Citroën previewed its first ever plug-in hybrid at the Paris Motor Show with the C5 Aircross SUV.
Still officially a concept, the upcoming C5 Aircross PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) will reportedly closely resemble the production vehicle save for the blue accents on some of the lower Airbump panels.
Not due on sale until 2019, the production version of the C5 Aircross PHEV will be one of the first PSA group vehicles on the company’s relatively new EMP2 platform to gain plug-in hybrid technology. It will arrive alongside PHEV versions of the new Peugeot 508 saloon and the DS 7 Crossback.
Total system power is rated at 222 bhp, with up to 31 miles of range solely on battery power. CO2 emissions are claimed to be under 49g/km.
Though Citroën will be right at the forefront of PSA’s plug-in hybrid strategy with the C5 Aircross PHEV, it will be one of the last PSA brands to be electrified. Citroën plans to offer an electrified version of every model it makes by 2025 and will produce a fully electric vehicle on PSA’s e-CMP platform in 2020.
While Citroën will wait until 2020, sister brand DS revealed its first e-CMP EV at the Paris Motor Show with the DS 3 Crossback in which one form of the vehicle will be a fully electric version (called the E-Tense) that will be offered six months into production.
DS 3 Crossback
Specs on the electric powered DS 3 Crossback are 136 hp and 260 Nm fueled by a lithium-ion battery of 50 kWh. This model will have a range of 300 km (WLTP cycle) and its battery can be recharged to 80% in just 30 minutes.