CITROEN has delighted motor enthusiasts and the environmentally conscious with its latest model.
The French firm is gearing up to launch the new version of the C5 Aircross and it will be fully electric.
The C5 will not replace the C5 X, which has been struggling to entice buyers.
The C5 Aircross was first launched in 2018 and came in petrol and hybrid powertrains.
For the second generation it will switch over to the multipowertrain STLA Medium platform shared with the Peugeot e-3000 and the Vauxhall Grandland.
Citroen boss Thierry Koskas said the company “really wanted to offer” an electric powertrain for the C5 Aircross.
He said the car would be offered with standard and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
This makes the C5 Aircross the only model in Citroen’s future line-up with a PHEV.
“Plug-in hybrid can be an answer to some of the requirements of the market [for that car],” Thierry told Autocar.
“But it’s another cost because the battery is not small, so to put it in smaller cars doesn’t make sense.”
The platform is front-drive and the single-motor version of the e-3008 makes 207bhp, although a twin-motor in the 316bhp version is also available.
The car has also had a style-overhaul, featuring a more angular design and it comes with the French brand’s new logo.
It will be positioned above the C4, which has been heavily revised.
The new C4 is set to be revealed in the next few months and is expected to look similar to the smaller C3.
Speaking about the decision to axe the C5 X, Thierry said: “It’s the flagship today, but it’s pretty marginal. Not because it’s not successful: its market share is pretty good, but the segment is absolutely tiny.”
Despite the STLA Medium platform being developed to focus on electric power, it still allows for hybrid cars.
