Style & Substance

Both the SUVs you see on these pages are the antithesis of what the majority of Indians seem to want from their SUVs. These two are aimed instead at the growing niche of customers who prefer quality over quantity and that sets them both apart in a big way.

- Dipayan Dutta

Test No. 266 to 267

Hyundai Tucson 2-litre, 4-cyl, 186bhp Citroen C5 2-litre, 4-cyl, 177bhp

To this day in France, most homes and workplaces do without air-conditioning. It's a cultural thing. The air conditioner is considered a symbol of the bourgeois, so it must be rejected. There is a fine line between luxury and opulence; to be acceptable in the culture, one must run it with grace. Meanwhile diagonally across the world, South Korea has the fastest internet on the planet, and have heating systems that run through the floor because that's the most efficient way to warm a house. Strange way to start a road test about two premium SUVs I know, but this distinction in its own odd way sets the tone for the difference between the Citroen C5 Aircross and the Hyundai Tucson. These two have met before on the pages of our magazine but this time around the facelifted C5 Aircross meets an all-new armed to the teeth Tucson. Interestingly, these are likely the most European cars in the segment, but before we jump into the cabins and how they drive, evaluation begins at face value.

What stands out to me straight off the bat is how both these SUVs have defied the modern styling conventions, and as flagships of each of the brands they represent, have become path breaking and desirably set apart from everything else that you see on the road. Speaking of distinct designs, the C5 Aircross has now gone under the knife for a midlife renewal, although it retains that distinction in terms of body shape. The first change you're going to notice is the (now) massive double chevron logo, that is emboldened by a chrome outline. The grille too, now gets two parallel lines with little chrome inserts that makes it look studded. The next big change is the headlamp-DRL layout which replaces the split lights in favour of a single unit. Even then, the design is far from conventional and stands out in its own right.