Citroen C5 Aircross review

Our opinion on the Citroen C5 Aircross

The Citroen C5 Aircross could be the most complete SUV from the Stellantis group yet. It remains true to Citroen’s core values of being spacious, full of useful tech and very comfortable, but comes with one secret weapon. Citroen’s aggressive pricing strategy brings it in under most key rivals and the PCP finance rates are equally compelling. Its varied range of powertrains are also a bonus, highlighted by the new plug-in hybrid variant that finds a good balance between efficiency and flexibility. 

About the Citroen C5 Aircross

The C5 Aircross is Citroen’s biggest SUV model and this second generation offering has a similar combination of comfort, space and affordability to the original car. Like all modern Citroen models, it draws most of its technology and underpinnings from within the Stellantis conglomerate, so shares lots under the skin with cars like the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. 

Like its sister cars, the C5 Aircross is only available in a five-seat configuration, but its boxy shape opens up a large second row and cargo space. It’s built on the same STLA-M platform, too, which opens up multiple powertrain options, from a low-cost mild-hybrid through to plug-in hybrid and full-EV variants. 

Citroen C5 Aircross prices and latest deals

The Citroen C5 Aircross is a fair bit less expensive than its Stellantis group compatriots. The trim levels are as follows: 

Used - available now

2021 Citroen

C5 Aircross

25,772 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £14,185

View C5 Aircross

2021 Citroen

C5 Aircross

42,854 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £12,900

View C5 Aircross

2021 Citroen

C5 Aircross

46,437 milesManualDiesel1.5L

Cash £14,250

View C5 Aircross

2020 Citroen

C5 Aircross

34,635 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £11,689

View C5 Aircross

• You! - from around £30,500
• Plus - from around £33,000
• Max - from around 39,000

In order to access the extra versatility of the plug-in hybrid C5-Aircross you’ll need to pay for top-spec Max trim, which is the only option for the PHEV.

The e-C5 Aircross is also available in the three trim levels and is around £3,500 more expensive model for model. Crucially, we believe that the C5 will be eligible for the government’s Electric Car Grant which brings the EV prices very close to the petrol cars.

You can also make savings via our Buy a Car service, where a new Citroen C5 Aircross is available from under £24,000.

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Citroen is refreshingly single-minded about how its models should drive, and the C5 Aircross is no exception. This is a truly comfortable car focused on keeping its occupants as relaxed as possible. It does this through a variety of means, from the soft seats to the quiet cabin and the gentle powertrain calibration, but it all starts with the suspension. 

The C5 Aircross has deliberately soft suspension that helps it glide over bumps in most situations. But Citroen has taken the tech further than just the springs and dampers. There are also hydraulic bumpstops to further help the ride quality, and the tyres feature a generous sidewall across all wheel options. We found that the all-electric e-C5 Aircross models don’t ride quite as well as the base hybrid and PHEV cars, but the difference isn’t huge. 

The trade-off for this exemplary comfort is a lack of body-control and engagement. But a bit of wallow in the corners and ultra-light steering is no bad thing when it comes to family cars. In fact, the only thing we’d like to see improved is for the front of the car to dive down a little less under braking, something that isn’t helped by the generally inconsistent brake pedal feel. 

All C5 Aircross models have various drive modes. The Sport mode doesn’t seem to make much sense in a car like this but  if you are in a hurry, it does make things feel just that little bit more connected. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

The entry-level hybrid C5 Aircross features a powertrain we know well from other Stellantis models. It’s effective but feels underpowered in a car this big. The combination of a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and a small electric motor are only able to generate 142bhp, which will eventually get the Aircross to 62mph in 11.2 seconds.

It’s also not the most refined engine in the world, with a grumbly warble under load that’s not entirely in keeping with the serene nature of the rest of the car. It has, at least, reverted to a traditional timing chain in place of the controversial ‘wet-belt’ system that’s proving to be quite problematic in terms of reliability in other Stellantis models. 

The plug-in hyrbid powertrain feels much more in-keeping with the character of the C5 Aircross, and comes with some significant uplifts in performance and efficiency. The petrol engine is upsized to a 148bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and combined with a 124bhp e-motor fed from a 18kWh battery pack. Peak combined power is 193bhp, which isn’t massive, but performance is improved dramatically over the base car with an 8.3-second 0-62mph time. 

