Citroen C4 Cactus (Eugene Sergeev/Bigstock.com)

Following numerous other mainstream and luxury car makers, Citroen is set to enter the lucrative SUV market by 2017.

The new SUV will be based on the off-beat Aircross concept car unveiled at this year's Shanghai motor show – that's according to the French car giant's CEO, Linda Jackson.

Citroen's recent and forthcoming products closely resemble their prototypes, says Jackson.

Jackson was recently quoted in the Telegraph as saying: "If you look at the Cactus, the production version wasn’t far from the concept. It will be the same with the Aircross, meaning it will have a more rounded and less aggressive shape than rivals."

Citroen will remain true to its mainstream roots, according to Jackson: “Many manufacturers are trying to move upmarket these days, but I’m totally comfortable with us being in the mainstream. That’s where we’ve always been, it’s the right place for us and I’m not shy about saying so.”

However, the CEO is keen that Citroen's products stand out from the competition, citing in particular the unorthodox Cactus, with its bubble-textured sides.

Jackson also said that car build quality and reliability had improved across all car brands, making it more important than ever to stand out in terms of style.

She also spoke of Citroen's previous reputation as a low cost brand. But Jackson suggested such a strategy was short-termist and damaged brands in the long-term.

Moving forward Citroen will focus on making visually unique, useful products that lead the competition in terms of comfort.

Citroen builds many of its vehicles in its five French plants, but also has manufacturing facilities in Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey.