Citroën C5 Aircross review

The Citroën C5 Aircross is your archetypical Citroën. Perhaps not in terms of shape, but the brochure calls it the "Comfort class SUV", and it certainly has the French brand’s famously supple ride.

Citroën has given the C5 Aircross pedigree DNA too. Under its skin, you’ll find engines and mechanicals that are shared with other Stellantis models, including the Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008 seven-seater and Vauxhall Grandland. 

The previous generation proved that was a winning recipe, but with this latest version, Citroen has added some extra special sauce. Indeed, not only does it get a new look and more interior space, it also comes with a range of engines, including a mild hybrid, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and, for the first time, you can have it as an all-electric car badged the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross, which we’ve reviewed separately.

So, do all these changes give it the tools it needs to beat the competition, a list that includes the Dacia Bigster, Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5 and MG HS? That’s what we’re going to find out in this review. 

If you want to keep costs to a minimum, the Hybrid 145 will be the one for you. With 143bhp, that version gets a three-cylinder, 1.2 litre turbocharged engine and an electric motor integrated directly into its gearbox. We’re yet to try it, but with an official 0-62mph sprint of 11.2sec, it should be just about quick enough to keep up with traffic. 

We have tried the plug-in hybrid (PHEV), though. That gets a more powerful four-cylinder, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and electric motor, giving it a total of 192bhp. It’s actually the quickest version on paper, with its 0-62mph sprint of 8.3sec even beating the ë-C5 Aircross electric car – you feel that when you put your foot down too, because it gets up to speed really easily. 

With a 17.8kWh (usable capacity) battery located underneath its floor, giving you an official electric range of up to 53 miles. That’s further than the PHEV versions of the Ford Kuga and Peugeot 5008, but not as far as the Volkswagen Tiguan, which can cover 62 miles.

Citroën makes some bold claims about the comfort of the C5 Aircross, so are they justified? Well, yes, to a point. You see, while we suspect the mild hybrid version will be as pillowy soft as the previous version – which was one of the few family SUVs that could waft over most surfaces – the PHEV that we’ve tried so far isn’t as comfortable. 

You see, it’s a heavier car and that requires a slightly firmer setup. As a result, there’s a slight fidget as you drive over potholes and imperfections. It’s similar to the Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5 in that respect. 

One good side effect of the extra firmness is that it limits the floatiness that you’ll feel as you drive along an undulating road, something that was pretty prevalent in previous soft versions of the C5 Aircross.

As you might expect, soft suspension doesn’t really lend itself to driving quickly on a twisty road. Given that it has the same suspension setup as before, we suspect that the hybrid version will feel rather wallowy, leaning over far more in bends than firmer-riding rivals. 

The PHEV’s suspension does fix that somewhat, helping to limit the amount that it leans through corners, but it’s still far from sporty and a long way off the more controlled PHEV Kuga or the CX-5. 

You can tell that the steering hasn’t been set up for sportiness, either. Indeed, the steering is very light and there’s little in the way of weight build up as you turn the wheel. That’s fine when it comes to driving around town, but on a winding road, it gives you little idea of what the front wheels are up to.

Unsurprisingly, the PHEV is near-silent when driving in electric mode, with only a small amount of whine from its motor. It's pretty muted when the engine kicks in, too, but does have a slightly coarse edge at higher revs, with vibrations you can feel through the steering wheel thrown in for good measure. 

No version of the new C5 Aircross gets a manual gearbox. Instead, you’ll find a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox in the mild hybrid and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in the PHEV. The latter is pretty quick to kick down when you ask for a burst of power and flicks through the gears smoothly when you’re on the move. 

When you need to slow down, the C5 Aircross’ brake pedal feels very natural, making it easy to come to a stop smoothly. 

