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This is Citroen's big reveal for the Shanghai Motor Show, the C5 Aircross SUV, a crossover that will to all intents and purposes replace the ageing C5 saloon and estate in Europe.
Citroen is calling the C5 Aircross the 'people-minded' SUV, and it's said to be focusing on comfort and refinement, rather than performance and handling prowess. To that end, it will be the first production model to use Citroen's new Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension.
Based on the EMP2 platform, the C5 Aircross is essentially Citroen's answer to the closely-related Peugeot 3008, although unlike the Puegeot (with its GT and GT-Line models and optional 'Coupe Franche' paint job) the emphasis here is on a soft ride, redolent of older Citroen models. The Progressive Hydraulic Cushion system isn't, sadly, the classic Citroen Hydragas system reborn, but rather a clever form of bump stop. Under small suspension movement, the Cushions remain disconnected, allowing the suspension maximum possible room to move. Sharper or longer-wave movements cause the cushions to kick in though, slowing the motion progressively, and allowing the suspension time to recover before the next impact. "With New C5 Aircross, Citroen embodies the implementation of its international product offensive in SUVs. An energetic and powerful design, and the world premiere of the suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions - a Citroen exclusive - at the heart of the Citroen Advanced Comfort programme, bringing unrivalled comfort and underlining the reference expertise of the brand in terms of on-board well-being" said the ironically-named Xavier Peugeot, Citroen Product Director.
Comfort is also underlined by big, broad seats with extra thick cushioning. The rest of the interior takes clear inspiration from the C4 Cactus and C3 models, with oval air vents, a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, and an eight-inch central touchscreen. There are touches taken straight from the Cactus, including luggage-style door handles and straps.
Out back, there's a 482-litre boot with 60:40 split-folding for the rear seats. There are also some high-tech safety systems including traffic sign recognition, auto dimming headlights, adaptive cruise control, lane departure control, a blind spot monitor and a surround-view camera system. There's also the same Grip Control traction system as used by the Peugeot 3008, which includes 'Standard', 'Sand', 'Off-road', 'Snow' and 'ESP OFF' modes.
For the moment, the C5 Aircross will launch in China with only a choice of 1.6-litre turbo petrol engines developing 165hp and 200hp, but European models will be shown later this year, including 1.6 and 2.0-litre BlueHDI diesels and the 1.2 PureTech 130hp petrol turbo. There will also, in short order, be a four-wheel drive plugin hybrid model with a combined 300hp power output, and a 60km battery-only range.
"The New C5 Aircross is the symbol of a brand with strong momentum, in touch with the expectations of customers in regions all over the world. It is the first practical illustration of our offensive on the SUV market, illustrating our ability to approach it in our own way, with greater emphasis on character, comfort and on-board well-being. New C5 Aircross will clearly be a major growth driver for Citroen" said Linda Jackson, Citroen's CEO.