Citroen C5 Aircross confirmed for Australia

French CX-5 fighter due Down Under in the second half of 2019.

James Wong

08:5803 October 2018

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Citroen Australia has confirmed it will be bringing the C5 Aircross to our market in the second half of next year, debuting the company's new comfort-focused Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension system locally.

Serving as the French brand's new flagship in Australia, the C5 Aircross will compete in the top-selling medium SUV segment, currently occupied by the likes of the Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, along with the related Peugeot 3008.

Headlining specifications helping it stand out from the crowd include three individual sliding, folding and reclining rear seats, each with Isofix child seat mounts, along with a boot measuring between 580 and 720L – the latter with the second row moved to its forward-most position.

While local pricing and specifications won't be confirmed until closer to launch, we can expect a full suite of active safety and driver assistance systems to be on offer, including autonomous emergency braking and active blind-spot assist, along with features like wireless smartphone charging.

“The all-new C5 Aircross is a return to Citroen’s comfort credentials and, symbolically, arrives in time for the marque’s 100th anniversary,” said Ben Farlow, Citroen Australia managing director.

“Citroen has long been synonymous with comfort and the all-new C5 Aircross will see us return to this territory, supported by the rest of the Citroen range.”

“The all-new C5 Aircross will underpin Citroen’s line-up in its centenary year, bringing with it standout styling, unrivalled comfort and a new focus on SUVs for Citroen in Australia," he added.

Other highlights expected to be offered on the Australian-market C5 Aircross include a 12.3-inch digital driver's instrument display, an 8.0-inch infotainment display with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with a range of colour and personalisation options inside and out.

As already mentioned, the C5 Aircross is the first model from the French brand to be developed using its new Advanced Comfort program, which prioritises luxury-aping levels of comfort through various aspects like the suspension tune, storage options, and technology solutions.

Key to this is the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension system, which adds two hydraulic bump stops on each side of the shock absorber – one for compression and the other for decompression.

Without getting too technical, the system uses the additional hydraulic stops help to absorb and dissipate forces transmitted by larger bumps to slow suspension movements after big hits – providing a 'magic carpet ride' effect where a more conventional system might bottom out.

As for powertrains, Citroen says the C5 Aircross will be available with a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, making between 130 and 180bhp (97-134kW), paired to the company's new eight-speed automatic transmission.