“I found that the PHEV’s regenerative braking felt very natural, complimenting the well-weighted brake pedal and making stopping smoothly really easy.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

Chances are that most people will love the driving position in the Citroën C5 Aircross, with pedals, steering wheel and seat all lining up perfectly. You have plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment too, letting you tailor the position to your liking, but it’s a bit of a shame that entry-level You! trim misses out on adjustable lumbar support. Both of the other trims get it, while top-spec Max adds an electrically-adjustable driver’s seat. 

The driver's seat doesn't have a lot of bolstering to hold you through bends, but it's fabulous to sit on for a long motorway jaunt. It's soft, like a favourite armchair, while still offering support in all the key places. 

A 10in digital instrument panel is fitted as standard and, while some controls around the dashboard fall easily to hand, the C5 Aircross doesn’t have physical buttons or switches to adjust the climate control temperature. Instead, you get permanent controls on the bottom quarter of the infotainment touchscreen. They’re quite big, making them easy to hit, but the Mazda CX-5’s physical controls are still better. 

You sit high up in the Citroën C5 Aircross. Combined with the fairly narrow windscreen pillars, that means you get a good view of the road ahead and at junctions. Our only slight demerit is that the new high dashboard design might make it harder for shorter drivers to see out over the bonnet. 

The view over your shoulder is good, with large rear windows and big cut outs in the rear pillars helping to increase visibility. While the C5 Aircross has grown slightly, parking shouldn’t be an issue because every version has rear parking sensors as standard. Stepping up to Plus adds front sensors and a rear-view camera, while top-spec Max gets a 360-degree camera. 

The good news continues at night time and in poor visibility, with all trim levels including bright automatic LED headlights and automatic front windscreen wipers on their standard equipment lists.

Regardless of which trim level you go for, the C5 Aircross spoils you when it comes to infotainment. All versions have a new 13in touchscreen infotainment system that cascades from the dashboard and onto the centre console (hence its new waterfall name). 

While you have to control the entire system through touch, it’s very helpful that all the icons are nice and large, making them easier to see at a glance and press while on the move. Better still, the system is quick to react to your prods, the menus simple and the graphics are nice and sharp. 

There are plenty of standard features, too, including wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, and built-in sat nav (with a one-year subscription to live traffic and speed camera services).

The C5 Aircross’ new interior has been designed to remind you of your living room. As a result, the high dashboard resembles a soundbar and you’ll find a couple of really soft-touch areas with sofa-like materials. 

The thing is, while it gives the C5 Aircross plenty of showroom appeal, it doesn’t take long before you notice that every other surface is either piano black or really hard and scratchy plastic. 

It feels sturdy enough and like it’ll stand the test of time, but it isn’t as impressive as the Peugeot 5008’s interior or the really plush Mazda CX-5. 

“The top-spec Max’s head-up display is really big and puts all the relevant information right in your eyeline. I found it really useful, but wouldn’t say it’s worth stepping up to Max just for that.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

You get more leg room in the front of the Citroën C5 Aircross than in the Mazda CX-5, and there’s more than enough head room for a six-footer to get comfortable, even with the top-space Max trim’s panoramic sunroof. 

Better still, the wide interior means that even a pair of rugby players sitting in the front won’t be rubbing shoulders. 

There’s plenty of space for items too, with large door bins, a generous cubby and two cupholders beneath the floating centre console and a deep compartment within the central armrest, that’s even chilled. 

While the previous C5 Aircross fell a bit short when it came to rear space, that isn’t the case with this latest version. Indeed, even six-footers in the rear will have plenty of head room and leg room.

Three people sitting in the rear should have enough shoulder room to get comfortable. Meanwhile, the middle seat occupant will be happy that the seat isn’t raised much, making for almost equal head room to the outer seats, and there’s only a small central tunnel to straddle. 

Buyers who want a bigger car should look at the Dacia Jogger or the closely-related (but more expensive) Peugeot 5008. Those two rivals offer more interior space in general and also have two extra seats at the back.

This is where the C5 Aircross really excels. All models – including the PHEV – come with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats that are identical in size. The seats can also be individually reclined, giving those in the rear a little extra head room, when all the way back. 

