New Citroën C5 Aircross (2025) : a bold pricing strategy to shake up the SUV market?

Following its well-received presentation last April, the new Citroën C5 Aircross is entering the final stretch before its commercial launch. While its design and technology have already won many over, a crucial piece of information has remained a closely guarded secret: its price. The chevron brand has just lifted a corner of the veil, announcing a base price that will sit just below the €35,000 mark. This announcement is far from trivial, as it strategically places Citroën's new family SUV in a unique and potentially dominant position. By positioning itself halfway between the highly anticipated, value-driven Dacia Bigster and the established benchmarks of the C-SUV segment, is Citroën attempting to carve out its own space where direct competition is less fierce? This is a bold strategy that could very well pay off.

An aggressive pricing structure to challenge the competition

The strength of the new C5 Aircross's proposition will undoubtedly lie in its pricing structure. With an estimated entry ticket of €34,990 for the Hybrid 145 version, Citroën would make a significant impact. This powertrain, which will form the core of the range, would thus be positioned extremely competitively. For comparison, an equivalent Peugeot 3008 (Hybrid 145) starts at €39,500 in its Allure trim, and an Opel Grandland Hybrid 145 is listed at €38,990. The newcomer would therefore be nearly €4,000 to €5,000 more accessible than its Stellantis group cousins, a considerable gap for buyers. When compared to a Renault Austral full hybrid 200 hp starting at €41,800, the C5 Aircross's advantage would be even more pronounced.

The strategy extends to the most anticipated powertrains. The 195 hp plug-in hybrid version is estimated at €38,490. Here again, the positioning is surgical: the Peugeot 3008 PHEV 195 hp starts at €43,490, and the Opel Grandland PHEV at €43,990. The customer savings would be around €5,000, making plug-in hybrid technology much more attainable.

However, the real surprise could come from the all-electric version. Estimates place it at €39,990, just below the psychological and fiscal threshold of €40,000. If this price is confirmed, the C5 Aircross would become the first compact SUV from a European brand to be offered at this price point, directly challenging the new Peugeot e-3008, which starts at €44,990. This move would confirm Citroën's ambition, already initiated with the ë-C3, to democratize electric mobility by offering the most accessible electric version in every segment it occupies.

More than just a price: a unique strategic position

Beyond a simple comparison of numbers, it is the entire philosophy of the C5 Aircross that is revealed. By targeting this "sweet spot" in pricing, Citroën places it in a zone where it will be almost alone. On one end of the spectrum, the future Dacia Bigster, estimated around €26,500 for its hybrid version, will focus on being the low-price leader. However, the Bigster, being derived from the Duster, is expected to make concessions in refinement, interior presentation, and onboard technology to achieve that price. It will appeal to customers for whom cost is the primary criterion, even if it means accepting a more no-frills proposition.

On the other end, the segment leaders like the Peugeot 3008, Skoda Kodiaq, or Renault Austral are competing in a higher price bracket, focusing on moving upmarket with more powerful engines and advanced features. The new C5 Aircross smartly inserts itself between these two worlds. It will offer significantly more personality, comfort, and technology than the Bigster, featuring its unique style, a spectacular 13-inch "waterfall" screen, and, of course, the Citroën Advanced Comfort program with its Progressive Hydraulic Cushions. While providing these features of a true modern compact SUV, it will remain substantially more affordable than its direct rivals.

This positioning gives it considerable strength. A potential buyer who finds the Bigster too basic but the 3008 or Kodiaq too expensive will see the C5 Aircross as the perfect synthesis. They won't feel like they are making a compromise, but rather making a smart choice: a stylish, spacious, comfortable, and technologically advanced vehicle for a controlled budget. Citroën is not just competing with others; the brand is creating its own segment, that of the market's most intelligent value proposition.

Of course, we will have to wait a few more days, or at most a few weeks, for Citroën to unveil the full range and pricing for the European market, with an official announcement planned for June. Nevertheless, the indication of a range starting under €35,000 and the highly credible possibility of an electric version for less than €40,000 are extremely strong signals. They allow us to map out the battlefield on which the new C5 Aircross is preparing to compete with great precision. If these price estimates hold true, Citroën will not only have an excellent product but also a formidable commercial strategy. The new C5 Aircross wouldn't just have a card to play; it could very well hold the winning hand to establish itself as a key player in its segment. The anticipation has never been more optimistic.