Styling
Citroen's most distinctive exterior-design period is in the past, but the French firm still makes vehicles that have an idiosyncratic look about them which makes them stand out from a crowd. On the C5 Aircross, the bodywork is angular and unusually creased and folded in places, while the light clusters also catch the eye - especially the rear units, which look a little like the ship from the classic coin-op (look it up, kids) arcade shooter
Space Invaders turned on its side. The overall effect is pleasing, especially in glorious Astoria Green metallic paint (£645), and despite the fact the Citroen is quite a big old beast (a smidge more than 4.65 metres long and almost 1.7 metres tall), its styling is such that it doesn't appear visually intimidating as you walk up to it.
Interior
A new interface arrangement for Citroen debuts in the C5 Aircross, centred on a portrait-oriented 'Waterfall' 13-inch infotainment touchscreen. The climate controls are presented on a permanent black band of this display and it all works slickly enough, while material quality throughout the cabin seems decent too.
Yet it's the gorgeous front seats which are the highlight. They're so incredibly comfortable and supportive, and in our test vehicle they were upholstered in light-coloured synthetic leather and cloth as part of the Hype Grey (£1,100) interior ambience package. This also puts grey fabric on the central strip of the dash and the door cards too, and it ensures the Citroen's cabin is visually interesting, texturally satisfying and of a suitably high standard for this class of vehicle.
Practicality
A wheelbase of 2,784mm results in plenty of leg- and headroom for second-row passengers in the Citroen C5 Aircross, with the rear bench being almost as plush to sit upon as the front seats. Storage zones and cubbies are dotted throughout the SUV's interior, while the boot is a sizeable 565 litres with all seats in use, and a large 1,668 litres with the back seats folded down. For those who need it, the Hybrid 145 model of the French machine has a rated towing capability of 1,000kg of braked trailer.
Performance
There are fully electric (branded e-C5 Aircross), PHEV and then hybrid versions of the Citroen, and it's the latter we're sampling here. Some people don't get on with the mildly electrified PureTech 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, and more specifically its attendant e-DSC6 dual-clutch transmission. But we've got no complaints with it in this installation.
Sure, the C5 Aircross is not quick with 145hp and 230Nm, but as it's relatively light (only just beyond 1.55 tonnes) it makes sweet-enough progress in most situations. And it sounds appealing, too, with that gruff trilling so redolent of triples.
We also think Citroen has made great strides in refining the six-speed 'box, because the e-DSC6 was a lot better in this Mk2 Aircross than it was in the first double-chevron vehicle we tried it in, which curiously enough was the
Mk1 C5 Aircross.
The Citroen's reasonably efficient, too, turning in anything between 47- and 53mpg on various different journeys during 600 miles of testing. The C5A's overall average at the end of this week was an admirable 48.6mpg.
Ride & Handling
We can talk about the handling if you want, and the Citroen certainly isn't actively bad in this regard, with OK steering and a healthy amount of grip. But that's not its
raison d'être. For ride comfort, the C5 Aircross is fantastic. It effortlessly soaks up the worst that Britain's roads can throw in the direction of its springs and 'Hydraulic Cushions' dampers, and even large-ish 19-inch alloy wheels don't spoil its elegant composure. Nothing we can think of in this class, off the tops of our heads, can conduct itself any more gracefully than the Citroen SUV, and as its rolling refinement is classy too, then it makes for a super-relaxing, long-distance mile-muncher.
Value
The Citroen C5 Aircross range starts at a respectable £31,000 or thereabouts, although our Hybrid 145 in top-rankiing Max specification and with a few options fitted (the green paint and Hype Grey interior we've already mentioned, but it also had a contrast black top at £300, a panoramic roof at £1,100, and finally a puncture-repair kit at a baffling 20 quid - like, why?! Shouldn't it be free?) nudged perilously close to £40,000. And the PHEV and EV models are a good few grand more apiece, albeit they have more power (225hp for the former, and either 210- or 230hp depending on spec for the latter).
Max trim does come comprehensively equipped, though, including (but not limited to) adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, front and rear parking sensors with a 360-degree camera system, keyless entry and go, a heated multifunction steering wheel, heated front seats with electric adjustment for the driver's chair, dual-zone climate control, Matrix LED headlights with adaptive high-beam assist, a powered tailgate, polyphonic sounds, 19-inch 'Zircon' alloys, eight-colour ambient interior LED lighting, privacy glass, an acoustically laminated windscreen, wireless smartphone charging, the 13-inch Waterfall infotainment and 10-inch digital instrument cluster, an extended head-up display, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors.
Verdict
As we said at the top of the piece, unless you're a keen driving enthusiast and you somehow need your C-segment SUV to (cliché alert!) corner like it is on rails (sorry), then the second-generation Citroen C5 Aircross is a remarkably strong contender in this market segment. Due to its laser-like clarity of focus on offering supreme comfort and refinement above all else, it might be the best execution of the STLA Medium chassis we've yet sampled. We'd be keen to see if the e-C5 Aircross ramps the luxury up even further, by deleting the vocal three-pot motor, but obviously there'll be a weight penalty to pay, so we suspect this attractive, good-value and well-equipped Hybrid 145 Max represents the sweet spot of C5A ownership.
