2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer review: Van-tastic opportunity

Remember Citroen’s entry into the Indian market with the C5 Aircross? Well, it’s okay if you don’t – because not many do. Citroen has barely sold around 1,200 units of the model since its launch in January 2021. And that’s a pity, because the C5 Aircross was a refreshing, left-field choice in a landscape dominated by conventional SUVs. It defied the norm with its distinctive design and laser focus on comfort.

Its ride quality was nothing short of legendary, and its 2.0-litre diesel engine delivered superb refinement, torque and efficiency – especially at a time when the segment was tilting increasingly towards petrol. But being imported as a completely built unit (CBU), the C5 Aircross attracted steep customs duties. That translated into a starting price of around Rs 40 lakh, which was its Achilles heel.

And it still is. Which is why the all-new C5 Aircross, launched internationally in April 2025, hasn’t made it to Indian shores. The economics simply don’t stack up. The new model is costlier than the outgoing version; the new homologation requirements add another layer of complexity for low-volume imports, and compounding all this is a sharply depreciating rupee – the euro now costs nearly Rs 100 compared to around Rs 87 when the C5 was launched.

All this has effectively closed the door on imports for Citroen, which has since been focusing on its locally manufactured line-up.

Made-in-UK Citroens open doors in India.

However, in a world where tariffs are increasingly dominating trade policy, especially with Trump-era protectionism creating turmoil across the world, there’s a potential game-changer on the horizon. A historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK promises a radical shift in the import landscape. Once implemented, this landmark deal will slash duties to 10 percent (currently 110 percent) over the next few years for cars manufactured in the UK.

Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles will be the first to benefit, with duties slashed down to 30 percent in the first year. For EVs, the benefit will take longer to materialise. The FTA outlines a staggering 60 percent reduction in duties – but only after five years.

For Citroen, this long-term duty cut could be a game-changer. It potentially opens the door for the e-SpaceTourer, a large and versatile electric MPV built in Luton, UK, to finally enter the Indian market.

There’s a catch, though – the reduced duties apply only to vehicles priced above 40,000 pounds. The e-SpaceTourer currently sits just below that mark, but with rising costs and updated versions in the pipeline, it’s likely to cross the threshold in the coming years and become eligible for the benefits.

It’s still a long-term play, but is it one worth exploring? Can the e-SpaceTourer find a market in India? I took it for a quick drive to find out.

2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer exterior design and engineering

Styling unapologetically places function over form.

The e-SpaceTourer is a product of pure practicality. It is a van with windows, and it makes no apologies for it. Born from the same platform as the Stellantis Dispatch van, it prioritises space and utility over sleek aesthetics.

Smartly styled lights liven up the face.

While this may not appeal to the traditional private car buyer, it is precisely what makes it a potentially perfect fit for the Indian market’s commercial and hospitality sectors. The space between the 7-seater Toyota Innova and the much larger Force Urbania bus is a chasm that the e-SpaceTourer can fill with ease.

2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer interior and features

6-seater to 9-seater configurations on offer.

With its configurable seating for up to nine people, it offers a level of comfort and capacity that no other MPV south of Rs 1 crore can match.

The modularity of the e-SpaceTourer’s interior is its strongest suit, and you can get it in 6-, 7-, 8- and 9-seat configurations. In its most versatile 9-seat “Business” trim, it offers multiple seating configurations, with the second and third rows able to slide, fold and be removed entirely. This creates an enormous, cavernous cargo space of almost 4,000 litres, making it a truly multi-functional vehicle.

Flexible seating is the e-SpaceTourer’s biggest strength.

Third row is just as spacious and comfortable as the second row.

What really stood out for me was the third row, which is typically a punishment posting for most passengers in an MPV. But not in the e-SpaceTourer, where it’s just as comfy as the middle row. There’s no compromise on kneeroom, headroom and seat comfort, and you can get it with captain seats, which slide back and forth in the third row, too.

Gets optional massaging seats.

The cabin itself is functional and uncluttered, built with hard-wearing plastics and materials. While it lacks the luxurious feel of its pricier German rivals and isn’t overflowing with features, it has all the modern amenities one would expect in this sort of product, including the option of massage seats.

Functional interior is comfortable and very spacious.

The small 7-inch touchscreen notwithstanding, you get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with charging points. A power meter replaces the traditional rev counter, and the gear lever is replaced by a simple drive-mode selector switch.

2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer performance and range

75kWh battery pack powers 138hp electric motor.

Journeying through the winding country roads of rural France, the homeland of Citroen, the large e-SpaceTourer is surprisingly easy to drive. Sitting perched in the driver’s seat, visibility is good, the steering is light, and the 138hp electric motor gives you instant poke, so it’s quite easy to punt this large van around narrow roads.

Performance is modest at best, but for a people carrier, what is more important is a smooth and linear power delivery rather than a neck-snapping surge, and it’s here that the e-SpaceTourer delivers.

It looks clearly like a van but is surprisingly easy to drive.

Claimed range stands at 348km.

Range is more important for a van expected to ferry passengers over long periods, and 348km (claimed figure) is just about adequate.

2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer ride comfort and handling

Great ride quality, but lots of body roll in the corners.

The ride quality, in true Citroen fashion, is compliant and plush at low speeds, but there’s a fair bit of body roll. And burdened by the weight of the 75kWh battery pack located beneath the floor, this big van can feel a bit unsettled on less-than-perfect surfaces.

Low-speed ride feels nice, but less-than-ideal roads can upset the e-SpaceTourer’s composure.
 

2025 Citroen e-SpaceTourer verdict and expected price

UK manufacturing would allow Citroen to leverage FTA’s reduced duties.

As a Stellantis product built in the UK, the e-SpaceTourer stands to gain significantly from the FTA. It’s a tantalising opportunity for Citroen, but will the brand take the plunge, given that the real duty benefits are still five years away?

One possible approach is to launch the e-SpaceTourer now at a higher, fully taxed price and reduce it once the duty cuts kick in. A more ambitious strategy would be to average out the expected savings over the 5-year period – launching at a lower, more competitive price from the outset and absorbing the initial hit.

e-SpaceTourer price could land below the Rs 50 lakh mark.

If Citroen chooses the latter path, the e-SpaceTourer could arrive at a sub-Rs 50 lakh price point – an appealing proposition that could carve out a niche in India’s premium fleet and hospitality segments. Whether Citroen acts on this opportunity remains to be seen, but on product merit alone, the e-SpaceTourer certainly makes a strong case for itself.

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