Fit for Aladdin and De Gaulle

Adept at sailing across rough roads and stylishly slinking about town, the updated Citroén C5 Aircross remains brilliantly balanced

- Alex Shahini

A chequered history is one way of describing Citroën's time in South A Africa, ebbing and flowing to the demands of consumers, with great success when it counted. The popular C2 is etched in our mind as one of the models that bolstered the global success of the French automaker. Thereafter, proceedings declined and Citroën faded away until 2019, when it returned with three new models to offer South Africans.

The recipe of quirky French design, supple ride quality and distinctive styling has endured in the two decades since the launch of the two-door hatch. With a more modest line-up than previous chapters in its local history, Citroën's range now comprises the C3, C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross; the latter serves as the firm's c for the SA market. To reassure potential buyers, Citroën has increased its nationwide footprint to 37 dealerships to affirm that it's not going anywhere.

The model in question made its global debut in 2015, using the Shanghai Motor Show as a platform to showcase Citroën's SUV-oriented design. Two years later, the first production model made its way onto roads and driveways. It was given a nip and tuck in 2022 to keep it relevant for the remainder of its product cycle. Several months later, it touched down on South African soil and will continue to be a premium offering in the compact-crossover segment, giving the usual German and Asian contenders a decent run for their money.