In the real world, we found that it was more than enough for day-to-day driving, even when running only on the electric motor. Fully laden with kids, a dog and a chest of drawers in the boot, it might be a different story, but the petrol engine is always there to beef up the power if you need it. 

It’s also a nice surprise to note that the powertrain feels relatively smooth and well calibrated compared to other plug-in hybrid options in similar family SUVs. Press the accelerator pedal and the petrol engine engages quickly. It’s a little loud when you’re asking for full performance, but is still smooth and doesn’t introduce any judder.  

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The e-C5 ditches the ICE engine entirely in place of a 210bhp e-motor mounted on the front axle. For now, Citroen is offering a single 73kWh battery, and the model is claimed to reach 62mph in 8.9 seconds – but the instant torque makes it feel a little bit faster than that. Curiously, despite the cars sharing a similar chassis, the weight difference between this EV model and the base hybrid is getting on for 600kg. It does make the electric version drive with a slightly more sodden feeling and a small compromise in ride quality. 

A long-range 98kWh battery option will be on stream in the next few months with a more powerful 226bhp e-motor attached. Other Stellantis products on this platform are also offered with a dual-motor option with around 325bhp and four-wheel drive, but there’s no word yet on whether this will be offered in this Citroen. There is no diesel option.

Town driving, visibility and parking

We found driving the C5 Aircross around town a breeze, with great sightlines and a high driving position. However, the grabby brakes and sometimes inconsistent power delivery from the hybrid models can make it a little difficult to drive smoothly. EV models have good low-speed acceleration and are mostly smooth when up and running, but suffer from the same inconsistent brakes. 

Country road driving and handling

On faster roads, the soft suspension can make it feel a little wallowy, but the C5 Aircross never felt out of control on our tests. Grip is fine for the class, and while the steering has next to no feel, it is accurate and makes it easy to just jump in and drive. Road noise is also well suppressed and this is accentuated by the e-C5’s lack of a petrol engine. 

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

Most C5 Aircross models will probably spend plenty of time on the motorway and there’s no problem there. This is the car’s ultimate comfort zone, with plenty of squidge to the suspension and good amounts of road-noise suppression. High-speed comfort is excellent, but the inconsistent brakes can be slightly unnerving when on motorways. 

“Comfort is the name of the game with this C5 Aircross, which is exactly how it should be. This thing has the ride quality to shame many luxury saloons, so the fact it’s so affordable only helps bolster its USP” – Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer

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By-and-large, the Citroen C5 Aircross posts competitive but not outstanding efficiency figures. The three different powertrain options - mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric - give buyers a spread of options depending on their needs and driving habits. 

The entry-level mild-hybrid engine is rated at 52.3mpg, with a CO2 emissions rating of 122g/km, but as always, these figures can vary in real-world conditions. While we’re yet to spend a long time in the hybrid, Auto Express has lots of experience with this 1.2-litre PureTech engine in other models from the group. Our long-term test of a Peugeot 5008 with the same powertrain yielded an average of 40.1mpg over the course of around 10,000 miles – we expect similar figures in the UK for the C5 Aircross. 

The plug-in hybrid has an all-electric range of 53 miles, and combined on-paper fuel efficiency of 104.6mpg with a 62g/km CO2 rating. These figures will vary far more than with the standard hybrid depending on how often the batteries are charged. On our test in the warm conditions of Mallorca, we saw good electric consumption rates that would equate to around 40-45 miles from a charge in the real world. However, colder temperatures and a fully-loaded cabin will probably see these numbers drop to somewhere in the 30s. 

With the battery depleted, we expect to see a fuel economy figure of somewhere in the high 40s, but we’ll need to have the car in the UK for a longer test period for a more accurate representation. 

The e-C5 Aircross has a range of 322-miles on paper. In reality, we expect a figure of around 250 miles to be more realistic in a mix of town and motorway driving. This will drop in cold weather, but keep trips short and in mostly urban areas and it should be possible to average around 300 miles. 

A long-range model with over 400 miles of range and a 98kWh battery will be along in 2026. This battery option is already available in cars like the DS No8 and Peugeot e-3008, which show improvements to the overall range. 

