Citroen C5 Aircross vs Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Tucson: Spec comparison

The French SUV takes on the likes of the American Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. Find out how does the Citroen C5 Aircross stand up against the two.

Citroen debuted in the Indian market with its C5 Aircross, which intends to capture the market space already occupied by the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson. The segment also had cars like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Karoq, but they are currently not on sale in India. However, the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan will make a comeback in the coming months.

So, we compare the aforementioned five-seater SUVs that are on sale in the Indian market today.

Both the Jeep Compass and Hyundai Tucson are available with a petrol engine, but the Citroen C5 Aircross only gets a diesel drivetrain. The Compass and Tucson get the option of an all-wheel-drive system; however, the Citroen C5 Aircross is only available as a front-wheel-drive SUV. We would also like to add that the all-wheel-drive system can enhance driveability and can come in handy if you happen to find yourself on a battered stretch of road, but mind you, it's not for outright off-roading.

As the Citroen C5 Aircross misses out on a petrol power plant, it's only fair to compare it with the diesel variants of the other two SUVs.

The Jeep Compass is the only SUV in this comparison whose mid and lower variants are offered with a manual transmission. The other two SUVs come equipped with an automatic gearbox across the range.

While the Tucson is relatively an old car, it has received a facelift sometime in early 2020. Hyundai has not thoroughly updated the Tucson to be at par with its rivals in terms of features. In fact, the Hyundai Creta benefits from similar features, if not more than the higher segment Tucson. We would also like to add that there exists a next-generation Hyundai Tucson in the international markets, but the carmaker hasn’t shown any signs of bringing it to our shores.

The Jeep Compass has been given long due attention this year – the SUV has been receiving the same updates as its counterpart available in the international markets. The update has not been limited to the facelift but extended to the cabin and feature list as well.

The Citroen C5 Aircross gets park assist and a driver fatigue intimation system. The electronics include driving mode, traction control, and terrain response system. While the Jeep Compass also gets a similar electronic package, the Hyundai Tucson only benefits from three driving modes and misses out on a terrain response system. The C5 Aircross gets a notable mention for its second row of seats, which offers three individual seats – not to be mistaken for captain seats – which can be split and folded.

Most in-cabin features of these cars are similar to each other; however, the Hyundai Tucson now gets an analogue instrument cluster, while the other two have an all-digital screen. All the SUVs get an electronic parking brake and also benefit from a hill-hold system. 

Pricing
The Jeep Compass here is offered in many variants, with two engine and two gearbox options for each. This allows Jeep to price the Compass very flexibly. The Compass starts at as low as Rs 16.99 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 24.49 lakhs. The Jeep Compass is manufactured at FCA’s Ranjangaon facility in Pune, which allows Jeep to price the Compass very competitively. The Hyundai Tucson starts at Rs 22.55 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 27.33 lakh for the diesel-AWD variant. Citroen sells the C5 Aircross via the CKD route in India, which makes it dearer to its customers by a substantial margin. It's priced at Rs 29.90 lakh for the base variant, while the top variant is priced at Rs 31.90 lakh. However, these prices are introductory and are likely to be hiked in the coming months. All prices mentioned in the article are ex-showroom.

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