Citroën C5 Aircross – Family-friendly

When petrolheads dream about cars, they likely reminisce about a two-seater, mid-engine, low-slung, big displacement supercar. Maybe in Ferrari red. Maybe in Lamborghini orange. But that’s not real life, is it? In real life you need more seats, more space, better efficiency and a lot more versatility. In real life you need something like the Citroën C5 Aircross.

This is the biggest car the French constructor builds nowadays and, just like a Ferrari or Lamborghini must be the sportiest cars out there, a big Citroën must be the most comfortable thing in the world. So, in a way, this car carries great expectations with it – and quite the weight on its shoulders.

The Citroën C5 Aircross is the kind of car that a mere half a decade ago would come with a diesel engine but, in this day and age, is hybrid-only. I drove the mild-hybrid version, with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbo engine putting out a combined 145 horsepower. It uses Stellantis STLA medium platform, seen on many other group products, namely the Peugeot 3008 and 5008.

The C5 Aircross looks pretty cool for an SUV/Crossover. In my opinion, Citroën’s current design language works better in bigger cars and this one being the biggest, it might just be the best-looking car the French badge makes these days.

Nevertheless, being a family car, inside is where the Aircross really shines. This is a car built for comfort, as it should be, and it delivers on that promise. Seats are great, to begin with, meaning long journeys will be welcome. The driving position is high, but you never feel you are sitting on top of the car, and there really is lots and lots of space for the front and rear passengers.

Technology-wise, the C5 Aircross upholds the responsibility of being Citroën’s top-of-the-line model, with a whole array of entertainment and safety systems. The 13-inch screen is also seen in other Stellantis products, but nothing wrong with that. As usual, I would like a few more buttons on the dash, instead of all functions being housed in the infotainment, but it is what it is. Graphics are appealing and responsiveness is as good as expected. I used Apple CarPlay for most of the time, and it worked a treat.

Fit and finish are at a high level, with even the harder plastics showing no creaking signs. The textile finishes elevate the cabin and give it a more progressive look. As for the boot, it is enormous at 651 litres.

On the road, the C5 Aircross is an incredible car. Its lack of any sporting pretensions is its biggest asset, and the French engineers were absolutely right in setting the Citroën up as a long-distance cruiser – albeit one that can still be surprisingly agile around town for a car this size. Its softly-sprung nature makes a world of sense, whereas rolling refinement is very, very good.

I really cannot fault it in any way because everything it should do well, it does very well. This is not a car to be hustled or hurried in any way. It’s a family-friendly machine, destined to be the perfect companion for every occasion. You want fun? Get a Mazda MX-5 and give yourself a perfect two-car garage.

The mild-hybrid system in the C5 can sustain small battery-powered only routes under light loads, keeping the average fuel consumption at a very interesting 6l/100km; a great number for such a big car. The transition between petrol and electricity is smooth, as is the three-cylinder engine. It also does a good impression of pushing this big Citroën along as if it had a much bigger displacement.

It is also available as a plug-in hybrid, with a 1.6 litre four-pot engine and 195 horsepower. At €40,500, it costs €7,000 more than this mild-hybrid version’s starting price, so you would need a lot of electric-only kilometres to justify the difference. On performance alone, it doesn’t seem worth it.

Depending on the trim level, it’s worth mentioning the panoramic glass roof, surround camera, head-up display or 20-inch wheels. Overall, the Citroën feels well-equipped and a modern-looking thing, if not classically beautiful. Then again, is any crossover truly beautiful, really?

The C5 Aircross, at least in mild-hybrid form, as tested, seems like a lot of car for not a lot of money. When everything is so expensive these days, here is a do-it-all machine that will be on your side for every family task. No, it’s not a petrolhead’s dream, but the father, or mother, in you will not be disappointed by making this choice, I promise.

Read more from Guilherme Marques about motoring: Polestar – The Swedes do it better or Nissan Qashqai – A true original

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