Citroen C5 Aircross vs Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Tucson Comparison Review

The French are famous for their cheeses, wines and the lovely hospitality. And they make decent cars too! One of newest companies to enter the Indian automotive market was Citroen, as French a company as it can get, and the first model to arrive in India was the C5 Aircross! In his review, Siddharth established the fact that the C5 Aircross was perhaps the perfect vehicle for Citroen to enter the Indian market. Billed as the 'comfort class', the key messaging from the company was that the SUV focusses primarily on occupants' comfort. But, is that all to it? Or does the Citroen C5 Aircross has the goods to take on its rivals, the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson? Well, that's precisely what we plan to find out!

Also Read: Citroen C5 Aircross Review

Design

(Needless to say, the Citroen C5 Aircross is the best-looking SUV among the three cars here)

Finally, the Citroen C5 Aircross, the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Tucson, in the same frame! And the first thing that comes to my mind, is that the C5 Aircross is the most handsome looking car here. The Compass takes the second spot while the Hyundai takes the third step of the podium. Yes, design is subjective and you may have a completely different ranking in your mind, but allow me to explain! 

(The Jeep Compass looks butch and has the most SUV-like stance amongst the three cars here)

The design of the C5 Aircross has that typical European flavour, bold presence, futuristic face and doesn't stray away from the traditional design lines. The plastic cladding on the sides and the sharp, angular design elements offer that elegant appeal, which one wouldn't expect from a crossover. The Compass has the most SUV-like stance here. When it came out in 2017, it had us awed. On the facelifted model, the 7-slat grille still looks butch, no doubt, adding a sense of purpose as well. 

(The Hyundai Tucson received a facelift last year. It has a distinct crossover-like stance)

The Tucson again, is more crossover than SUV. Thanks to the facelift it received last year, the cascading grille up front serves up a typical Korean fare with sharp, angular elements. The overall design is not bad, don't get us wrong! But it does seem more generic, compared to the other two. Maybe because we have seen many Hyundai SUVs getting a crossover-like design over the years!

Dimensions and Comfort

One look at the dimensions table and it is clear that the C5 Aircross is the biggest among the three cars here, be it the length, width, height and even the wheelbase. Naturally, that does translate into better space inside the cabin. In fact, the C5 Aircross has the biggest boot among the three cars on test here and that too by a significant margin.

(The seats on the Citroen C5 Aircross are very well bolstered and keep the occupants comfortable. The interior too feels quite premium)

The seats on the C5 Aircross are very well-bolstered, the cabin feels quite airy and it is a car that can seat 5 people with each person getting an individual seat. The second row of seats does slide forward or back, and are also equally split three ways. Each section can be folded individually. Citroen has focussed on the comfort and cushioning, although, if there are just four passengers, a rear central armrest is missed. And they won't be as comfortable making use of the space between, which is where a bench seat shines. The seats are very comfortable though! Good news is that all three passengers at the rear get a three-point seat belt.

Tech and Safety

(The cabin of the C5 Aircross has a neat layout and makes use of premium materials)

The C5 Aircross' cabin gets stacked AC vents, a smart, refreshing layout, great screens and graphics, and a premium feel. The instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch TFT display that is sharp-looking and has multiple display options. The graphics and transitions are also very cool. Complementing the instrument console is an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system which gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto along with regular Bluetooth connectivity. Smartphone connectivity is not wireless though. 

(The C5 Aircross gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But no connected car technology! A big miss in an SUV that costs over Rs. 30 lakh!)

The screen offers capacitive touch and has a nice matte finish which helps avoid those irritating finger smudges. Although, the car does miss out on features like wireless smartphone charging and connected car technology! Big, big misses for an SUV that costs over 30 lakh rupees!

(The Jeep Compass gets an updated cabin as well. Feels premium but still a notch below the C5 Aircross)

The cabin of the Compass was revamped extensively on the facelifted model. It now gets an all-back interior, which looks sporty. The cabin design is contemporary and everything inside is new, except the seats. Soft-touch materials along with new knobs and buttons for in-car controls give you that likeable premium feel. There's three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, a 10.2-inch fully digital instrument cluster and remote proximity keyless entry along with a new 10.1-inch touchscreen with FCA's UConnect 5 technology offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

(The Compass gets the biggest touchscreen among the cars here. A 10.2-inch unit, with Jeep's UConnect connected car technology)

Few other features on the Compass include ventilated front seats, wireless charging, tyre pressure monitoring system and ambient lighting around the front footwell area. Needless to say, the Compass has the C5 Aircross beat, at least in terms of features.

(The Hyundai Tucson gets a decent list of features. It too gets an 8-inch touchscreen with Hyundai's BlueLink technology)

Now, coming to the Hyundai Tucson, the cabin received several updates last year, and now gets an all-black colour. It also sports the same 8.0-inch infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Navigation as is on the other Hyundai cars. The new Hyundai Tucson facelift is a connected car as well thanks to the addition of the new BlueLink technology. The list of features is adequate enough. The cabin of the Tucson is functional but does not stand out against the other two SUVs. In terms of comfort, the Tucson has the Compass beat, offering better space for passengers, especially at the rear.

