FIVE STAR? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 55

Citroen aimed to deliver a more thoughtful, comfort-orientated take on the mid-sized SUV market with this stylish C5 Aircross model. If you're after a five-seat model in this sector that'll look after you a little more, offer up some stylish talking points and give you some clever technology, this one could be worth a look.

Modelsword count: 18

5dr SUV (1.2 petrol / 1.5 diesel / 1.6 petrol Hybrid Plug-in) [Flair, Flair Plus, Shine, Shine Plus]

Historyword count: 419

What if the kind of ride comfort you'd get on a large luxury SUV could be replicated - or even improved upon - in an affordable mid-sized model? Well that's what this car, Citroen's C5 Aircross, set out to provide to 'Qashqai-class' folk from its launch in 2018. Citroen arrived late to this particular party, but at least it tried to bring it something new. The legendary Citroen 2CV had a reputation for being able to comfortably traverse a ploughed field. That apart though, back in 2018 this French brand couldn't call on much customer recognition when it came to vehicles cable of functioning off the beaten track. A decade or so before this, there were two re-badged Mitsubishi models, the C-Crosser and a car we didn't get, the C4 Aircross. But by 2018, that had been about it from Citroen when it came to mid-sized contenders of this kind. This had to change of course, given the developing European obsession with SUVs and by the end of the 21st century's second decade, the company was increasingly depending on its Aircross range of models to convince customers of its crossover credibility. The first signs in this regard were promising for the Gallic maker. The little C3 Aircross, launched in Summer 2017, sold well in the small supermini-derived SUV sector. This family hatch-based C5 Aircross was equally important in the class above and claimed to bring 'an all-new level of overall comfort' to the segment. That came courtesy of super-supportive 'Advanced Comfort' seats and a clever new suspension system using what the marque called 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushions'. The C5 Aircross aimed to sell itself in terms of its practicality too. There was best-in-class boot space and a versatile back seat package that offered three individual sliding, folding and reclining rear chairs. Talking of chairs, though this car was a fraction bigger than the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland X SUV models it shared its PSA Group engineering with, it wasn't large enough to offer a seven-seat option. Options included a Grip Control off road traction set-up. And there were six connectivity technologies, nineteen driver assistance systems and thirty exterior colour combinations. Plus something we hadn't seen before in this sector, a 'ConnectedCAM' dash cam camera. It all created a five-seat family SUV that promised to be genuinely different. The C5 Aircross range was expanded with a front-driven Plug-in Hybrid model in 2019, And the line-up was facelifted in Spring 2022. It's the pre-facelift models we're going to look at here.

What You Getword count: 401

Citroen carefully sized this C5 Aircross, making it a five-seat design but quite a large one, with a 4.5-metre length that slots it into the centre of the mid-sized SUV segment. Familiar brand styling features include a raised muscular bonnet and the usual Citroen two-tier lighting signature, with the top units housing the LED daytime running lights, the lower ones being for the headlamps. Original buyers could colour-personalise the lower air intakes, the roof rails and the lower side sill 'Air bumps; in either red, silver or in white. The wheels could be 17, 18 or 19-inches in size and under the skin lies the light, stiff EMP2 platform that all this car's PSA Group SUV cousins also rode upon. Inside, as with most modern Citroens, what you find is a mixture of interesting design, a few cheaper plastics and some clever electronics. Oh and lovely seats, with the ones you're most likely to get being of the generously proportioned 'Advanced Comfort' variety, which feature particularly broad bases, foam that's 15mm thicker than usual for extra support and extra quilted padding. The result is a feeling of cosseting Gallic luxury. The instrument binnacle is another cabin talking point, conventional dials completely replaced by a standard 12.3-inch colour screen that's fully configurable and customisable. Just about everything else you'll need to know can be found on the 8-inch centre-dash capacitive touchscreen which delivers everything you'd want - the usual DAB stereo, 'phone, navigational and smartphone-mirroring functions, plus WiFi and a Connected Apps package. It'd be better if it wasn't burdened with ventilation controls though. The cabin could do with a bit more storage - the glovebox is quite small - but the driving position's nicely commanding. Plus the stitched detail touches and cloth and grained leather upholstery is nicer than you'd expect to find at this price point. In the rear, you'll find a much bigger cabin than you'd get in cheaper segment contenders like Nissan's Qashqai and SEAT's Ateca. And you'll get what Citroen claims is the 'most modular' reach bench arrangement in the class. It's certainly very versatile, made up of three individual sliding, folding and reclining seats. Once the hatch is raised, you're faced with a large 580-litre boot in the conventionally-engined models. Getting to the stowage area means negotiating a rather high loading lip, but a standard adjustable-height boot floor has been designed in. What To Look For

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