Citroen releases first SUV for Oz

Citroen has released its first SUV in Australia, in the shape of the C4 AirCross compact crossover, finally giving the French brand a presence in the nation’s burgeoning compact SUV sector.

Now available from $31,990 plus on-road costs, the AirCross shares nothing with Citroen’s small hatchback except for its C4 nameplate. Instead, like the Peugeot 4008 launched here in May, it is built in Japan by Mitsubishi and based on the ASX city-crossover.

The same arrangement applies to Mitsubishi’s Outlander, which is a mechanical clone of the diesel-only Peugeot 4007 (from $34,990) and Citroen’s C-Crosser, which is not sold here.

While ASX pricing opens at $25,990 and the 4007 is priced from $28,990 – both in 2WD 2.0-litre petrol manual guise – the C4 AirCross is available exclusively with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and a 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Hence, base C4 AirCross pricing is $6000 more than that of the ASX and $3000 more than that of the 4008, because it is unavailable in Australia with either a diesel engine or a manual transmission (with which, ironically, all models are available exclusively in Europe).

Australian Citroen importer Ateco Automotive has received local design certification for both manual and diesel versions of the C4 AirCross, but says neither model will hit local showrooms soon given the low demand for manual models from buyers of sub-$30,000 compact SUVs.

However, the C4 AirCross line-up – and its pricing structure – could change following news that Ateco will soon be forced to relinquish its Australian Citroen distribution rights, control of which may or may not be given to the local Peugeot custodian, Sime Darby.

For now, the most expensive – and, arguably, the best looking - of the Mitsubishi-Peugeot-Citroen triplets is available in one generous equipment grade, with an AWD version adding $2000 to the price, bringing the price of the C4 AirCross 4x4 Exclusive CVT to $33,990.

That makes the top-spec C4 AirCross also $500 more expensive than Peugeot’s equivalent 4008 Active AWD CVT ($33,490), although the bigger French brand also offers a flagship Allure AWD CVT, for $38,490.

Meantime, the entry-level ASX is priced from $28,490 in 2WD CVT form and $32,490 in AWD CVT guise, making it $2500 and $1500 cheaper than the Citroen respectively.

However, the C4 AirCross comes well specified, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels (and a 16-inch steel spare), automatic headlights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, front and rear foglights, rear parking sensors, a leather-clad multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, climate control and a six-speaker sound system with AUX/USB inputs and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

There’s the same extensive safety kit comprising seven airbags (including front, front-side, curtain and a driver’s knee airbag), electronic stability control, ABS brakes and hill-start assist.

C4 AirCross options include a panoramic glass roof ($1500), Xenon headlights ($1500), black leather trim ($2000), pearl black paint ($800) and pearlescent white paint ($1200).

Like its mechanical twins, the C4 AirCross’s 2.0-litre petrol engine delivers 110kW of power at 6000rpm and 197Nm of torque at 4200rpm. It consumes 7.9 litres of premium unleaded per 100km in 2WD form, in which it can hit 100km/h in a claimed 10.2 seconds.

The AWD version is 65kg heavier at 1460kg, making it seven-tenths slower to 100km/h, as well as slightly thirstier at 8.1L/100km.

Also similar to the ASX and 4008 are the C4 AirCross’s dimensions, at 4341mm long, 1799mm wide and 1625mm tall, on a 2670mm wheelbase. Boot capacity is 416 litres, expanding to 1193 litres with the rear seats folded.

The Citroen is covered by the same three-year/100,000km warranty as the Peugeot, while the ASX – like all Mitsubishis – comes with a generous five-year/130,000km warranty.

The C4 AirCross will join a booming sub-$40,000 SUV segment that has grown by almost 70 per cent this year and is currently led by the Nissan Dualis (20.9 per cent), followed by the Hyundai ix35 (19.7 per cent), Subaru XV (17.2 per cent), VW Tiguan (14.2 per cent) and the ASX (12.8 per cent), while the 4008 attracted 60 buyers during its first full months on sale in June.

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