All-New 2019 Citroen C5 Aircross SUV - Progressive Hydraulic Cushions For A Magic Carpet Ride

Singapore 21 June 2019 - For the uninitiated, Citroen’s most famous quirk since 1954, has been its hydropneumatic suspension system. This was the one feature that stood out the most amongst many other then-innovations the French manufacturer could effortly boast about. The system ensured not just optimum comfort for passengers, but stability and handling which was difficult to match. In 2015, Citroen had announced that they would finally stop production of this game-changing feature, much to our dismay. They however said that they would be back with something quite revolutionary. The C5 Aircross SUV makes its debut, and Citroen is back once again, doing what they are good at... Innovation.

OneShift Editorial Team

23 Jun 2019

The all-new C5 Aircross, unveiled at Citroen’s newly renovated La Maison Citroen showroom - the first in South-east Asia, sports styling that is as attractive as it is quirky; just like the brand itself. Eye catching graphic accents, capped off with Citroen’s signature ‘Airbump’ - air-filled protective bumper trim on the doors, which helps to protect against dings and dents from other vehicles.

The C5 Aircross is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged Euro 6.2 engine, good for 180hp, and 250Nm. Drive to the front wheels is through a new 8-speed automatic. Fuel economy is stated at a combined cycle of 17.5km/l.

Measuring 4.5m in length, the C5 Aircross SUV seats five in comfort. High density foam within the seat centres are covered with 15mm thick textured foam on the surface; delivers the kind of comfort you simply sink into. The fore and aft sliding rear seats adds to flexibility in cargo room, with boot capacity ranging between 580 to 670 litres, and with the seats folded, it converts to a boot space of 1,630 litres.

While the previous hydropneumatic type suspension would have been too expensive to implement across the Citroen range, their new suspension features Progressive Hydraulic Cushions. The system adds two hydraulic stops on either side, one for rebound and the other for compression. This replaces bump stops found on conventional suspensions, Citroen’s system ensures that sudden jolts are avoided in cases of major compression and rebound. This is done by a gradual slowdown, helping to create what Citroen calls a "magic carpet ride” effect.

The lower cost of this system is also a win for Citroen, as they have even hinted that it can be implemented across their new model range, instead of being just reserved for their larger cars.

To variants are available in Singapore, both are well equipped. The “entry” Shine trim, offers LED DRLs, cornering lamps, and active safety features like Coffee Break Alert and Speed Limit Recognition and Recommendation. Wireless charging for mobile devices is also standard. The higher-spec Shine Plus model offers Top Rear Vision, above standard rear vision for its reverse camera, Park Assist and larger 19” rims.