A new face and new heart headline the updates for Citroen’s refreshed C5 Aircross Sport, which is expected to land before 2023 hits the halfway mark.
There’s no pricing just yet – that’s coming closer to the launch – but Citroen confirms the new C5 Aircross Sport will land with the brand’s turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder ‘PureTech’ petrol engine now making 133kW and 250Nm versus the 121kW/240Nm the previous iteration of C5 Aircross Sport made.
Instead of the six-speed auto in the last version, the updated Sport will put power to the front wheels via Citroen’s ‘EAT8’ eight-speed automatic transmission.
A plug-in hybrid version is available in Europe, but is not destined for Australian showrooms at this stage.
Inside, a 10.0-inch multimedia screen replaces the old 8.0-inch version, while a black leather interior and blue stitching provide comfort and visual flair. The front seats are heated, while the driver’s has a massage function and is electrically adjustable.
Occupants are also given some extra light during the day from a panoramic sunroof as standard.
The C5 Aircross Sport is visually differentiated from its predecessor by a new grille design which incorporates the LED headlights into its horizontal strips, as well as daytime running lights.
Black trim is now standard on the door trim, roof rails, and ‘Airbump’ design features.
As mentioned, pricing for the C5 Aircross will be announced closer to the mid-year launch, but expect it to sit north of the spec-down Aircross Shine’s $52,300.
Last year, Citroen sold 64 C5 Aircrosses, making it the lowest-selling car in the medium SUVs below $60k category as defined by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
The discontinued Jeep Cherokee beat it with 305 sales, as did the mechanically similar Peugeot 3008 with 722. Of course, it’s daylight between these and the segment-leading Toyota RAV4 and its 34,845 sales in 2022.
Keyword: Sporting in style: Updated 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport landing soon as French alternative to Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 SUVs