Citroen Aircross X Road Trip: Escaping Pune Traffic for a Scenic Weekend Drive

Pune is spelled chaos. The traffic, the traffic, the traffic. It’s like a hangover you can’t get rid of. And for the better part of the week, it is the battle we fight every morning, and then again, on our way back to the pavilion. It doesn’t matter what your vehicle of choice is or how many wheels it has, two, three or four. As long as it doesn’t have flight capabilities, consider it stuck in hour-long jams during peak hours. I couldn’t procure an airplane; instead, I was bestowed the new Aircross X by Citroen for my weekend getaway. An escape from midtown madness with my better half, Smita and my furry friend Oscar. The place of choice, a secluded, almost unreal lakeside spot that we haven’t visited for a few blue moons.

“Pack your socks!” Smita yelled. I am at that point in my relationship where I follow instructions like a patriotic soldier, however absurd the command is. And so I did, dropped in two pairs and a sweater for good measure. A blanket for Oscar and all of his canine essentials. While Smita was struggling to make head or tail of the odd-sized luggage, I quickly tumbled one seat in the third row. Not only did that give her enough space for luggage, but Oscar could live in the third row of the Citroen Aircross X if he wanted to.

Just as every road trip goes, we left later than the scheduled time, which meant peak hours. And the Citroen Aircross X’s benefits immediately shone through. Starting with the steering wheel. Ooh the French, you’ve got to love them for doing things differently. Because in a world of chunky steering wheels, this petite beauty fits perfectly in your hands. It just gives you a sense of fulfilment. And reminds me of my old gaming simulation steering wheel. Lock-to-lock simply requires less effort and feels that much more satisfying. I could cut through traffic like a hot knife through butter. Dodging slowpokes, trucks, rabid bikers and gentlemen coming head-on, hoping to give the Aircross X a peck. There were a few doosras that the traffic threw at us that got a few droplets of sweat to trickle down my spine. That’s when the ventilated seats with three levels of cooling rebalanced my internal thermostat. And for my co passenger Smita, the ventilated seats coupled with AC that went all the way down to 14 degrees kept the heat in check. And my big boy Oscar, who was in the back seat, had two sets of vents, one, down low and the second on the headliner, that kept his fur ruffled and his panting at bay. I was happy, as I could focus on what mattered the most. Driving

“Listen, we’d better cross the highway and the twisties if we have to reach the spot before sunset!” Smita exclaimed. Her concern was valid, being late was something I wasn’t proud of, but ‘I’m only human after all!’. So I picked up the pace and luckily, the mile marker indicated that we were about to touch the Mumbai-Pune expressway. This meant engaging cruise control at a speed that was safely below the prescribed limit, putting my shades on and wafting. Because golly gee, the Citroen Aircross X sails on the highway! Citroen was one of the first car manufacturers to introduce independent suspension on all four wheels. And who could forget the legendary Citroen DS that introduced the first-ever self-levelling hydropneumatic air suspension that stunned the world. The genesis is evident, and the depth of knowledge in suspension knowhow has trickled down to its Indian products as well. The Aircross X sports MacPherson struts with coil springs up front and torsion beam with coils at the rear. And the suspension tuning deserves some extra love. The ‘magic carpet’ like ride ensured Smita, Oscar and I were gliding over potholes, dancing over bad roads and singing without any interruptions. Regardless of what lay ahead, I was confident.

The engine deserves a special mention as well. The 1.2-litre, Puretech 110, that puts out 108bhp and 205Nm, had bucketloads of oomph in traffic. And had enough power in reserve on the highway. Mated to a six-speed automatic ensured quick overtakes were not unnerving for the lady or anxiety-inducing for my doggie. The power delivery was always predictable.

“Mithilesh, wasn’t there a more scenic route to that spot?” Smita enquired. My sense of direction, or rather the lack of it, and short-term memory held hands and left me tongue-tied. So I turned to CARA, the intelligent and omnipresent help that comes along with the Aircross X. “Hey, CARA! Could you show me the scenic route to Talegaon?” CARA promptly replied with an emphatic yes, and we were immediately redirected.

But the scenic route also came with a caveat: twisties. And not just curves, the entire buffet — dips, inclines, hairpins and fast, sweeping corners. Most cars start to run for their life with their tail between their legs, but not the Aircross X. Generally, Smita tends to gently tap my hand if I’m doing anything remotely fast around the bends but this time, the score was an undisputed zero. The aforementioned suspension setup and engine ensure the car is never out of shape. It carries itself with poise and grace. The occupants, Oscar included, were enjoying the G-forces as opposed to detesting them. The drive was turning out to be such a rewarding experience. I was also confident that on my way back at night, the auto-dimming rear-view mirrors wouldn’t blind me. Neither would I have to hold my hand up to cover the mirror, every time a trucker would decide to flash his high-beam in Morse code at me.

Every stop that we made along the way allowed me to admire the Garnet Red colour that shimmered when the sunlight kissed it. It was a droolworthy shade, even though my choice of paint on the Aircross X would be the enigmatic Deep Forest Green. A shade that would complement the neatly styled and well-balanced SUV proportions. Both of these shades are new on the Aircross X. Smita would like Perla Nera Black, though, nothing against colours, she just likes her cars in black. While Smita and I needed to fuel up with chai, Oscar had to take his scheduled bio and hydration breaks. This is when the Flex-Pro 7-seater configuration would free up enough space at the rear. All we had to do was effortlessly take one of the seats out. Once Oscar is good to go, we would just put it back.

“How come you decided to take us on a drive after such a long time?” Smita chuckled. The appropriate response to such a question should have been something romantic, but mine was anything but. So my daft reply to it was, “I walked up to the car, Oscar was with me and the Proxisense passive system just unlocked, with the keys in my pocket. And the dark tan leatherette upholstery was so inviting, I just got in and decided to take it on a drive. You just happened to tag along!” To which I got a firm fist bump on my shoulder, followed by an hour’s worth of silent treatment. Lucky for me, CARA and Oscar were there for company. I asked CARA to play me some music, and just to amuse myself and annoy my better half, I started to converse with CARA in Kannada. It’s one of the many languages she knows. Even Oscar was intrigued and was constantly twisting his head with curiosity. Lucky for us, this banter had to be cut short since we had finally arrived at our destination.

The sun had just begun to set and we were glad that we caught the golden hour at our favourite spot. We tackled the traffic, charged down the highway and then hit the twisties with the same grit and enthusiasm. Not that we were worried about safety since the six airbags coupled with ESP, Hill Hold and other features had our back. It was just that I had a moment of enlightenment. Seeing Oscar and Smita happy made me realise, this was the point of life. Escaping the hustle and bustle, taking a break from our mundane lives, is what matters the most. And it is only when you have something such as the Citroen Aircross X as your travel companion, will you be able to undertake these escapes with ease and do it frequently. Oscar approves with a ‘woof’.