By T Murrali

In a few weeks from now, customers in India will have yet another choice of not only a new SUV but also a new brand, though it has been around elsewhere for over a century. The entry of the brand Citroen, now part of Stellantis, is made through C5 Aircross SUV that the company claims to be developed for Indian customers, with comfort as its key philosophy encapsulating the ideas of practicality and versatility to make driving and travel enjoyable.

According to the company, C5 Aircross SUV is introduced in India after rigorous testing of the vehicle for over 2.5 lakh kilometres in different terrains and varied weather conditions across the country. Globally, the brand is illustrated by its unique comfort signature accomplished by five key objectives of the brand’s advanced comfort, illustrated in the new vehicle. These include flying carpet effect - for cushioning the discomfort from road bumps through the progressive hydraulic cushion equipped suspension system, exclusively developed by the vehicle maker. 

Comfortable interiors – for a stress-free travel environment the design cocoons the occupants in comfort with acoustic windscreen & front window glasses, advanced comfort seats with memory foam. It offers panoramic life with brighter and airier cabin and panoramic (only in the top-end variant) sunroof. Intuitive Technologies - to simplify life onboard through its offerings including grip control system with multiple drive surface options, blind-spot monitoring system, park assist feature which enables parking of the car with only the brake and accelerator control while the car steers itself. Besides, the engine stop & start function help conserve fuel. It has a 12.3-inch digital driver display, a 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with phone mirroring function. All these are fuelled by the 2.0-litre diesel engine and 8-speed automatic transmission with shift and park by wire control, giving a comfortable drive.

Well, does the car offer all that the manufacturer has promised? To check this out, we took a spin yesterday on a stretch with has the mix of traffic, a reasonable rough-patch and a highway. 

Though a host of technologies offers the occupants’ comfort, the prime amongst them is the progressive hydraulic cushions, which is different from the suspension system in other cars in the same segment or below. These specialised suspension systems are primarily used in high-end cars, and the speciality is that, unlike the conventional suspension system having shock absorbers, springs, and mechanical stops, the system offered by Citroen has two progressive hydraulic cushions – one at the top and the other at the bottom – for rebound and compression. While driving on normal surfaces, the shock absorbers and springs control vertical movement without progressive hydraulic cushions. In potholes and rough patches, the shock absorbers and springs work together with the progressive hydraulic cushions. As they are located at both the ends of the vehicle’s suspension travel, they help cushion slow movement more gradually than a conventional mechanical stop. In the conventional system, the absorbed energy is partially returned, giving discomfort to the vehicle’s occupants. In the case of progressive hydraulic cushions, the absorbed energy is dissipated due to dual hydraulic cushions, eventually delivering ‘magic carpet ride’ for the C5 Aircross. Besides, specific design, structural bonding and seats amply the comfort inside the car.

The first impression that the car gives when onboard is the feeling of comfortable seating for the driver and other occupants. A thick, textured foam flown over the high-density foam, at the surface, makes the seat really comfortable. Three separate seats are provided in the rear with individual tracks to move forward and backwards. In addition to seats, clear outside view for the driver that is accentuated by the cut-glass beyond the C-pillar.

The clean dashboard with the infotainment system gives a nostalgic feeling of a component system or deck with turntable, amplifier and cassette player sandwiched between two towers of speakers boxes. There is enough storage in the car – about 36 litres, in addition to 580L boot space; 720L when the rear seats moved forward and 1,630L with the modular rear seats folded away. The boot can be opened by moving your foot under the rear bumper and close with the touch of a button.

Citroen has gone one step ahead in providing even aircon controls in the touchscreen. Though it may be a good innovation to remove cluster of knobs from the dashboard, it may not give the touch and feel of the knob, which does not need the attention of the driver to divert it to control, while is it not the case in the touch screen.

The DNA of an SUV is to take varied and challenging surfaces in its stride. The Citroën C5 Aircross SUV does precisely that with grip control, which provides secure traction in all conditions, through five modes – standard (ESC), snow, all-terrain (mud, damp grass, etc.), sand and traction control off – that you can select instantly using a dial on the centre console. Besides, it has hill descent assist feature.

The exterior looks are different and pleasing, which makes the vehicle a head-turner. The feminish looks may attract many women customers as they would like to be behind an SUV’s wheels. 

Though the company claims that the vehicle is meant for India, it was not evident on several fronts:

1. Like the other European and American vehicles, the C5 Aircross maintained the turn indicator lever on the left and the wiper on the right.
2. The bonnet opening lever is placed near the door hinges of the left-hand side. This is very difficult while entering star hotels and other secured areas as they expect to open the bonnet for security checks. While driving alone, the driver has to either step out and go to the co-passenger side, open the front door, lift the lever or he or she may have to seek others help to open it.
3. The vehicle is assembled at the company’s Chennai plant with SKD kits that comprise painted body shells. The kit includes even tyres, seats and battery, that can be easily localised. These will inflate the cost.

Still the new brand - Citroen and its new SUV C5 Aircross can make it in the Indian market provided it is prices aggressively. (MT)

NB: See detailed story in March-April 2021 edition.  

