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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Force Motors Limited reported its strongest third-quarter performance to date, with double-digit revenue growth and sharply higher profit margins for the three months ended December 31 2025, extending its record run in the 2025–26 financial year.

The Pune-based vehicle maker recorded standalone revenue of  INR 21.55 billion in the quarter, up 13 percent year on year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 63 percent to INR 4.01 billion, while profit before tax, excluding exceptional items, increased 91 percent to INR 3.28 billion.

Including exceptional items, profit before tax rose to INR 5.39 billion, more than three times the level a year earlier, while profit after tax climbed 266 percent to INR 4.03 billion. The company reported no debt at the end of the quarter.

For the first nine months of the financial year, revenue rose 14 percent to INR 65.83 billion. EBITDA increased 43 percent to INR 11.45 billion, while profit before tax after exceptional items nearly doubled to INR 11.42 billion. Profit after tax for the period rose 153 percent to INR 9.38 billion.

Domestic volumes grew 25 percent during the nine-month period, supported by demand across the Urbania, Traveller, Gurkha (defence variants), Monobus and Trax platforms. Export volumes increased 30 per cent year on year, led by growth in light commercial vehicles, special vehicles and utility vehicles.

The Traveller platform-maintained segment leadership, with market share consistently above 70 percent, the company said.

Prasan Firodia, managing director of Force Motors Limited, said, “The performance in the third quarter reflects steady demand across our core product segments and improved operating leverage as volumes have scaled through the year. Growth has been broad-based, supported by continued traction in shared mobility, defence-related applications, and export markets.”

He added that demand visibility remained healthy in intra-city and inter-city passenger mobility, with institutional and fleet customers continuing to prioritise purpose-built platforms.

“Given the momentum we have gained and with Q4 underway, we are confident of closing the year on a strong note and delivering our best financial performance to date,” Firodia said.

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Renault Group-owned European car brand Dacia has achieved a significant milestone with the rollout of the 100,000^th Bigster just one year after its production began at the Mioveni facility in Romania. This impressive volume highlights the immediate and substantial demand for the brand's latest model. Even prior to its full market launch, the vehicle garnered over 13,000 pre-orders, signalling strong early interest in its proposition of a value-oriented, family-sized SUV.

The model swiftly translated this initial promise into market leadership, becoming the best-selling C-SUV to retail customers across Europe in the second half of 2025. This commercial success is mirrored in the United Kingdom, where close to 5,000 orders have been recorded. British buyers have shown a distinct preference for the efficient hybrid 155 powertrain and the generously specified Journey trim level, with Indigo Blue being the colour of choice.

Beyond sales figures, the Bigster's impact has been validated by influential industry awards, most recently at the 2026 What Car? Car of the Year Awards, where it was hailed as a definitive value champion. Designed to challenge the status quo, the Dacia Bigster, starting from GBP 25,215, successfully delivers a robust, well-equipped and practical solution for families, firmly establishing its successful position in the competitive automotive landscape.

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) has released its unaudited financial results for Q3 FY2026 and nine months ending 31 December 2025.

The company reported a Profit After Tax (PAT) of INR 123.44 billion for Q3, representing a 6.3 percent increase YoY. Revenue for the quarter reached INR 1,797.35 billion, up 8 percent compared to the same period last year. EBITDA stood at INR 2,018.3 billion, a 7.6 percent rise, supported by festive demand and the implementation of GST 2.0.

The company stated that the domestic demand was supported by wholesale volumes increasing 5 percent QoQ. The Hyundai Creta recorded sales of over 200,000 units in the 2025 calendar year, while the new Venue model has received nearly 80,000 bookings to date.

Hyundai Motor India also entered the commercial mobility segment with the Prime HB and SD taxi models. Exports grew by 21 percent YoY in Q3 FY26, accounting for 25 percent of the total sales mix.

For the nine-month period, EBITDA reached INR 6,632.5 billion, a 3.3 percent increase. EBITDA margins expanded to 12.8 percent, up from 12.5 percent in the previous year, despite costs related to capacity stabilisation and commodity prices.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, said, “The third quarter performance underscores our resilience and strong execution of 'Quality of Growth' strategy, marked by healthy growth in volumes, revenue and profitability. Notably on a year-to-date basis, EBITDA margins expanded to 12.8 percent as against 12.5 percent last year, supported by our efforts towards improving sales mix and prudent cost control measures. As we move ahead, the robust January’26 sales number gives us great momentum towards a healthy 2026.”

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Stellantis-owned Jeep has announced its Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0, positioning India as a central hub for its operations in the Asia Pacific region. The plan focuses on localisation, manufacturing depth, and export expansion from the company's facility in Ranjangaon, Pune.

As part of the strategy, Jeep intends to increase localisation levels to 90 percent, up from the current 65–70 percent. This move is aimed at strengthening supply-chain resilience and cost competitiveness. The Ranjangaon plant, which has an annual capacity of 160,000 vehicles, currently exports the Compass, Meridian, and Commander to markets including Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Plans are underway to expand exports to Africa and North America.

The company plans to introduce a new vehicle lineup in India starting from 2027. In the interim, Jeep will maintain its current portfolio through refreshes and special editions. To support its customers, the brand has introduced the Confidence 7 programme, which includes a buyback scheme, pre-maintenance packages, and extended warranties.

At present, Jeep operates over 85 sales and service touchpoints across 70 cities in India. The automaker stated that in 2025, the Wrangler Willys 41 limited edition sold out within seven days. The company is also focusing on its owner community, which has reached 100,000 members, through experiential platforms and brand clubs.

Shailesh Hazela, CEO & Managing Director, Stellantis India, said, “Jeep’s 85-year legacy is built on authenticity and adventure. Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0 lays out how we will sharpen our product strategy and strengthen the customer experience year after year, driven by deeper localisation, global product alignment, expanding our vehicle offerings, and programs that deliver real value. We are equally focused on taking care of our existing customers, ensuring they receive the support, service and confidence they expect from Jeep. Success in India demands resilience and long-term commitment and we are investing with that clarity to ensure Jeep remains a brand of pride and desirability.”

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