Classy interior, best looking of 4008 and ASX, Good Value Drive Away pricing
Noisy on secondary roads, No Diesel option, lacking Sat-nav
The Citroen C4 Aircross may have been around since July 2012 but the national motoring media has only just got behind the wheel and driven it. With the small SUV segment being a growing segment in Australia (sales up 54% in 2012), Citroen is hoping the Citroen C4 Aircross will snare them a piece of the pie.
The Citroen C4 Aircross is a joint venture between Citroen/Peugeot and Mitsubishi. Out the venture Citroen built the Citroen C4, Mitsubishi the ASX and Peugeot the 4008, their styling teams to came up with three distinct looking SUV’s.
Citroen C4 Aircross Overview
Citroen has made the choice pretty simple, the Citroen C4 Aircross is available in only a single model grade, the only choice is between 4x2 or 4x4, plus which ever option boxes you would like to tick.
The C4 Aircross come standard with automatic headlights, automatic wipers and reversing camera mounted in the rear view mirror. Audio is provided by the 710 watts Rockford Fosgate hi-fi system, there is also a 25cm subwoofer in the boot.
Citroen are keen to make the Aircross a winner and have priced the car accordingly the:
Citroen C4 Aircross 4x2 $31,990 – drive away
Citroen C4 Aircross 4x4 $33,990 – drive away
Options for the Citroen Aircross Are:
Metallic Paint / Premium Paint $800 / $1,300
Leather and Electric Heated Front Seats $2,500
Panoramic Fixed Glass Roof & roof rails $1,500
Xenon Lights $2,000
Citroen C4 Aircross Engine
The C4 Aircross is available with a 2.0-litre four cylinder, 16 valves, petrol engine produces 110kW of power and 199Nm of torque. Both the 4x2 or 4x4 versions are coupled to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Whilst the fuel consumption of might not be best in class they are still respectable. The 4x2 combined fuel consumption is 7.9l/100kms and the 4x4 is slightly thirster at 8.1/100kms. CO2 emissions are 185 for 4x2 and 192 for 4x4.
Citroen C4 Aircross The Interior
Citroen have made the inside of the Citroen C4 Aircross a pleasant place to be. The front seats are both supportive and comfortable with multi-way adjustment (height, fore-and-aft, rake), and can come in electric and heated versions as a option.
Inside you will find the usual storage solutions like the large chilled glovebox (linked to the automatic airconditioning), while the front and rear central armrests feature two cup-holders and a compartment equipped with a 12V socket, a USB port and auxiliary audio jack.
Sitting in the driver’s seat you notice the quite a bit of the dash and speedo are shared with the ASX. Instrumentation is the conventional two-gauge display with secondary information such as fuel tank level displayed on a compact screen between the two and providing clear blue graphics. The leather-covered steering wheel, adjustable for height and reach, with controls for the audio system, cruise control and hands-free kit really gives a premium feel to the car. The steering wheel has a glossy black trim, which is also found on the central fascia and window-lift plates.
Safety inside the cabin is provided by seven airbags as standard: driver and passenger airbags at the front, with a function to deactivate the passenger airbag and install a child seat, two side airbags, two curtain airbags at the front and rear, and a knee airbag for the driver.
The rear seat is 60/40 split/fold and includes a ski flap, the boot is 384 litres with the seats up and 1192 with seats folded.
Citroen C4 Aircross Exterior & Styling
Carshowroom is surprised it hasn’t seen more Citroen C4 Aircross on the road, they are such a great looking small SUV. The stylists from Citroen have delivered a classy looking European inspired SUV. Like a lot of small SUV’s they inspired by small hatchbacks so the designers don’t have to stick to the classic box like 4x4.
Upfront you will see the strong Citroen chrome grille and LED day running lights taht are intergrated in the aerodynamic vents. The head lights sweep along the bonnet and front quarter panel. From the side you notice the inverted shark fin from the concept car. The wing mirrors house indicator reapeters. The car sits proud on its 18” inch alloy wheels. From the rear you are meet with the rear lights that are inspired from the C4 hatchback. According to Citroen the rear lights increase airflow and reduce C02 emissions. Hidden in the chrome tailgate is the rear reversing camera.
Citroen C4 Aircross On The Road
We drove both the 4x2 and 4x4 C4 Aircross models over a variety of roads between Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Around town and on the freeway out of Sydney the C4 Aircross didn’t miss a beat. It wasn’t until we hit the secondary roads did we notice the cabin getting a little noisy.
The 2.0 litre petrol engine combined with six speed CVT transmission did a great job. Only under hard acceleration around twisty roads did the CVT find it difficult to select the right gear, a tap of the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters quickly sorted the transmission out.
As you would expect from a small SUV there is some body roll when you the car is pushed harder around corners, most SUV are faced with the same problem.
Citroen C4 Aircross The Competition
Besides the Peugeot 4008 and the Mitsubishi ASX there are a host of small SUV’s on the market. The Nissan Dualis is still a top seller month in month out and the Hyundai ix35/Kia Sportage combo is also worth a look.
Holden will be entering the market later this year with the Trax and Ford have only just released the keen priced updated Ford Kuga.
Citroen C4 Aircross Verdict
In a market that is as hotly contested as the small SUV segment, buyers are spoilt with choice. If you are in the market for an ASX or 4008 then you really need to consider the C4 Aircross Carshowroom believes you will like what you drive. The drive away pricing quoted above may only be around for a short time so best get down to the local dealer quick.
