which is full of pot holes, I'm pretty sure C5 would give far more plush ride (waiting for test drive). The Michelin tyres are what are provided and comes with full size spare alloy wheel unlike other cars where space saver is given. Even the door thud and boot door thickness felt better than Tiguan. The NVH insulation is amazing. They started the engine on display car and it is nousy but once you are inside, all outside noise just vanishes .

I did check on service charges/packages. Right now they have 1 package of about 30K for 3 years. Since it uses special suspension system, I checked on life of same and cost. What the SA mentioned is that you might need replacement at about 65K kms and total cost of replacing entire suspension system is 1.4L. SA mentioned about add on packages which would cover some parts but did not get into details. Warranty is standard 3 years and extendable upto 5 years. I really wish they would have given a longer tenure for warranty upgrade option

I did bring topic of the facelift launched globally to which response was that they have not received any details and since its hybrid at this point, it might take time (not this year for sure) to launch in India.

On any discounts, I was told that they do not have any 2021 lot and for 2022 nothing officially but something that can be worked upon once I've finalised my decision(not sure how much that would really mean). On waiting , it is about 15-30 days. On colour, I was told the most sold is Cumulus Grey (single tone). The 2 tone does make the car look smaller.

Overall, I'm highly impressed but with ~43L OTR for top end model in Bangalore, I'll wait some more time for Tucson launch and take decision towards end of the year. Hopefully with C3 launch, they will have better dealer/service network.

[Frusciante]

Originally Posted by neel911

So after the Tiguan launch, inspite of pricing that surprised me, I still had checked out in person. I somehow did not get that wow feeling be it from outside nor from inside.
========
Overall, I'm highly impressed but with ~43L OTR for top end model in Bangalore, I'll wait some more time for Tucson launch and take decision towards end of the year. Hopefully with C3 launch, they will have better dealer/service network.

So the C5 is almost 43 OTR in BLR now? . dayuummm that is steep. I picked it up at 39 OTR in Mumbai and that was just 2 months ago. I get the fact about input costs going up but Citroen is just not playing smart in my opinion . In comparison the only car I really liked (and might have considered over the C5 if I was in the market now) is the Kodiaq facelift. It is really something and the only departments I think the C5 scores over is the looks (subjective I know, but there's NO CSUV in the market that looks better) and the mileage. The 2.0L petrol will suck your wallet dry in city driving. Dont know about the ride quality yet becuase I haven't driven it, but the C5 sets an incredibly high bar there. What I liked about Skoda is despite the ~43 OTR they are asking for it, it definitely seems like they are trimming their margins unlike Citroen. That's how you pitch a halo product.

Coming to my C5. No complaints yet *touches wood*. 1st service experience was also smooth. In the long term I think atleast the tier 1 cities will be well covered in terms of ASS support. Driving it is an absolute pleasure. Puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel - be it the city or the highways. And that is the reason we buy a car in this age of aggregator apps and leasing programs. All the best for your purchase decision.

[streetfighter]

Originally Posted by neel911

On any discounts, I was told that they do not have any 2021 lot and for 2022 nothing officially but something that can be worked upon once I've finalised my decision(not sure how much that would really mean). On waiting , it is about 15-30 days. On colour, I was told the most sold is Cumulus Grey (single tone). The 2 tone does make the car look smaller.

Overall, I'm highly impressed but with ~43L OTR for top end model in Bangalore

Not sure what Citroen and the dealers are thinking, time and again I come across such incidents where they are not eager to sell their product. Similar was my experience with the Mumbai dealer who thought I was not serious enough and didn't disclose the discounts. Also, the dealer pushing for a certain color and the logic offered is beyond my understanding and seems they have non-moving models in that color (bargain harder in that case). The warranty terms are pretty standard and an extended warranty should provide peace of mind (warranty terms).

I am in touch with the Pune dealer and sharing the Jan price-list. There is certainly a discount being offered on 2021 models and the pricing post discount will be near to what Fruscianate has mentioned (taking into account Maharashtra pricing).


Do take a test drive and you will be pleasantly surprised with the engine+gearbox and the fuel efficiency combined with the nice ride quality. I fully agree and second what Fruscianate said:

Originally Posted by Fruscianate

Driving it is an absolute pleasure. Puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel - be it the city or the highways. And that is the reason we buy a car in this age of aggregator apps and leasing programs. All the best for your purchase decision.

