Citroën is back in South Africa!!

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Cape Town Guy
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Usually, when a car manufacturer leaves South Africa, it is for good. But sometimes they return with something new to offer. Citroën who previously left South Africa has returned with quite the offering. Citroën has been going since 1919 and has just celebrated 100 years, so this is the perfect time for Citroën to re-launch in South Africa!

 

Yesterday I flew up to Johannesburg to find out more about the three vehicles that Citroën are launching as well as how Citroën plans to gain our trust.

 

The offering:

Citroën has announced that three cars will be available in South Africa and each is kitted out with loads as standard. The lineup includes the C3, C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross.

 

To ensure that Citroën brings vehicles that will sell well in South Africa, they have focused on Design, Advanced Comfort, Technology and Safety & Security for each of their vehicles, and I am really glad they did as the lineup is something special!

The Citroën C3:

Citroen C3 Launch Review

The Citroën C3 is the baby of the range but certainly makes a name for herself. She is a funky vehicle, with loads of curves and an appealing personality. Stand out features are her 3D rear lamps and the Airbumps on the side door panels, which we first saw on the Cactus, to keep your car protected.

On the inside, there is loads of space, which is enhanced by the horizontal dashboard. There is a 7-inch capacitive touch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, hill-start assist, lane departure alert, Driver Attention Alert, Coffee break alert as well as 6 airbags!

You can easily fit 3 adults in the rear and loads in the boot thanks to its 300 Litres space.

The C3 comes in two trims, the Feel and the Shine. The Feel model has a 1.2 PureTech 60kW engine with a 5-speed manual gearbox while the Shine has a 1.2 PureTech 61kW  turbo engine with a 6 speed EAT gearbox. I drove the EAT gearbox which is nippy and provides the right power when you need it.

Pricing:

The Citroën C3 is priced at R239 900 for the Feel and R289 900 for the Shine.

The C3 Aircross:
Post-production : Astuce Productions

The C3 Aircross, inspired by the C-Aircross concept, has a fresh and powerful look. With the C3 Aircross, Citroën has taken the C3 and jacked her up to increase the ride height and added in elements of an SUV such as raised ground clearance, higher driving position, front and rear skid plates and larger wheels to create a robust and protective SUV.

On the inside, you will find a spacious cabin with a 7-inch touchscreen with mirror screen technology which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (the Shine mode). You also get Driver Attention Alert, Rear Parking Sensors, Hill Start Assist, Keyless entry and start!

The boot has 410 litres of space but this can be increased to 520 litres (on the Shine model) if you slide the rear seats forward.

The C3 Aircross comes with a 1.2 PureTech 81kW engine mated to a 6-speed auto gearbox. While this engine does a decent job, I did feel a bit of struggle when trying to get some quick acceleration. Thanks to its raised ground clearance and large wheels, the C3 Aircross handles both the road and open road with ease.

The C3 Aircross is fitted with 16” alloy wheels with the option of stylish 17-inch diamond-effect aluminium wheels on the Shine model.

Pricing:

The Citroën C3 Aircross is priced at R339 900 for the Feel and R359 900 for the Shine.

The C5 Aircross:

The C5 Aircross is the flagship of the range. It is bigger and more kitted out for the gravel road. This SUV is based off the same chassis as the Peugeot 3008 SUV but feels like it’s own vehicle. It has a robust and muscular design and is raised off the ground by 230mm. It also features Airbump tech on the lower doors and roof bars, which looks really nice!

On the inside, you get a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel and an 8-inch touchscreen on the dashboard. Thanks to Citroën’s Advanced Comfort Program, you get Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension and advanced comfort seats for superior comfort! The Hydraulic suspension ensures that the drive is super soft regardless if you are on tar or gravel roads.

You can also get a connected camera which takes photos/videos which you can sync to your phone. Handy for gathering accident data!

Citroen has really kitted out the C5 Aircross. Some of the features you get are:

Park  Sensors, Coffee Break Alert, Keyless Entry and Starting*, Electric Parking brake, Reversing camera with rear 180°camera;* Fog lights with static corner function, Active Safety Break* Active Lane Departure Warning System* Driver Attention Assist, Active Blind Spot Monitoring* Hill Start Assist *Shine models only. Wireless Smartphone Charging

With double glazed laminated front windows, wind noise is a thing of the past. Seriously it is non-existent.

The rear seats recline individually, so you can start with 520 litres of boot space and expand to 720 litres.

The new C5 Aircross is powered by an efficient and high-performance 1.6 THP 121kW petrol engine coupled to Citroën’s EAT6 automatic gearbox. The gearbox has very quick gear changes and the engine, quick acceleration and power delivery.

Pricing:

The C5 Aircross comes in the Shine, which sells for R469 900 and the Feel, which sells for R509 900.

Citroën has limited their offerings to make it easier to sell, choose and buy a Citroën. With the vehicles kitted out as standard, the decision-making process is really easy!

The Trust:

To gain our trust, Citroën is following in the footsteps of its sibling, Peugeot South Africa, who just last month, re-launched by throwing in a package which will provide loads of trust. In case you didn’t know, Peugeot SA and Citroen SA are both owned by the Peugeot Citroën South Africa group.

To do this, Citroën is launching the whole range with a 5 year / 100K KM warranty and service plan!

While there are concerns on where Citroën will have parts available, MD of PCSA, Xavier Gobille, promises to provide a courtesy car if parts are not available in 48 hours. Xavier had also promised this offering with Peugeot.

Xavier is going the right way to ensure that Citroën gains the trust of South Africans. While it is not going to be easy, Citroën is serious about taking their market share and I believe this is the right way. Citroën also promises a personalized customer experience, 24-hour customer care and loads more to ensure that customers are happy and have trust in Citroën.

Citroën are packing these offerings as the Citroën Serenity because you are not just buying a Citroën, you are finding serenity.

Citroën Serenity Breakdown:

1. 5 – Year / 100 000 km: Warranty & Service plan across the range
2. Peace of Mind: Courtesy Car, Citroën Parts Basket, Complimentary Vehicle health check. Microdot – Quick and easy Identification in the event of theft
3. Safety: Microdot, dedicated Apps connected to the car and Safety Film and Tracking solutions (optional)
4. 360º Service: A Customer experience with a 24-Hour Customer Care Centre, Licence Renewal reminder; Roadside Assistance, Service plan and warranty expiry notification

“Citroën Serenity will give prospective customers’ confidence in purchasing a Citroën and reinforces the commitment both Citroën South Africa and Groupe PSA have in the local market said Xavier Gobille, MD of Citroën South Africa.

“It also underscores our confidence in the new generation of Citroën products we’re introducing” he added.

All Peugeot dealerships in South Africa will have the Citroën range at the dealership but you won’t find Peugeot and Citroën on the same floor, to avoid competition. Citroën vehicles can be serviced at any Peugeot Accredited Dealership nationwide.

Feelings:

Citroën is back with a bang and I really enjoyed driving all three vehicles. They are kitted out, premium and stand out on the road. I look forward to taking the range for a spin around Cape Town. I also feel that I can trust Citroën thanks to Xavier’s aggressive approach!

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