- All-new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV confirmed for Australia
- Vehicle will introduce Citroen's all-new, comfort-focussed suspension system
- First Australian market Citroen completely developed using the Citroen Advanced Comfort® Programme
Citroen Australia has confirmed it will introduce the all-new C5 Aircross in the second half of 2019 following its global debut at the 2018 Paris International Motor Show.
Regarded as the marque's new flagship vehicle, the new-generation SUV has been developed using the Citroën Advanced Comfort® Programme.
Equipped with an all-new suspension system featuring Citroen's Progressive Hydraulic Cushions®, the all-new C5 Aircross SUV lays claim to being one of the most comfortable cars in its segment.
It boasts unrivalled modularity with three individual sliding, folding and inclining rear seats (each with ISOfix) and best-in-class boot capacity of 580L, expanding to 720L when the sliding second-row seats are moved to their forward-most position.
Modern and high-tech, the all-new C5 Aircross SUV can be equipped with up to 20 driver assistance systems including Autonomous Emergency Braking and Active Blind Spot Monitoring, all underpinned by leading connectivity technologies including wireless smartphone charging.
"The all-new C5 Aircross is a return to Citroen's comfort credentials and, symbolically, arrives in time for the marque's 100th anniversary," Citroen Australia's Managing Director, Ben Farlow, said.
"The all-new C5 Aircross will underpin Citroen's line-up in its centenary year, bringing with it standout styling, unrivalled comfort and a new focus on SUVs for Citroen in Australia.
"Citroen has long been synonymous with comfort and the all-new C5 Aircross will see us return to this territory, supported by the rest of the Citroen range," Mr Farlow added.
While C5 Aircross is confirmed for the Australian market, local specification and pricing will not be announced until closer to its launch.
Customers can register their interest at www.citroen.com.au
ALL-NEW C5 AIRCROSS IN DETAIL
NEW C5 AIRCROSS SUV: A UNIQUE PERSONALITY IN THE SEGMENT
Boasting a strong personality, all-new C5 Aircross SUV stands apart through its singular, energetic and assertive attitude. Measuring 4.50 m long, robust and muscular the new model stands out in the SUV segment with its flowing shapes punctuated with strong graphic touches such as the Airbump®, dual-stacked headlamps, ground clearance of 230 mm and distinctive roof bars.
The cabin instantly gives an impression of protection and spaciousness, with an emphatically horizontal dashboard and enveloping seats, a height position that gives the feeling of dominating the road, as well as a wide central console and warm materials.
NEW C5 AIRCROSS SUV: THE MOST COMFORTABLE AND MODULAR SUV IN ITS SEGMENT
An ambassador of the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme, all-new C5 Aircross SUV stands out through its comfort and approach to interior space.
Headlining the advanced comfort focus are two major innovations: Citroën's all-new suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® and Advanced Comfort seats with their unrivalled ability to filter out road disturbances and offers unmatched ride comfort, the result being an outstanding travelling experience for all passengers.
All-new C5 Aircross delivers unique modularity in the segment derived from Citroën's singular know-how in the world of MPVs, with three individual, sliding, folding and inclining rear seats (each with ISOfix mounts) and best-in-class boot volume of up-to 720L.
NEW C5 AIRCROSS SUV: THE NEXT-GENERATION, MODERN AND HIGH-TECH SUV
In tune with its times and equipped with a 12.3" TFT digital instrument cluster and an 8" capacitive touchscreen, all-new C5 Aircross can be specified with up-to 20 latest-generation driver assistance systems, as well as six advanced connectivity technologies – pending market.
The new, ultra-connected model and can be equipped with wireless smartphone charging, or the ConnectedCAM Citroën®.
The all-new C5 Aircross will be available with a range of efficient and high-performance petrol and diesel engines, ranging from 130 bhp to 180 bhp and paired with the new EAT8 eight-speed automatic gearbox – pending market.
CITROEN ADVANCED COMFORT PROGRAM
To address the ongoing development of 'Citroën comfort' in the 21st century, the company has framed its expertise in comfort under a new development project, known as the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme. The programme seeks to define a new dimension of comfort in vehicles, and pursues four objectives to enhance comfort in its latest cars:
- Driving comfort – filtering out exterior interferences for a smooth ride and calm, quiet cabin
- Living comfort – simplifying life on-board with functional storage compartments, intelligent packaging, and generous space
- Functional comfort – creating a more comfortable drive with intuitive technologies, driver aids, and connectivity
- Comfort of mind – ensuring the peace of mind of driver and passengers, with clear information displays and a relaxed interior ambience to enhance driving pleasure
Today, ergonomics, ride and handling, practicality and versatility, and even the atmosphere of the cabin, are all vital elements in making a car as comfortable as possible, for driver and passengers alike.
