New Citroën C5 Aircross goes hybrid and electric for £30k

On sale October | Price from: £30,495

Humans are getting bigger all the time. And whether the change is down to better nutrition, wider access to food or laziness, we’re growing both taller and wider with each passing generation. And for that reason, the new Citroën C5 Aircross is timely indeed – because it’s intended to be one of the most spacious family SUVs on the market.

The new C5 takes on a noticeably beefier look than its predecessor, with thinner LED lights, a more aggressive front bumper and a heavily sculpted bonnet designed to improve airflow around the car. It keeps the more muscular look of the conceptual C5 Aircross revealed late last year, and aims to challenge big-selling family SUV rivals that include the Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai.

Being based on new underpinnings shared with the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland means the C5 Aircross can be offered with electric power for the first time. It's called the ë-C5 Aircross and there are two versions available.

The Comfort Range has a 207bhp electric motor and a 73kWh (usable capacity) battery that officially offers up to 322 miles of range. The Long Range, meanwhile, gets a more powerful, 227bhp motor and a 97kWh battery that officially allows it to cover up to 421 miles between top-ups. It’s worth noting, though, that the Peugeot e-3008 can travel farther still.

Charging times for a 20-80% top-up can be as low as 30 minutes if you use a public rapid charger capable of delivering the ë-C5 Aircross’s 160kW peak rate.

If you’d rather choose plug-in hybrid power, then the C5 Aircross gets a 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor fed by a 21kWh battery. Together, the two power sources produce a heady 192bhp, and with an official electric-only range of 53 miles, your weekday commute could require no petrol power at all.

Both the plug-in hybrid and Long Range electric versions will be available shortly after the Comfort Range electric and mild hybrid options land in October.

In mild hybrid form, the C5 Aircross combines a 1.2-litre petrol engine with an electric motor which can be used to drive the car at low speeds. In total, it pumps out 143bhp.

Comfort will be a big priority in the new car, with soft suspension designed to help the C5 Aircross to soak up lumps and bumps in the road. That’s something the current car does well, offering the kind of pillow-soft ride that rivals such as the Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5 can’t match. That being said, the trade-off is that the outgoing model has looser body control than in its Peugeot sibling, and so-so handling.

Inside, you’ll find a 13.0in portrait-orientated infotainment touchscreen, 10.0in digital instrument screen and a head-up display that projects the most crucial information onto the windscreen in front of you. But while the climate settings get their own dedicated section of the screen, we’d still prefer proper physical controls for ease of use. As is becoming the norm, the C5 Aircross’s infotainment system features ChatGPT AI integration, meaning your car should be able to answer complex questions as you drive.

There’s also a large panoramic glass roof to let light into the car, and four USB-C charging ports to keep everyone’s devices topped up. 

Citroën’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ front seats are designed to make long journeys as relaxing as possible, with heating, cooling and massage functions and more electric adjustment than before, meaning occupants should have no trouble finding a comfortable seating position. Heated outer rear seats are an option.

Not only is this new C5 Aircross longer than the previous version, but it also has more space between its front and rear wheels in an effort to boost room inside.

With 651 litres of boot space, the new C5 Aircross should have no trouble handling your holiday luggage and might improve on the nine carry-on suitcases that the existing car’s load bay can swallow below the parcel shelf. Impressively, boot space doesn’t shrink if you go for a PHEV or electric version, but you can liberate more space in any version thanks to handy 40/20/40 split-folding rear seatbacks.

What’s more, there’s an underfloor storage compartment that will be a handy place to store charging cables.

Three trim levels will be available with the new C5 Aircross: You, Plus and Max. Entry-level You trim comes with 18in alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless phone charging and adaptive cruise control.

Stepping up to Plus trim will get you ambient lighting, dark-tinted windows, keyless entry, front parking sensors and a 180-degree reversing camera. Meanwhile, top-spec Max trim comes with an extended head-up display, heated front seats and steering wheel, a hands-free tailgate and a heat pump for electric versions.

To go with its expanded dimensions, the C5 Aircross's price has inflated, with entry-level mild hybrid models starting at £30,495. The ë-C5 Aircross starts slightly higher, at £34,065. In both cases, that's less than what you'll pay for the C5's siblings. The mild hybrid version also undercuts rivals like the Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5.

Prices for the PHEV have yet to be revealed, but we'd expect them to start at around £32,000. For reference, the Ford Kuga PHEV starts at £40,665.

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