Citroën C5 Aircross review

Leg room is ample in the front of the Citroën C5 Aircross and better than in the Mazda CX-5. While the CX-5 has more head room, the C5 Aircross's is fine as long as you avoid the optional panoramic sunroof available with the Shine Plus trim. 

Between the seats there are a couple of cupholders which will each take a large coffee with ease, and there are plenty of storage spaces dotted around. One of the biggest is under the front centre armrest – you can literally stick your whole arm into it because it's so deep. And that's good, because the glovebox is tiny.

The panoramic sunroof we mentioned really eats into head room in the rear, so avoid it at all costs if you’ll ever carry an adult over six feet tall in the back.

The rear head room is adequate without it but it's still not one of the Citroën C5 Aircross's strengths. Leg room is passable rather than generous, so a couple of six-footers will have enough room overall without much going spare.

Buyers who want a bigger car should look at either the Honda CR-V or the Kia Sorento, which are both very large in the back. If you need seven seats (the C5 Aircross has five), the Sorento will fit adults in its third row while the Peugeot 5008's two third-row seats are better suited to kids. 

The Citroën C5 Aircross really excels in this area. All models, including the hybrid, offer three rear seats that are all the same size and can be folded, reclined and slid back and forth independently of one another. That means you can choose from several set-up combinations, allowing you to prioritise boot space or rear passenger space.

The front passenger seat has basic adjustments, including for height, but you can't vary the lumbar support, nor can you fold the backrest flat to accommodate really long loads as you can in the Skoda Kodiaq.

We were able to fit nine carry-on cases below the parcel shelf of the Citroën C5 Aircross and that’s a very competitive tally for the class, although it's equalled by the five-seat Honda CR-V and the Skoda Kodiaq. If you need even more space, we’d point you towards the Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008. 

The large tailgate (it's powered if you go for the top-spec Shine Plus trim) means you get a large boot aperture and low loading height, making getting bulky items in and out easy. There is also a height-adjustable boot floor – if you raise it when the rear seats are folded down, you're left with a flat space that you can slide items along easily. 

The Hybrid's boot floor is higher because of the battery below it and cannot be electrically adjusted. That still leaves a big enough space for most requirements, and there's a bit of storage under the floor for the charging cables.