India-bound Citroen C5 Aircross Scales The World’s Steepest Street

• Driver assistance systems like grip control and hill descent assist helped the SUV tackle the twisty street.
• The SUV is powered by 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engine options as well as 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre petrol options globally.
• All engines are mated to a 6-speed manual or an optional 8-speed automatic gearbox.
• The C5 Aircross will take on the likes of the Honda CR-V, MG Hector, Hyundai Tucson and the Jeep Compass, post its 2020 India launch.

Citroen’s flagship SUV, the C5 Aircross, may not look the part of a rugged SUV that can tackle adverse terrains, but there’s far more than meets the eye. Citroen has put the SUV under rigorous tests around the world and the India-bound SUV has done it again, by conquering the Ffordd Pen Llech. This street, situated in the city of Harlech, Wales, UK, has recently been declared the steepest street in the world by the Guinness World Records. 

This 330 metre street course consists of a series of tight turns and steep descents as well as a climb of 50 metres. At its steepest point, the course has a gradient of up to 37.5 per cent. It is the ultimate test for a vehicle’s hill climb, traction and handling capabilities. The C5 Aircross recently set the benchmark for SUVs by conquering this treacherous and twisty street course. 

The SUV was helped by a number of driver assistance systems like grip control and hill descent assist. When the SUV is travelling at speeds below 30kmph and on a gradient of more than 5 per cent, its hill descent assist helps reduce loss of traction by electronically maintaining the vehicle’s speed as low as 3kmph and brake control. It essentially enables the driver to only focus on pointing the car in the right direction. Meanwhile, grip control gives drivers a choice of driving modes for traction optimisation on a variety of surfaces.  Some of them include including snow, sand and mud. 

The SUV also benefits from progressive hydraulic cushion suspension system. This technology alters hydraulic bump stops to ease suspension travel, even on the most adverse of surfaces. 

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The C5 Aircross isn’t just filled with driver assists, but gets creature comforts as well. The SUV is loaded to the brim with features like dual-zone climate control, panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors. Other interior highlights include hands-free parking and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, along with a large 8-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

Powering the SUV is a choice of two petrol and two diesel engine options globally. Diesel options consist of 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre diesel engines. The most powerful diesel delivers 177PS of power and 400Nm of torque. The petrol options include turbocharged 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre engines. The most powerful petrol mill makes 180PS of power and 250Nm of torque. All engines come mated to a standard 6-speed manual transmission along with an optional 8-speed automatic gearbox.

The C5 Aircross will be the first Citroen model to be launched in India via the CKD route and is expected to arrive in 2020. Post the C5 Aircross, Citroen plans to launch one model per year in the country. Spied testing in India on multiple occasions, the C5 Aircross will take on the likes of premium mid-size SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, MG Hector, Hyundai Tucson and the well established Jeep Compass in India.