Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid 2020: French carmaker begins 'electric offensive'

Citroen has revealed its new C5 Aircross Hybrid SUV, which leads the company’s strategy to offer pure-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains in every new model it launches from 2020 onwards.

The electrified medium SUV will go on sale internationally in the second half of next year, however, it has yet to be confirmed for Australian showrooms.

Locally, the C5 Aircross is available in two petrol-powered variants; the base Feel ($39,990 plus on-road costs), and the higher-spec Shine ($43,990).

The Hybrid is positioned well above the conventionally motivated line-up, and is expected to be priced towards the $60,000 mark.

Speaking of, the Hybrid utilises an 80kW four-cylinder petrol engine matched with a 165kW/320Nm electric motor and a 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery.

This setup offers 50 kilometres of pure-electric range, and will charge in less than two hours when connected to a standard 7.4kW charger.

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Fuel consumption is rated at 1.7L/100km on the WLTP cycle.

A mode selector is featured on the centre console allowing the driver to switch between 100 per cent electric mode, combined Hybrid mode and a Sport mode for 'dynamic' driving.

The C5 Aircross Hybrid features Citroen’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension system, as well as a multi-link rear axle, which is said to enhance ride comfort.

The high-riding five-seater also features a 12.3-inch digital dashboard and an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, and 19 driver assistance systems are fitted as standard.

Like the standard C5 Aircross, the Hybrid exclusively uses an eight-speed automatic transmission to send power direct to the front wheels.

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This is Citroen’s first production electrified model, excluding its light-commercial vehicle (LCV) offerings, as the French carmaker plans to have pure-electric or plug-in hybrid options for 100 per cent of its range by 2025.

Citroen Australia sold just 6 examples of the recently introduced C5 Aircross last month, while the Toyota RAV4 topped the segment sales charts with 2132 new registrations.

The Mazda CX-5 finished second, with 1708 sales, followed by the Hyundai Tucson which found 1693 new homes.