Each of the themes under the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme builds on the historic innovations that have contributed to Citroën's reputation for comfort over the last 99 years.
THE "CITROËN ADVANCED COMFORT ® LAB'": UNEQUALLED DAMPING QUALITY
The "Citroën Advanced Comfort® Lab'" focuses on one of the many and varied aspects of comfort. Designed to filter out bumps and dips on the road, it groups Citroën innovations in this field. When a car drives over a bump or dip, the effect is passed on to the cabin and the occupants in three stages:
a) the suspension takes action
b) the vibrations are transferred to the body
c) the vibrations are felt by the passengers through the seats.
Reflecting this process, the "Citroën Advanced Comfort® Lab'" prototype features three innovations, one for each form of transmission, in order to reduce the vibrations felt by the occupants and thus significantly improve driving comfort.
Citroën has filed more than thirty patents for the technologies implemented by this prototype, but they were all developed to be applicable, from both a cost and production standpoint, to all the vehicles in the Citroën range.
SUSPENSION WITH PROGRESSIVE HYDRAULIC CUSHIONS ™ (PHC)
The all-new C5 Aircross will be the first Australian bound model to feature Citroen's ground-breaking Progressive Hydraulic Cushions™ (PHC), a Citroën innovation that will be rolled-out on future range vehicles.
Citroën's expertise in suspension is undisputed. For 99 years, suspension comfort has been embedded in the brand's genes. And over the years, customers have grown attached to Citroën's comfort, which is unique on the market.
Drawing on its expertise and the know-how of its engineers, Citroën developed the new suspension system to improve the filtering quality typical of Citroën and so dear to its customers.
Some 20 patents were filed in the development of the new suspension.
The way it works is quite simple. While conventional suspension systems comprise a shock absorber, a spring and a mechanical stop, the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions™ (PHC) system adds two hydraulic stops on either side, one for compression, the other for decompression. The suspension therefore works in two stages to match how the car is used.
- For light compression and decompression, the spring and shock absorber control vertical movements together with no assistance required from the hydraulic stops. But these stops gave engineers greater freedom in the car's clearance, providing a "magic carpet ride" effect giving the impression that the car is gliding over uneven ground.
- During major impacts, the spring and shock absorber work together with the hydraulic compression or decompression stops, which gradually slow the movement to avoid jerks at the end of the range. Unlike a traditional mechanical stop, which absorbs energy but returns a part of it, the hydraulic stop absorbs and dissipates this energy. This means there is no bouncing.
With this innovative technical solution, the Citroën vehicles of the future will deliver an exceptional level of comfort specific to the brand, and always appreciated by its customers. This refinement will not be reserved solely for executive vehicles but will also be available on the city-car segment and in all markets.
STRUCTURAL BODY BONDING
When the suspension has completed the damping process, the energy created by the irregular road surface is transferred to the body. The use of the structural bonding technique will significantly reduce this occurrence thanks to a global stiffness input.
Using an industrial process specific to Citroën, the structural parts of the vehicle are bonded together using a discontinuous line of adhesive. An electrical weld is positioned wherever the line of adhesive is interrupted. This bonding technique ensures a hard-bonding assembly without toxic smokes generated by bonding welds.
This special bonding technique has a number of advantages:
The first is significantly higher global body stiffness. The improvement in stiffness is around 20% on average : this contributes to isolate it from external vibrations phenomena. A stiffer body will reduce the level of vibrations transferred by driving conditions.
Another significant benefit concerns weight. Bonding makes the body stiffer without making it heavier. The heavier the vehicle, the more complex the suspension damping process for improved comfort.
The third and final advantage of this bonding technique concerns the bead bonding process: this technique allows to reduce the electrical welding work numbers and to control costs. It will not be reserved solely for executive vehicles, but could be used on all Citroën models.
SEATS INSPIRED BY THE WORLD OF BEDDING
Seats are the part of the vehicle most frequently in contact with passengers. It is the seats that provide the first impressions of comfort, when you look at them or get into the car. As well as providing support, they naturally contribute to damping out the various vibrations from the vehicle and the road surface.
As part of the development process, engineers study the lines of the seat, in order to respect the curve of the back for a better driving position, and the choice of materials used in manufacture. Foam of different densities and hardness will be used depending on the role of the seat component concerned: support or cushioning.
Adding in a new factor, Citroën looked at practices in the bedding industry, a sector in which shape memory materials represent the latest in comfort.
By using several layers of special materials (polyurethane foam, viscoelastic or textured foam), Citroën has been able to develop shape memory seats that adapt perfectly to the body shape of each passenger and offer an innovative comfort experience in the automotive field. With these properties, the seats regain their original shape from one passenger to the next.