That makes it really versatile, allowing you to choose from several set-up combinations that prioritise either boot space or rear passenger space. It gives you far more flexibility than the 60/40 split seats in a Ford Kuga or Skoda Kodiaq.

No matter which trim you go for, the front passenger seat has basic manual adjustments, while the Plus trim and above get height adjustment and lumbar support (Plus trim and above). 

All versions of the C5 Aircross get a 565-litre boot. That’s bigger than pretty much every rival, including the Ford Kuga, Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. The Dacia Bigster, Kia Sportage and Peugeot 5008, meanwhile, offer even more space. 

For reference, we managed to fit six carry-on sized suitcases into the Kuga’s smaller boot, so the C5 Aircross should have more than enough space for your family’s holiday luggage or a large food shop. For more space, the 5008 is the way to go, swallowing ten suitcases when in five-seat mode. 

The large tailgate means you also get a large boot aperture and low loading height, which makes getting bulky items in and out easy. There's 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.

“It’s curious that Citroën doesn’t offer a seven-seat version of the C5 Aircross, but it does with the C3 Aircross. With all that boot space, it seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

In our preferred entry-level Plus trim, the Citroën C5 Aircross will cost you more than the entry-level Dacia Bigster, around the same as the Kia Sportage Air and less than any other rival – including the closely related Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. 

The PHEV version of any car would usually be the one we'd recommend for company car drivers, but the C5 PHEV's high CO2 emissions mean that it'll cost you way more in benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax payments than any of its rivals. Instead, if you're set on a C5 Aircross, you'll want to look at the all-electric e-C5 Aircross.

If you do go for the PHEV, it should charge up from empty in 2hr 55mins if you use a 7kW home wall box. Using the optional lead for a three-pin plug will take about eight hours.

Promising up to 44mpg, the mild hybrid should keep running bills fairly low, but the Bigster Mild Hybrid 140 is even more efficient. The PHEV, meanwhile, promises up to 87mpg, but you’ll only get close to that if you keep the battery topped up. 

Unless you want the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) engine, entry-level You! trim is probably all you need. You see, it keeps the price down but still has an equipment list that includes 18in alloy wheels, electric heated wing mirrors, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, automatic dual-zone air conditioning and keyless start. 

Stepping up to mid-spec Plus trim only really adds the additional parking aids that we’ve already mentioned, along with 19in alloys, adjustable lumbar support and some interior colour changes. It doesn’t cost all that much more, though, so we can see why it’d be tempting to make the leap. 

Top-spec Max brings absolutely everything that you could ever want, including matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, keyless entry and start, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, an electric tailgate, a front seat massage function and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. 

The latest C5 Aircross is too new to have featured in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Citroën featured as a brand. It managed to claim 7th place out of 31 manufacturers, which is above all of its rivals except Dacia, which placed one place higher. 

A three-year/60,000-mile warranty comes as standard with the C5 Aircross, but that can be extended to eight-years/100,000-miles providing you regularly service it at a Citroën-approved centre. 

That’s quite generous, beating Hyundai and MG’s five-year warranty, and Kia’s seven year cover, but still isn’t quite as good as Toyota’s 10-year, service activated, warranty.

The C5 Aircross was awarded four stars out five by the safety experts at EuroNCAP. Even so, it scored well when it came to protecting adults in the front and children in the rear – mainly losing points when it came to internal safety aids like rear-seat occupant detection. 

No matter which trim you go for, you get a good amount of standard safety equipment, including automatic emergency braking (AEB), driver attention monitoring, lane departure warning and speed sign monitoring. 

Upgrading to Max trim adds even more equipment, including lane-position assist, blind spot monitoring, rear-cross traffic alert and semi-automatic lane changing assist. 

“Like most other Stellantis family SUVs, you only get two Isofix points in the C5 Aircross – located on the outer rear seats. That’s a shame when some rivals offer three.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

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