(The C5 Aircross offers a solid safety package, with multiple active and passive safety features)

The Citroen C5 Aircross has a slight edge over when it comes to safety, with features like lane change warning and coffee brake alert when it sense fatigue in the driver. Otherwise, all three are quite evenly matched here offering front rear and side curtain airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill Descent Control, Hill Assist, Front and Rear parking sensors and reverse cameras, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The Aircross also offers ISOFIX on the front passenger seat but it's a good practice to avoid children in the front seat anyway.

Engine Specifications

The Citroen is the newest car in this comparison and is offered only with a diesel engine. Which is why, we are sticking to comparing the diesel variants of all three cars. Seeing the numbers on paper, actually, on the screen rather, the Tucson comes across as the most powerful model. Both, the Tucson and the Aircross get an 8-speed automatic gearbox, which are torque converter units. The Compass gets a 9-speed automatic and a 6-speed manual as well. Surprisingly, the Citroen C5 Aircross has the best claimed mileage among the three cars.

Performance and Dynamics

(Straightaway, the Citroen C5 Aircross blows you away with its impeccable ride. Plus, comfortable and it doesn't get out of shape around a corner either, well not to the extent I had imagined)

Driving the Aircross feels like you are gliding along on the road. The ride quality, I daresay, is perhaps the best in the segment. And that comes down to the lovely progressive hydraulic cushion suspension. Ride comfort is what Citroen focusses on and it gets that bang on! The C5 has a light steering which makes driving easy in the city. But as you increase the speed, you get that 'weightless' feeling, which could have been better. The cabin though, is very well insulated.

(It is a tough pick, between the two! Both offer good driving dynamics. But the C5 Aircross offers a better ride, for sure)

A plush suspension means that there is pronounced body roll, but its large footprint means that the car doesn't go out of shape. The diesel engine on the C5 Aircross has a strong, consistent power delivery, very linear. It is best enjoyed when driven in calm, relaxed manner. The 8-speed torque converter gearbox is a decent unit, which holds on to the gears while accelerating, helping you to stay in the power band for as long as possible. The car gets two modes - eco and sport, choosing the sport mode does not make for a tremendous change in the dynamics of the car. The brakes offer good feel and have a potent bite too.

(The Citroen C5 Aircross gets traction modes, but is a 2WD vehicle)

The Aircross also gets traction modes for snow, sand, standard and all-terrain. Point to be noted here is that the Citroen is a 2WD model, with just the front wheels driven, while the Compass gets a 4WD as an option and the Tucson gets AWD on the top trim.

(The Jeep Compass has a tauter ride than the C5 Aircross. Steering feels nice too)

When it was first launched in 2017, the Compass had us awed! The ride and handling was among the very best that a sub 20 lakh car had to offer. The story continues to be the same on this model as well. Ride is slightly tauter than that of the C5 Aircross and the car irons out all undulations smoothly, especially at speed. The handling is perhaps the best among the three cars here. Plus, in case you plan to go off-road frequently, the Compass with Jeep's 4x4 SelecTerrain system which has four modes - sand, snow, mud and auto.

(Jeep Compass' diesel engine is offered with a 6-speed manual and a 9-speed automatic gearbox)

The 2.0 litre diesel engine offers a lot of pulling power and builds up speed quickly if you want it to! The 9-speed automatic gearbox is a little lazy though. The response is not as urgent as you would have liked, but is smooth nonetheless. It offers the best driving experience in the trifecta of cars that we have here. The brakes need a bit of working though, especially when you wish to shed speed quickly.

(The Tucson offers a smooth driving experience. The top spec model comes with AWD)

The Tucson offers a smooth driving experience. It is a comfortable car to cruise in and the diesel engine seems to be meant for relaxed cruising rather than offering spirited performance. The 8-speed automatic gearbox does the job well but is a little slow when downshifting. Braking is on point too. It offers decent ride too. Although, the steering isn't the liveliest of units and there's a bit of understeer in corners too along with body roll.

Pricing

Do note that we are comparing the prices of diesel variants of all three SUVs. The Jeep Compass has the most affordable starting point at Rs. 18.89 lakh with the top-spec model being priced at Rs. 28.49 lakh, with close to 8 variants on offer. Hyundai offers just three variants of the Tucson diesel with prices starting at Rs. 24.74 lakh and going up to Rs. 27.47 lakh. The Citroen C5 Aircross is offered in just two trims - Feel and Shine, which are priced from Rs. 30.30 lakh to Rs. 32.30 lakh, making it the most expensive model here and by a significant margin.

(The Citroen C5 Aircross is expensive, but we say, it is worth the extra money!)

With the C5 Aircross, Citroen's aim to establish a positive brand image for itself rather than chasing numbers. It is put together very well and definitely offers that premium feel customers will be looking for in this segment. In typical Jeep fashion, the Compass feels robust, solidly built and offers excellent performance. The Tucson too gets a bunch of features and has decent performance but it doesn't feel as desirable as the other two cars.

Verdict

(If I had to take one of these three cars home, I would take the Jeep Compass. But you wouldn't go wrong with the other two SUVs either)

The Citroen C5 Aircross offers the best in-cabin experience. The Compass should be your choice if what you are looking for is driving pleasure and legit off-road credentials. The Tucson is a jack of all trades. It is like comfort food made at home, that satisfies you completely! That would make Citroen to be a gourmet affair at a fine-dining establishment. Expensive but worth it! The Jeep Compass is like your favourite dish at your favourite restaurant, you can never go wrong with it! If I am to take home one of these cars, I will take the Compass, but that's just me! You won't go wrong with other two.