Citroen C5 Aircross review | low on price, high on comfort

The C5 Aircross is more comfortable than any of its rivals and comes with a decent level of equipment. More importantly for fleets, its cheap. Like-for-like the C5 Aircross undercuts its rivals significantly, making it cheaper to run and more accessible to drivers.

Overview

Citroen has avoided going down the "sporty" route with the C5 Aircross, a refreshing change from the norm in the SUV segment.

You won’t find massive wheels or stiff suspension. Citroen has favoured ride quality over dynamic ability. Despite being based on the same platform as the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland, the C5 Aircross retains a unique identity.

It benefits from the Citroen Advanced Comfort programme, which puts the focus on areas such as comfort, practicality and refinement.

Following a facelift in mid-2022, the C5 Aircross was given a more distinctive look, an improved interior and revised powertrains. The car has a premium feel, with higher-quality materials and improved technology, while also retaining a low starting price of £23,170.

Comfort and practicality

Comfort and space are where the C5 Aircross excels. All passengers have plenty of room, while the rear features three individual full-width seats, which can be slid 150mm forwards or backwards independently. The backs can also be reclined.

The boot is among the biggest in the class, while a false floor provides a flat loading area when the rear seats are folded, enabling items up to 1.9m long to be carried.

In typical Citroen style, the seats are squishy and soft with large flat surfaces. This makes them great for long distances, but they lack a little support if you drive enthusiastically.

As part of the facelift, the C5 Aircross was given a reconfigured dashboard, allowing for a larger touchscreen. It retains a useful array of storage pockets in the centre console, along with a pair of cupholders.

Safety and technology

A key change for the facelifted C5 Aircross is the introduction of a new infotainment system. Using a high-resolution 10-inch touchscreen, the setup is easy to use and includes smartphone connectivity via Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

All C5 Aircross models also feature a digital instrument cluster, giving a more premium feel. The display is configurable and can show information relating to the engine, trip computer, sat-nav and audio system.

The instrument display is controlled via confusing array of buttons on and around the steering wheel. There’s a scroll wheel that changes some functions, while a button on the end of the wiper stalk does other. A few times, while driving, we inadvertently changed the radio station while trying to adjust the display.

Switching off the lane keeping system is pretty simple, thanks to a shortcut menu. Unfortunately, the system is a little too intrusive in day-to-day driving to leave switched on.

All versions are equipped with autonomous emergency braking, reversing camera and LED headlights. Higher-grade C5 Aircross models get adaptive cruise control and highway driving assist.

Euro NCAP awarded the C5 Aircross a five-star safety rating, although its occupant protection score of 87% is not class-leading.

Driveability and fuel economy

Citroen offers a range of powertrains for the C5 Aircross. There are petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

The PureTech 1.2-litre petrol develops 130PS and has CO2 emissions from 140g/km. It can be paired with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed auto. Driven sensibly, it should return around 40mpg. The three-cylinder unit is plucky, but it doesn’t feel particularly quick in this application.

A 1.5-litre diesel engine powers the BlueHDI 130, offering the same amount of power as the PureTech petrol. It’s torquier though, making mid-range acceleration less strenuous. CO2 emissions from 129g/km are competitive against like-for-like rivals, although very few manufacturers offer diesel options now.

The Hybrid 136 powertrain boasts greater efficiency and performance than both the petrol and diesel options. It mates a 48V mild hybrid system with the PureTech 130 engine and channels power through a new six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The Hybrid powertrain suits the C5 Aircross well. It performs competently and is able to return close to 50mpg. The powertrain is able to operate on electric power alone for short stints, such as when costing or moving in slow traffic. Citroen claims this would account for around half the mileage covered in urban environment.

The Plug-in hybrid sits at the top of the C5 Aircross line-up, offering a more meaty power output of 180PS. It sits in the 12% benefit-in-kind tax band, with the ability to cover around 35 miles in zero-emission mode.

While the extra grunt is welcome, the plug-in hybrid’s gearbox feels a little clunky in comparison to the unit used in the Hybrid. It can take a while for the car to start accelerating with any real vigour when you floor the accelerator, which can be annoying if you need to make a quick manoeuvre.

You can read more about the Citroen C5 Aircross plug-in hybrid in our long-term test review.

The Advanced Comfort suspension features hydraulic cushions to give greater damping. It delivers a super smooth ride and reasonable compliance in the bends. The C5 Aircross is not a car than encourages sporty driving, but it can change direction quickly without upsetting those on board.

Following another C5 Aircross at the launch event, it was noticeable just how hard the suspension was working to keep the car’s body impressively still. This transferred into a comfortable ride on difficult terrain, while not feeling wallowy on smoother roads.

Company car tax and running costs

For company car drivers, the plug-in hybrid C5 Aircross makes the most sense, as it sits in the 12% benefit-in-kind tax band and will cost drivers less than £80 per month.

It’s quite a lot cheaper than a Kia Sportage PHEV and even the Vauxhall Grandland, which makes it a worthy contender in its segment. Running costs of 39p per mile are among the best-in-class and mean that, over a four-year cycle, the C5 Aircross PHEV is cheaper to run than an electric VW ID3.

You can check the latest company car tax and running costs using our Company Car Tax Calculator.

Citroen recently revised its trim level line-up to simplify ordering. There’s the entry level Plus, which comes with the PureTech petrol and BlueHDI diesel engines only. The Max comes with keyless entry and adaptive cruise control. A range topping e-Series trim is reserved for the hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.