Citroën C5 Aircross sketches suggest bold styling for Shanghai reveal

Citroën is a manufacturer we can always count on for some interesting stylistic choices. If the C5 Aircross photos teased on Twitter by Citroën CEO Linda Jackson are any indication, the manufacturer's forthcoming compact crossover should be, well, interesting.

According to Autocar, the production form of the new C5 Aircross will debut next month at the Shanghai Auto Show. If the renderings are indeed true-to-form, the Aircross borrows heavily from the Aircross Concept that did the auto show circuit back in 2015, right down to the, ah, whatever those three things are on each side. Supposedly they are designed to deflect errant doors from dinging the side, similar to the "airbumps" on Citroën's other oddball crossover, the C4 Cactus. Being mounted so low, however, it's hard to see them being effective enough to warrant their existence.

In any case, aside from some very minor differences in the front bumper and side mirrors, the teaser sketches look pretty much spot on with the Aircross Concept. To refresh your memory, that was a five-door hatch with rear suicide doors, sized to notch above the Cactus in Citroën's lineup. It rode on 22-inch wheels and featured a plug-in electric hybrid powertrain that produced a total of 313 horsepower, so whatever you might say about the styling, it certainly had guts.

When the concept was on tour, Citroën mentioned it was a look into the future of new models and designs for the manufacturer. Considering the previous C5 was a conservatively styled sedan that was dropped due to positively abysmal sales, going bold with the new C5 Aircross might actually be a big win for Citroën.

The new C5 Aircross will take its place in European markets with deliveries beginning in 2018.