[Frusciante]

There is a recent post on the Motor Octane You tube channel in which Rachit is interviewing a C5 owner (ex- Endeavour owner) who has done over 20k kms including off-roading in Ladhak. In good faith and assuming everything is genuine, does look like Citroen is living up to its service support and RSA promise. Which is fantastic.

[CEF_Beasts]

20,000kms ownership review of the C5 Aircross, owner praises Citroen's after-sales service and RSA.

https://youtu.be/mAEtZobXfxU

[CircleOfLife]

Originally Posted by Frusciante

So the C5 is almost 43 OTR in BLR now? . dayuummm that is steep. I picked it up at 39 OTR in Mumbai and that was just 2 months ago. I get the fact about input costs going up but Citroen is just not playing smart in my opinion . In comparison the only car I really liked (and might have considered over the C5 if I was in the market now) is the Kodiaq facelift. It is really something and the only departments I think the C5 scores over is the looks (subjective I know, but there's NO CSUV in the market that looks better) and the mileage. The 2.0L petrol will suck your wallet dry in city driving. Dont know about the ride quality yet becuase I haven't driven it, but the C5 sets an incredibly high bar there. What I liked about Skoda is despite the ~43 OTR they are asking for it, it definitely seems like they are trimming their margins unlike Citroen. That's how you pitch a halo product.

Absolutely agree with your opinion. Both C5 & Kodiaq appeals to different set of buyers. Kodiaq being larger and also expensive seem more luxurious in L&K variant. C5 on the other hand with compact dimension & diesel avatar with French quirkiness fits in a different bucket of expectations. Overall, would definitely recommend driving C5 before making a final decision.

Unless they are going to wind up their shop Tier 1 cities should be absolutely serviceable. Citroen has been gearing up for C3 launch and working on dealership expansions. In future do expect multiple dealership in major cities.

Originally Posted by streetfighter

Not sure what Citroen and the dealers are thinking, time and again I come across such incidents where they are not eager to sell their product. Similar was my experience with the Mumbai dealer who thought I was not serious enough and didn't disclose the discounts. Also, the dealer pushing for a certain color and the logic offered is beyond my understanding and seems they have non-moving models in that color (bargain harder in that case).

Few bad apples do spoil the brand image and especially the ones who are just putting their feet on ground. There could be various reason for a dealership not to function at the highest level. Management apathy as they aren't making much profit, SA not motivated enough as there isn't enough sales to earn good commissions or just the culture with in the dealership. Irrespective of the reason why should a customer suffer? Hope that brand addresses such concerns proactively. This is the only Mantra to succeed in indian market.

[neel911]

When i was checking safety ratings, I see that Euro NCAP awarded 4 star to C5. I am a bit surprised to not see 5 star rating. I understand that criteria changes based on which NCAP certifies but is this of concern if safety is one of your top criteria when buying a car in this segment ?

Tiguan seems to have scored 5 star here but not sure of India specific version.

[Frusciante]

Originally Posted by neel911

When i was checking safety ratings, I see that Euro NCAP awarded 4 star to C5. I am a bit surprised to not see 5 star rating. I understand that criteria changes based on which NCAP certifies but is this of concern if safety is one of your top criteria when buying a car in this segment ?

Tiguan seems to have scored 5 star here but not sure of India specific version.

I did check on the safety rating bit before I bought the C5. What I gather is the C5 lost a star due to "relative" lack of ADAS in the Euro version compared to its peers ( I could be wrong). Now ADAS according to me is a completely redundant feature for India. We have had cruise control for over a decade but I have barely ever used it even on highways thanks to our road conditions and driving manners.

So its a no brainer really - I'd rather buy and drive a car that I love, which I also know has my back from a safety perspective thanks to its solid build and other features (blind spot monitoring, TPMS, auto lights) than go for a car which I dislike (Tiguan in this case) just for that 1 star or feature difference. But to each their own I guess.

[venkyhere]

Euro NCAP 4 star >> Global/Asean/Latin NCAP 5 star

[neel911]

I was able to take a test drive(~15kms) of C5 Aircross with the SA next to me and my wife seated on rear. I drive 2014 Honda City CVT right now. Here's my feedback:

- The steering is extremely light. You don't realise you are manoeuvring such a big vehicle
- There was a lag in initial pickup and somehow it was more and more evident in traffic conditions. This is with pressing accelerator lightly
- Sports mode was more responsive and somehow I preferred to keep in that mode during test drive
- Post initial lag, the pickup was really nice and gear shifts were seamless.
- Braking was powerful but when you just start pressing brakes it feels a bit light and then it suddenly kicks in
- Wife was feeling extremely comfortable in this car in rear. Usually on bumpy roads, she feels really uneasy but nothing on this car
- You do feel potholes at low speed but once you go beyond 30, ride was extremely smooth and uneven roads were not felt inside.
- Seating ergonomics were nice
- Amazing job on outside noise isolation. Cabin is extremely insulated from outside noise
- Park Assistance is nice feature (demo was given) but somehow I just couldn't digest someone moving steering wheel automatically

