What's the difference?
Citroen's C4 Cactus made quite an impression. A polarising machine, it was the Frenchest French car for ages which translated into almost no local sales but admiration for the bravery of those who signed it off.
It did quite well in its home market though and its designers took note. When the company turned its attention to a smaller SUV based on the C3 hatchback - complete with the baffling Aircross name - the Cactus was an obvious inspiration.
With the Hyundai Venue on the scene - as well as a wealth of larger machines at lower prices - the Citroen C3 Aircross needs to be good to justify a big sticker price.
What’s a point of difference you look for in the oversaturated SUV market? Is it price? Warranty? Features? How about comfort?
There are a lot of mid-size SUVs in Australia. Most of them like to trade on their features or value or, more than ever, sportiness.
You can see it in the huge wheels, aggressive body kits, stiff suspension. The list goes on. But not for the Citroen C5 Aircross.
The most recent offering from the storied French automaker is all about one thing. Comfort.
My question is why is comfort in SUV-land such a niche concept? And how does this quirky orange Citroen get it so right? Read on to find out.
It's a good car, no question. Individuality is key to Citroen's brand appeal and you get that, too. A comfortable cabin, plush ride and hot damn, it's way too expensive, which is a crying shame. You could argue - as Citroen's product planners probably have - that it doesn't help to offer one in the mid-$20K mark because it won't make much money because so few people will buy it. Drop it at a premium, only lose a few opportunistic buyers but make more money per unit with committed fans? Why not, I guess?
Like most French cars, I'm glad it exists for weird French car fans like me to consider.
The C5 Aircross might seem like a niche European 'alternative' SUV, but I wish it wasn’t. The more mainstream players could learn a lot from how brilliantly this Citroen is packaged.
It is truly class leading in terms of passenger comfort and even luggage space, even shipping with great multimedia and safety in this base Feel grade.
Unless you really need to be towing, performance (or in this case, lack thereof) should be low on your SUV priority list anyway.