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The e-C5 Aircross has a range of 322-miles on paper. In reality, we expect a figure of around 250 miles to be more realistic in a mix of town and motorway driving. This will drop in cold weather, but keep trips short and in mostly urban areas and it will recover back to around 300 miles, though. Just like the other models, we’ll have to wait until we spend more time with the cars in the UK for a more accurate representation of real-world range in the UK. 

A long-range model with over 400 miles of range and a 98kWh battery will be along next year. This battery option is already available in cars like the DS No8 and Peugeot e-3008, which already show improvements to the overall range. 

Insurance groups

Entry-level hybrid cars start at group 18, with high-spec EVs raising this to 30 – PHEVs and mid-spec models then fill in the gaps between. These are good for the class and should make the C5 Aircross cheap to insure compared to rivals. 

Tax

All C5 Aircross models slip under the £40,000 barrier so there’s no luxury car tax supplement applied to any model. All C5 versions cost from £195 per year.

Depreciation

Depreciation figures are not yet available but using Citroen’s other models as an example, we expect them to be average compared to most rivals. Electric variants could have worse figures, but the low pricing, plus the Government Electric Car Grant could see this switch around. 

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Citroen has a reputation for building comfortable, friendly and approachable cars, and this is certainly the case with the C5 Aircross. Some might initially find it difficult to tell it apart from the plethora of similarly-sized and shaped SUV rivals, but there’s just enough flair from the design team to give it distinctive visuals, without risking alienating previous customers. 

The prominent new Citroen badge sits pride of place both front and rear, located between clever lighting elements that give the Aircross a distinctive look, day and night. Up front, thin LED headlight units sit between two horizontal daytime running lights, but it’s the rear lights that had Citroen’s design team flexing their creative muscles. These units are split into three main elements, the uppermost of two horizontal strips on each side juts out from the bodywork as if it were a tail-fin on a commercial jet. It’s both very distinctive and we’re told it benefits airflow, too. 

The rest of the exterior design is otherwise pretty standard SUV fare, with contrasting black lower bumpers and wheel arch surrounds, plus a generally upright stance. There’s no sloping roofline or slim windows here, it’s all very practical and approachable. Most models come with either 18 or 19-inch wheels depending on the specification and powertrain option, but the largest 20-inch wheel options are relegated to the options list and feel largely pointless on a car like this. 

Unfortunately, if you were a fan of the bright green hero colour that the C5 Aircross was revealed in, you’re out of luck as it has not made production. Instead, a sensible mix of whites, greys, blacks and a dark blue make up the limited colour palette. 

Interior and dashboard design 

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The warm and friendly feel continues on the inside, where Citroen has cleverly used fabrics across much of the dashboard and door cards. We say ‘cleverly’, largely because the actual quality of the plastics surrounding the fabrics are pretty low-rent, but you don’t really see or come into contact with them. It creates the impression of higher quality. 

Materials and build quality 

The cabin feels well screwed together, with little in the way of squeaks or rattles in any of the versions we’ve driven. There is some gloss black plastic in places, including the centre console, but there is an overlayed texture to the surface, so scratches and dust won’t be quite so obvious. 

Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo 

Citroen has a unique infotainment setup compared to other brands in the Stellantis group, and it might just be the best one. In front of the driver is a small 10-inch display with your key information, but it’s the 13-inch tall screen in the centre console that does the heavy lifting. 

This isn’t a sophisticated system, but it works well. The top two-thirds of the screen are dedicated to your normal infotainment elements including media, navigation and phone connection. The embedded navigation is functional, but lacks a little refinement in the graphics department. It does feature embedded route-planning that will help with longer journeys in the BEV versions where you need to schedule charging stops. 

Many will revert to phone mirroring via wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and in this case the screen performs very well, with crisp graphics and quick responses. Below the main section is a large static area dedicated to the air conditioning. This is easy to use, and there’s a row of physical buttons below that provide shortcuts to certain functions. There’s also a volume wheel and on/off switch for the stereo down there. 

The centre console has space for a single wireless phone charger, but there’s also a couple of USB points and a handy shelf behind the main screen for charging yet more devices. 

“The cabin feels like it’s been designed around how families might well use and abuse it. The only issue is that I feel the light fabrics of the dash and doors could be vulnerable to sticky fingers and chocolate.” - Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer

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For a five-seat SUV sold in the UK, the Citroen C5 Aircross is generously sized, being slightly bigger and more practical than many of its key competitors. It’s helped both by its large external dimensions and the boxy shape. There’s only the one bodystyle, and there’s no option of seven seats as there is in the C3 Aircross, despite the C5 Aircross being a larger and more expensive car. 