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Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has announced it will present the Indian Women’s Cricket Team with the first lot of the soon-to-be-launched Tata Sierra SUV following their victory at the ICC Women's World Cup. The Tata Sierra is slated to be launched on 25^th November.

The company will gift the top-end model of the Sierra to each team member as part of its salute to the team’s journey and contribution to the country.

Shailesh Chandra, MD and CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, said, “The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has made the entire nation proud with their extraordinary performance and remarkable win. Their journey stands as a true testament to determination and the power of belief, qualities that inspire every Indian. At Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, we are privileged to present these legends with another legend, The Tata Sierra. This is our salute to their spirit and the pride they have brought to the nation – Two legends, One spirit, Infinite inspiration.”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, has attained a new milestone by crossing the 30-million-unit sales milestone in the domestic market.

The new benchmark was attained by the company over a course of 42 years, with the first 10 million unit sales taking 28 years and 2 months to achieve.

The 20 million unit sales took 7 years and 5 months, while the recent milestone took just 6 years and 4 months.

Interestingly, the entry-level hatchback Alto was the most preferred model in the country, with over 4.7 million units sold, followed by Wagon R with 3.4 million units and the sporty Swift with 3.2 million units.

The Brezza and Fronx SUVs also played an instrumental role in contributing to the sales milestone, being featured among the top 10 models sold in the country.

It was on 14^th December 1983, Maruti Suzuki India delivered its first model, the iconic Maruti 800, to its first customer.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “When I look at the length and breadth of India and think that 3 crore customers have placed their trust in Maruti Suzuki to realise their dream of mobility, it fills me with humility and gratitude. Yet, with car penetration at approximately 33 vehicles per 1,000 people, we know our journey is far from over. We will continue to make every possible effort to bring the joy of mobility to as many people as we can, while also be an asset to both the economy and the environment at the same time.”

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American electric vehicle maker Tesla has appointed Sharad Agarwal, former Chief Business Officer of Classic Legends, as its new business head, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The report further stated that Agarwal joined the EV maker a week ago and is tasked to drive sales for Tesla in India, which as per industry observers, has not performed as per the company’s expectations.

Agarwal, an automotive industry veteran, had begun his career with TVS Motor Co as Area Sales Manager in December 2002, before joining Mahindra First Choice Wheels as its Business Head for North and Eastern region in March 2007.

It was in January 2013, he moved to Audi India as the head of Sales, before taking over as the head of Lamborghini India in April 2016, where he spent almost 9 years, before joining Classic Legends.

During his tenure at Lamborghini, the Italian super luxury car maker saw its dealerships across India achieved a Return on Sales (RoS) of more than 10 percent, setting a new benchmark for the automotive business in the country. He also grew India’s ranking for the automaker as the third market globally in terms of PR visibility in 2021.

He also expanded Lamborghini India’s reach to over 60 cities, with sales volumes from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities contributing more than 25 percent of the total.

Tesla, which formally started deliveries in September 2025 with its first dealership in Mumbai and the second facility in Delhi, has till date delivered 114 vehicles, of the estimated 600-plus bookings.

File photo for representational purposes only.

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Mumbai-headquartered business conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its financial results for Q2 FY2026 with consolidated Revenue reaching INR 461 billion, marking a 22 percent YoY growth.

The consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) stood at INR 36 billion, a 16 percent increase YoY. The company stated that, excluding specific one-time impacts, PAT growth was 28 percent YoY.

Mahindra’s Auto business reported sales of 262,000 vehicles, up 13 percent, which includes around 146,000 SUV sales. This translated to a revenue of INR 271 billion, up 25 percent YoY, while net profit came at INR 15 billion, up 8 percent YoY.

On the other hand, the farm sector reported its highest ever Q2 market share at 43 percent with sales of 123,000 units, up 32 percent YoY. The revenue came at INR 102 billion, up 25 percent, while consolidated net profit came at INR 11 billion, up 45 percent YoY.

Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “We are pleased with the strong execution and solid performance delivered across the group in Q2 FY2026. Auto and Farm sustained their leadership with consistent gains in market share and profitability. TechM is progressing well on its transformation journey. MMFSL achieved a 45 percent PAT growth and remains committed to quality growth and digital transformation. Our Growth Gems are steadily advancing towards their ambitious goals, reinforcing our long-term value creation potential.”

Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Strong performance of our Auto and Farm businesses continues in Q2 FY2026 reinforcing our leadership position, with a gain of 390 bps YoY in SUV revenue share, and 100 bps YoY in LCV (< 3.5T) market share. In Tractors, we gained 50 bps YoY to reach 43 percent market share. Our Auto Standalone PBIT margin (excl. e-SUV Contract Mfg.) improved by 80 bps to 10.3 percent and core Tractor PBIT margins improved by 190 bps to 20.6 percent.”

Amarjyoti Barua, Group Chief Financial Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra, “Our solid Q2 consolidated results reflects the strength of our diversified portfolio. We continue to deliver on our strategic priorities. We had strong cash generation in the first half, delivering over INR 100 billion of operating cash flow. We remain committed to sustainable growth and value creation.”

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