- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
110kW, 197Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 7.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
New car review: Citroen C4 Aircross 4×2
French brand Citroen is known for its quirky small cars, svelte styling and, in years gone by, innovation. Not SUVs. At least not until now.
Keen to jump aboard the massive SUV juggernaut, Citroen turned to Mitsubishi for the basis of an SUV known as the C4 Aircross. And while it shares part of its name with the thoroughly French C4, the Aircross is far more Japanese.
That's because it borrows its basic structure, interior and mechanical components from the Mitsubishi ASX. It's the same with sister brand Peugeot's 4008.
The Aircross went on sale here late last year but was rejigged when the brand was handed over to a new local distributor.
What do you get?
There's only one C4 Aircross model and it's available with either two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive.
Driveaway pricing starts at $31,990 for the two-wheel-drive model, while four-wheel-drive adds another $2000. Both come with an auto transmission as standard and both come with the same high equipment level, making the C4 Aircross appear competitive with the Mitsubishi ASX auto ($28,240 plus a few thousand for dealer and on-road costs) and Peugeot 4008 auto ($31,490, plus on-road and dealer costs). The Mitsubishi has the advantage of a five-year warranty versus three-year support for the French duo.
Included is cruise control, climate-control airconditioning, Bluetooth, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, although it gives an odd field of vision that makes it difficult to judge whatever you're about to back into. There are also stylish 18-inch alloy wheels (with a space-saver spare) and the safety of seven airbags and stability control. Metallic paint and leather trim cost extra.
What's inside?
Like the Peugeot, the Citroen is more Japanese than French, with switches and orange-lit displays borrowed straight from the Mitsubishi. Even the indicators are on the right-hand side. While some may consider it a sacre bleu moment, the reality is it all works OK. The Citroen chevron badge in the steering wheel - which itself has a nice grip - tries to get you to overlook the Japanese connections, though largely unsuccessfully.
Other than that there's decent storage with a covered centre console and places for odds and ends. The rear seat, too, defies the compact exterior dimensions with respectable legroom for lanky teenagers and adults.
Under the bonnet
The Aircross uses the ASX's 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that's good for 110kW of power. Mated to a CVT (continuously variable transmission) automatic, it keeps pace with the traffic easily enough and, while there's a modest amount of power on offer, you need to keep your foot flat for a while for the CVT to buzz up to the point at which peak power is produced (6000rpm).
Mid-rev muscle is equally modest but the CVT does a decent job masking it, albeit with the associated sound of the engine looking to stay in its sweet spot. But its claimed 199Nm peak is 2Nm higher than the ASX and 4008.
Perhaps that's because the owner's manual and fuel-filler flap stipulate the tank must be filled with more-expensive premium unleaded. It's an odd requirement, given the Mitsubishi that uses the same engine runs fine on the regular brew.
Speaking of fuel, claimed use is 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres, although we found it hovering about 11L/100km in daily, mainly around-town driving.
On the road
French cars have a reputation for above-average dynamics and a cosseting ride, but the Aircross bucks the trend. That's not surprising given its Japanese underpinnings, although Citroen has made some tweaks and fitted it with stylish 18-inch wheels shod in lower-profile Bridgestone rubber.
Steering is light and responsive and there's respectable cornering grip, although ultimately it doesn't take much enthusiasm to have the body leaning noticeably through corners. There's also mild steering kickback on bumpier corners, although it's by no means bad.
The ride, too, is composed and deals with bumps well enough, albeit without the tight body control we've come to expect from European cars.
The biggest chink in the Citroen's armour is constant tyre roar, something that becomes more audible at freeway speeds. It can be quite annoying, especially once you hit the coarse bitumen commonly found out of town.
Verdict
Forget French, because the most Gallic thing about the C4 Aircross is the badge. But the Mitsubishi influence brings a well-priced, if uninspiring, small SUV. Throw in some sexier styling and it could be enough to make the C4 Aircross one of the brand's bestsellers, albeit one that sits behind the class leaders.