Overall a great car. The initial lag is something that did bother me (something I don't feel in my CVT Honda City) but then I'm not used to turbo diesel engines and this is a heavy vehicle. I'm not sure how current generation Tucson Diesel behaves but would like to hear is this kind of lag is normal. The pricing and the dealer network is something that does go against this car but a very well built one.

[Frusciante]

Originally Posted by neel911

I was able to take a test drive(~15kms) of C5 Aircross with the SA next to me and my wife seated on rear. I drive 2014 Honda City CVT right now. Here's my feedback:

- The steering is extremely light. You don't realise you are manoeuvring such a big vehicle
- There was a lag in initial pickup and somehow it was more and more evident in traffic conditions. This is with pressing accelerator lightly
- Sports mode was more responsive and somehow I preferred to keep in that mode during test drive
- Post initial lag, the pickup was really nice and gear shifts were seamless.
- Braking was powerful but when you just start pressing brakes it feels a bit light and then it suddenly kicks in
- Wife was feeling extremely comfortable in this car in rear. Usually on bumpy roads, she feels really uneasy but nothing on this car
- You do feel potholes at low speed but once you go beyond 30, ride was extremely smooth and uneven roads were not felt inside.
- Seating ergonomics were nice
- Amazing job on outside noise isolation. Cabin is extremely insulated from outside noise
- Park Assistance is nice feature (demo was given) but somehow I just couldn't digest someone moving steering wheel automatically

Overall a great car. The initial lag is something that did bother me (something I don't feel in my CVT Honda City) but then I'm not used to turbo diesel engines and this is a heavy vehicle. I'm not sure how current generation Tucson Diesel behaves but would like to hear is this kind of lag is normal. The pricing and the dealer network is something that does go against this car but a very well built one.

All of your observations are spot on, though the lag you speak about is a bit surprising. I think with about 1,2 hours of driving you'll find your sweet spot in terms of pedal pressure for both the gas pedal and the brake. Both me and @the.city upgraded to the C5 from Honda City (mine was an MT though) and our experiences are documented in the earlier posts. Coming from a wonderful car as the Honda City, I really really needed to be convinced about my next purchase being a true upgrade in every sense and the C5 was the only car this side of 50L that made the cut. Once I switch to drive mode, its almost as the concept of gears doesn't exist. Be it bumper to bumper traffic or the expressway, I just enjoy the drive with the light steering as you have said, the driving seating height (compared to the Honda City). All of this makes driving such a pleasurable task, I often joke to my wife that I could consider an alternate profession as a premium cab service driver if this is the car I get to drive all day long. . Jokes apart, as someone who has upgraded from a Honda City, the C5 is the best upgrade you can have.

[the.city]

Originally Posted by neel911

- There was a lag in initial pickup and somehow it was more and more evident in traffic conditions. This is with pressing accelerator lightly

Spot on about the difference. The way it registered in my brain is that accelerator pedal response is different in C5 vs City. You have to go a couple of millimeters further in C5 to get the same acceleration compared to Honda City. In fact, now a days I'm having slight trouble adjusting back to my old City -- I'd invariably press the pedal too far while driving the old City and the engine would go brrr and I'd look like an idiot in traffic

[Lalitha Venkat]

Originally Posted by Frusciante

For those shopping in the 30-45 L bracket and focused on SUVs/CSUVs, you either get a very dated Tuscon at the lower end of that price spectrum or one can join the herd and get a white fortuner coz that what everyone else does. In my humble opinion thats where the C5 hits a sweet spot, focusses on being a great car for the 40L you pay.

I am sure once C3 comes in and starts selling in some volumes, the confidence on the brand continuing in India will increase. This can push some more people sitting on the fence towards C5. I am sure you will agree that after paying 40 plus Lacs the last thing one wants is a news that brands shuts shop in India. Even if they promise that C5 will be serviced and supported in Jeeps service stations, the resale value will be significantly impaired

[the.city]

Recently took 1060km round trip from Hyderabad to Hampi and back. Shared the route experience in the dedicated Hampi thread (Hyderabad to Hampi : Route Queries). Using this thread to share the ride experience. This was the first true blue long trip I took on C5. I've done some 1-2hr trips but this was the first one in realm of 8-9hrs.

