The Citroën C5 Aircross Émeraude looks like another stylish special edition—until you check the price list. Just €1,000 separates it from the richer MAX trim in the Netherlands. Sales start in October, and although Émeraude is formally based on PLUS, it adds a power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, a rear center armrest, wireless charging, a hands-free power tailgate and Drive Assist 2.0.
Citroën unveiled Émeraude one year after the launch of the second-generation C5 Aircross. Its name nods to Brittany's Emerald Coast near the Rennes-La Janais plant where the model is built. Emerald Blue is the signature color, joined by blue decorative accents, an Émeraude badge and a small French tricolor at the rear. Not sold on emerald? Buyers can also choose black, gray, white, Eclipse Blue or green.
But the real surprise is hiding between the lines of the price list. In the Netherlands, the Hybrid 145 Émeraude costs €42,590. The comparable PLUS is €40,590, while MAX is €43,590. And that pattern is deliberate: with every powertrain, Émeraude is exactly €2,000 more than PLUS and €1,000 less than MAX.
Citroën has not turned the special edition into a separate technical variant. Buyers can choose Hybrid 145, the plug-in hybrid, Electric 210 Comfort Range or Electric 230 Long Range. The latter uses a 97 kWh battery and can travel up to 680 km on the WLTP cycle. Citroën also stresses that real-world range depends on driving conditions.
And this is where the premium over PLUS stops looking like a fee for a fancy name. Drive Assist 2.0 includes lane centering, rear cross-traffic alert at distances of up to 40 m, semi-automatic lane changes, enhanced speed-limit warnings and blind-spot monitoring reaching up to 75 m. In other words, that extra €2,000 buys far more than paint and badges—it adds a serious bundle of comfort and electronic driving aids.
