The company launches new Aircross X SUV in India from ₹8.29 lakh, featuring 5- and 7-seater options, multilingual CARA assistant, and a 5-star BNCAP safety rating.
03 Oct 2025 | 24102 Views | By Shristi Ohri
Citroën India has unveiled the New Aircross X, the latest addition to its X-Series lineup, with introductory pricing starting at ₹8.29 lakh. The launch forms part of the company's "Citroën 2.0 – Shift Into the New" strategic initiative.
The New Aircross X joins the recently launched Basalt X and ...
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Citroën India has unveiled the New Aircross X, the latest addition to its X-Series lineup, with introductory pricing starting at ₹8.29 lakh. The launch forms part of the company's "Citroën 2.0 – Shift Into the New" strategic initiative.
The New Aircross X joins the recently launched Basalt X and C3X models in expanding Citroën's presence in the Indian SUV market. The vehicle is available in both 5-seater and 7-seater configurations.
The SUV features several interior enhancements, including ventilated leatherette seats, a bezel-less 10.25-inch infotainment system, and a 7-inch digital cluster. The cabin includes soft-touch leatherette wrapping on the instrument panel with gold accents, diffused ambient lighting, and footwell lighting. A new "Deep Forest Green" color option has been added to the palette.
The vehicle offers 511 liters of boot space and maintains a 200mm ground clearance. Citroën's Advanced Comfort Suspension system is included across variants.
A notable feature is CARA (Citroën Assistant with Remote Access), described as India's first multilingual, context-aware in-car companion. The system supports 52 languages and can switch between them mid-conversation. CARA provides voice-activated controls for vehicle functions, connectivity features including music and calls, and safety functions such as voice SOS and crash alerts.
Other features include a HALO 360-degree camera with satellite view, Proxi-Sense passive entry and push start, cruise control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, and LED projector fog lamps.
The Aircross 5S variant received a 5-star safety rating for adult protection in the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP) earlier this week. Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, ESP, hill hold assist, ABS with EBD, and rear parking sensors across variants.
The New Aircross X is offered with three powertrain options: a 1.2-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine (Puretech 82 MT), a 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine with manual transmission (Puretech 110 MT), and the same turbocharged engine with automatic transmission (Puretech 110 AT). A CNG option is available as a dealer-fitted accessory.
The pricing ranges from ₹8.29 lakh for the base YOU variant with the naturally aspirated engine to ₹13.49 lakh for the top-spec MAX AT variant. The HALO 360-degree camera is available as a mandatory accessory pack for ₹25,000 on the MAX variant, while dual-tone roof options cost an additional ₹20,000.
CARA is offered complimentary on the MAX Automatic variant for initial bookings.
Kumar Priyesh, Business Head and Director of Automotive Brands at Stellantis India, stated that the vehicle addresses the needs of Indian families for space, comfort, safety, and innovation while maintaining accessibility.
The Citroën Aircross X represents a critical inflection point for the French brand's troubled Indian journey, as Stellantis doubles down on a market that has become increasingly strategic given its limited access to other high-growth regions globally.
However, Citroën's Indian operations have been marked by strategic missteps and poor product decisions, and the brand currently averages about 1% market share in India's competitive automotive landscape. It trails behind even other low-volume brands like Nissan India, Skoda India, and Renault India.
The new X variant addresses some of the gaps in the earlier version, adding cruise control, a 360-degree camera, ventilated seats, and the Cara AI assistant that debuted on the Basalt X.
The Aircross X launch is part of Citroën's broader "2.0 strategy" aimed at salvaging its Indian operations. Stellantis has set an immediate milestone of crossing 2,000 units in monthly sales while targeting a doubling of volumes by the end of FY26. The objective is clear: Citroën aims to at least double its market share within the next twelve months.
Despite dismal sales performance, India holds outsized importance in Stellantis's global strategy as Stellantis faces headwinds elsewhere. The focus on India comes at a time when the world's fourth-largest carmaker is facing challenges in China, where it is reshuffling its strategy amid lagging sales and strong competition, and in Russia, where it has suspended production due to the Ukraine war. As CEO Carlos Tavares noted, "The challenges... are giving India a bigger opportunity, even bigger than in the past".
India forms a crucial part of Stellantis's "Third Engine" strategy – the aggregation of the South America, Middle East & Africa and China and India & Asia Pacific segments – aimed at diversifying revenue beyond North America and Europe. While Stellantis dominates South America with a 23.5% market share and plans to invest €5.6 billion there through 2030, India represents untapped potential in a market where Chinese automakers are increasingly threatening Western brands' positions in other emerging economies.
Critically, Citroën's Indian bet has strong backing from Stellantis headquarters, with a clear global target that by 2030, India should become the brand's second-largest market outside Europe. This ambitious goal requires immediate action on multiple fronts: expanding the dealer network from 80 to 150 touchpoints, improving after-sales service, and most importantly, offering products that actually meet Indian customer expectations.
In short, the Aircross X represents both the promise and peril of Citroën's Indian journey. While the addition of long-overdue features shows the brand is finally listening to market feedback, success cannot be guaranteed. The Aircross X isn't just another variant launch – it's a test of whether Stellantis can transform its Indian operations from a profitable back-office into a genuine growth market, especially as Chinese competitors increasingly dominate other emerging markets where Western brands once held sway.
For Stellantis, however, India's importance transcends Citroën's retail performance. As a manufacturing hub, export base, and potential hedge against challenges in China and Russia, India remains strategically vital. The Aircross X, priced competitively at ₹8.29 lakh, will reveal whether Citroën can finally crack the code of Indian consumer preferences.