I was anxious in case something goes wrong, especially because it's getting quite hot now. All things said and done, it's a new vehicle with sparse dealer network. But here's how it really went

• Hyderabad-Hampi is only 20-30%ish national highway driving and rest is 1-2 lane state highways and interior roads. Those roads are littered with speedbreakers and some stretches of bad tarmac. Citroen C5 just glided over entire route. It was a surprisingly smooth journey
• Typically 8-9hrs of driving would drain me of energy. This is the first time was fully energized even after the 9hr drive. The soft suspension combined with low NVH kept on all passengers relaxed.
• With so many posts about rattling sounds, squeaks and loose wires in recent vehicles I'm ever more delighted by the complete lack of them in C5. I have a newfound respect for its build quality after this trip. Cheers to Citroen engineering and manufacturing. Well done folks.
• In some ways I was happy that I never planned Hampi on my old Honda City because Hampi needs ground clearance. There are some enormous speed breakers, especially within Hampi area. I have no idea how some folks in tbhp have taken their premium sedans there. (Kudos to your driving skills!).
• Another surprise was that C5's air-conditioning was orders of magnitude better than City. It got really hot in the rocky sunny stretches but passenger compartment felt way more comfortable vs City. I kept an eye on engine temperature and it didn't even touch 90degrees with after 100km+ of continuous 80kmph+ drive in midday sun.
• The huge cooled storage under center arm rest is extremely useful in hot day driving... and I mean EXTREMELY useful . I had some 3-4 odd water bottles along some small packets (fruit juices, yakult, etc).
• Some negatives though -- Need to keep phone connected all 9hrs to get Google Maps. I'm missing in-built maps. Actually had to keep my phone in the cooled center arm rest too to avoid it getting too hot. I'm also missing connected tech. I would have loved to start the vehicle remotely ahead of time to kickstart airconditioning. I've solved the TPMS with exterior sensors already but that's also something I would have preferred to be included with car too.

Some random car pics from the journey

[Frusciante]

Originally Posted by the.city

Recently took 1060km round trip from Hyderabad to Hampi and back.

Excellent points. And in continuum with my earlier comment on our car journeys being very similar , I too took my C5 out for a long spin last week ( 1800 kms - Mumbai-South Goa-Murudeshwar). Most of my observations are similar to yours. I was travelling with a 5 year old kid and not just us adults, she enjoyed the 14 hour drive as much without a single complaint. Speaks a lot for the comfort levels the car provides. Couple of other observations from my side :

• I usually abhor night driving, even in the city let alone the highways. But the C5 with its spectacular LED projector illumination, driving position, powerful braking and overall road manners and build quality enabled me to undertake an 8+ hour night drive from Kolhapur to Mumbai at highway worthy speeds. A small personal win for me.
• I used to drive my City on the expressways at respectable 80+ speeds and every time I saw a swish SUV whiz past, I used to wonder what made them want to break speed limits and tear through when other cars are also almost at a 100kmph. Well now I know. The kind of torque and power on tap that this car can produce is mind-blowing and even going from zero, you won’t realize when the car is at 120 kmph+ if it were not for the warning beeps. I’m certainly not advocating breaking speed limits but I can completely relate to the restrained feel that drivers of cars like these feel on an open road when restricted to a speed limit.
• Like you, I was extremely impressed to see the engine temperature very stable despite a 14 hour drive at 35+ degree heat. The AC performed very well too though in my opinion does get a bit noisy when you push it to cool harder and faster in mid day conditions.
• Lastly, I had a chance to experience some mild off-roading as well. Drove through a stretch cutting Bhimagad wildlife sanctuary where you would be as hard pressed to find a road beneath your car as you would be to find another C5 on Indian roads . The stretch lasted for about 10 kms but the car took it very well coming out without any rattles, creaks or tyre impact. Also had the chance to drive on a beach in south Goa for a brief stretch and the sand mode ESP did its part in getting me through. Not that I will ever use this car for active off-roading but it is fairly capable of tackling a few rough spots (thanks to Indian roads) that come along. Over all the Michelin tyres are excellent. No significant loss in tyre pressure even after a long drive in hot, rough conditions. On that note I’m curious to know more about the active TPMS you have mentioned in your post.
• All things considered, the C5 is a brilliant and reliable mile muncher the only thing I would have wished for differently in this car was a more punchy music system to complement those long drives.

Sharing some pics from my trip.