After a year of active preparation, which began after the shutdown of the assembly line for Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat models at the PSMA Rus plant, production of the Citroen C5 Aircross crossover was launched near Kaluga.
The Kaluga enterprise stopped producing cars in the summer of 2022, however, unlike most foreign automobile factories, it did not come under the control of the state or Chinese companies. All this time, PSMA Rus was looking for options to restart production and did not reduce its staff. And in December 2023, it became known about the pilot assembly of an unnamed crossover at that time under a contract with Automobile Technologies LLC, established in March last year.
The Citroen C5 Aircross was chosen as the first model, the production of which from Chinese components was established according to the SKD-4 cycle. A welded and painted body arrives at the plant, after which large-scale assembly occurs. At this stage, there are 78 posts on the assembly line plus 20 subassembly posts — they are busy with the final preparation of doors, the front panel, gluing in glass, installing tanks, and lower suspension units. In fact, we are talking about a full-fledged assembly, in which 121 operators are directly involved, and a staff of engineers and logisticians works behind the scenes.
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As for localization, Russian technical fluids and oils are now used in production. In the future, the plant plans to start painting and then welding bodies, that is, switch to the CKD-2 cycle. Probably, this will be discussed if the enterprise reaches a volume of 10-12 thousand cars per year. How realistic are these plans? Obviously, this will not be easy to do, although the C5 Aircross was included in the list of cars recommended for government procurement.
In today's realities, the Russian-assembled C5 Aircross lays claim to premium laurels and is offered in a single configuration at a price of 4,299,000 rubles. The car is equipped with a 1.6 THP petrol engine with a power of 175 hp. and a Japanese-made 8-speed automatic transmission that transmits 250 Nm of torque to the front wheels without any alternative. Among the interesting technical solutions is the Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension with hydraulic travel limiters, which is designed to provide enviable comfort.
Regarding the equipment, everything is ambiguous. On the one hand, the crossover is equipped with a panoramic roof, electric front seats, a massage function, a combination of artificial gray leather and blue Alcantara trim, a surround view system with four cameras and parking assistants, a Russified multimedia system with a 10-inch touch screen and Bluetooth, a digital instrument panel 12.3-inch panel with Russian language support and other nice options. On the other hand, only the front seats and mirrors are heated in the C5 Aircross. However, PSMA Rus plans to work on this.
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One way or another, a good one appears an alternative to numerous Chinese cars: a fresh European model, provided with an official warranty for 3 years or 100 thousand kilometers, roadside assistance service, a 24/7 hotline, full service and spare parts. Sales of the C5 Aircross start today and the crossover will be offered through a network of 42 authorized dealers across the country.