Citroen C5 Aircross (2022 - ) review

Citroën has simplified its range for the C5 Aircross to make the buying process more straightforward. Engine-wise, and as is often the case, the decision to go for a regular petrol or diesel or to take the plunge with a plug-in hybrid will very much depend on your circumstances. Like-for-like, the hybrid costs at least another £5,000 on top of an equivalent petrol or diesel, meaning private owners will have to do a lot of electric miles to claw back even a portion of that on running costs alone. Given the expense of installing a home charger and increasing energy prices you may still be better off with a petrol or diesel, especially if you do a lot of big journeys where hybrids don’t fare as well on economy as you might hope. Company drivers will be the exception to this rule, the hybrid’s low CO2 figure and subsequent huge savings in Benefit In Kind making it much more attractive.

In our original review we commented on Citroën’s mid-field placing for reliability and that remains a fair assessment. On the bright side the wider Stellantis group of which is a part has a good record across its various brands so the fact the DS5 shares bits with strong performers like Peugeot and Vauxhall is a reason to be hopeful. The standard three-year warranty (two years manufacturer and a year from the dealer) isn’t anything remarkable, though you can extend it at a cost. The fact rivals like the Hyundai Tucson and Renault Kadjar offer five years as standard while the Kia Niro has seven-year cover does rather put this into context, though.

There are three levels of driving assistance tech available, depending on which trim you choose. The entry level version will slam on the brakes if it thinks you haven’t reacted to a pending collision with a solid object or pedestrian, the steering nudges you back into lane if you fail to indicate and it’ll nag you to take a break after two hours of motorway driving. There’s a lot more tech on the mid-spec, including blind-spot monitoring (handy, given the rising rear bodywork restricts over-the-shoulder visibility) and adaptive cruise control with ‘stop and go’ on hybrid or automatic versions. If you want this extra kit on the base model it’s a thankfully affordable optional extra. The top model meanwhile gets all this and the more sophisticated Highway Driver Assist to take the stress out of long motorway drives.

For all the popularity of crossovers and SUVs they often suffer in terms of ride comfort compared with traditional hatchbacks, bigger wheels and the stiffer suspension required to stop them rolling about in the corners often resulting in a harsh ride. In keeping with its brand values Citroën instead prioritises comfort above all else, drawing on its tradition for innovative suspension tech. In the DS5 that means adapting parts developed for rally cars to land six-foot jumps at 120mph to an everyday family crossover. In most cars when you use up all your suspension your car thuds into hard rubber bumpers but in the C5 Aircross you instead land softly into fluid-filled cushions, meaning everything from potholes to speedbumps are soothed away without a trace of banging or crashing. Sure, there’s a bit more roll through the corners than some sportier rivals. But this is a family car, not a hot hatch. And the refinement, and the specially tuned foam in the seats, is all designed to keep you relaxed at the wheel. Practicality is also important in this sector and here again Citroën plays an ace, with three seats in the back that can slide, fold or recline individually. True, only the outer ones have Isofix. But compared with the second-class travel for middle seat passengers in most cars the ability to comfortably seat three across the back is a stand-out feature. The arrangement also means you can prioritise legroom or luggage space as you need by sliding the seats individually to and fro. Plastic mouldings on the outside – including Citroën’s signature AirBumps – should shrug off carpark door clangers as well and the whole car seems attuned to family life. Our only moan would be that the power operated tailgate is a little low when open, meaning those of even average height need to watch out to avoid clattering a forehead against the sharp edge of the bootlid. The car may be family-friendly, but the resulting language if that happens most certainly won’t be.

The updates to the C5 include a cleaner centre console, replacing the previous gear lever with a smaller switch to free up more oddment space. Digital instruments have been a Citroën thing since the early 80s, the C5 bringing this bang up to date with a standard screen-based instrument binnacle while the central infotainment display has grown to a 10-inch unit and now stands proud of the dash. It’s a little clunky when you want to switch to and from the Citroën operating system and CarPlay or Android Auto and you’ll probably prefer to use your phone to navigate because the built-in nav isn’t the clearest and the screen still feels a little small. To be fair, though, we did appreciate the little recess beneath it on which you can rest your thumb to steady your inputs when jabbing away. The simple three-step trim hierarchy is easy to understand and all the important stuff like the clever suspension, adaptable rear bench and Advanced Comfort Seats are all standard. As ever, the mid-level looks about the best balance of price and kit, especially the safety tech.

In dropping the more powerful versions of the petrol and diesel engines Citroën has inevitably focused attention on the plug-in hybrid, which is, in theory, both faster and more efficient. With 225 horsepower in total it certainly delivers on the former, the electrified boost off the line and when accelerating into fast-moving motorway traffic very much welcome. Efficiency? Forget Citroën’s triple-digit mpg claims, the C5 great when there’s charge in the battery but quickly reverting to more typical petrol fuel consumption figures once you’ve exhausted the 38-mile electric range. To put that into context we saw closer to 40mpg at a steady, 400-mile cruise but if you mainly do shorter journeys you may do better. All of which is pretty standard for a plug-in hybrid. From previous experience of the 130 horsepower petrol and diesel options these are sufficient rather than sparkling performers, the automatic gearbox probably the nicer choice than the manual and the diesel perhaps still prererable if you do big mileages. Both are significantly cheaper to buy than the hybrid as well.