Across all the different powertrains there’s very little difference in terms of practicality, which is a big achievement considering the vastly different packaging requirements between full electric and ICE cars. All models have underfloor storage in the boot, a flat rear floor and impressive levels of storage up front. 

Dimensions and size

At 4,652mm long, the C5 Aircross sits at the larger end of the mid-size SUV class. This is around 100mm longer than direct rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, plus European alternatives like the Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008. 

The Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga are much closer in size, but Chinese competitors like the MG HS and BYD Seal U are bigger still. The BYD stretches to almost 4.8m long. 

Seats & passenger space

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Thanks to its boxy shape and large windows, the Citroen C5 Aircross feels more spacious inside than just about all of its key rivals. All these competitors, including the Chinese, have steeper slopes to the tailgate and thinner windows in an attempt to look more ‘sporty’, but all leave a cabin that feels darker and less spacious. 

Space up front is good, with wide, soft seats that still offer excellent support. Space in the second row is also good for the class, although the floor is a little high due to the space needed under the floor for the batteries. The doors open nice and wide, and there’s plenty of seating adjustment, including rear backrest adjustment on the second row.

Boot space

The bootspace is consistent across all three models, with between 565 and 650-litres offered depending on the chosen position of the second-row backrests. All models also come with some under-floor storage, which is handy to store the charge cables for EV and PHEV models. 

The tailgate is nice and low and with the floor in its standard position there’s no load lip to worry about. On either side of the boot floor are small pockets for odds and ends, plus there’s a light and a solid parcel shelf, rather than a roller. 

The second row seats can’t be lowered from the boot, but once down they fold nearly flat and don’t create a lip in the load floor. They can be split into three sections, allowing the centre to drop down to accommodate long items without lowering either of the main seats. 

Towing

Towing capacities vary depending on the powertrain. Base hybrid models are capped at 1,200kg, with the PHEV lifting this to 1,900kg and the EV going back down to 1,250kg. There are no fancy towing assistant features as you’ll find on some rivals. 

"Space in the second row is very good for the class, with lots of legroom and wide-opening rear doors. The high ride height relative to the likes of a Tiguan or Ford Kuga will make loading and unloading young children easy, and the boxy roofline ensures the space feels light and open" – Jordan Katsianis, senior staff writer. 

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Citroen doesn’t have a reputation for top-notch reliability, but the C5 Aircross did buck this trend in its first generation. It scored well in our Driver Power survey, ranking 11th out of more than 50 models tested by customers. 

Safety on the other hand has long been a Citroen strong point, but this model is still too new to have an official Euro NCAP rating. However, with excellent credentials and a strong list of safety kit, we expect it to achieve a full five-star rating.

There’s such a wide spread of different powertrain options that the C5 Aircross to choose will depend on your personal circumstances. We feel that for the average buyer, the base hybrid is the weakest powertrain option with the EV making the most sense. 

We’d also avoid the top-spec Max model, as its extra cost undermines the value-led proposition of the C5 Aircoss, especially when all the real USP features, such as the cabin space and technology interface, are standard across the range. We’d also avoid upsized wheels, and while the panoramic glass roof is nice, feels expensive at £1,100.  

Citroen C5 Aircross alternatives

The Citroen C5 Aircross operates within a huge glut of competitors in the mid-size SUV class. Within the Stellantis group, these include the Peugeot 3008 and 5008, the new Jeep Compass and Vauxhall Grandland – all of which are available with the same combination of hybrid, PHEV and EV powertrains.

Outside of the Stellantis group sit the popular Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson, both of which come with hybrid and PHEV powertrains. These are popular options, but aren’t class leading. Toyota’s RAV4 is practical and very reliable, but limited in terms of engine choice in the UK with only the expensive PHEV available. The Nissan X-Trail and Subaru Forester are left-field and rugged Japanese alternatives, with the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V offering more road-biased options. 

There’s also Ford’s Kuga and Explorer, Renault’s half-baked Austral and excellent Scenic, and the VW has its own options including the excellent Tiguan and the ID.4. Elsewhere in the VW Group, Cupra’s Terramar matches the Tiguan’s powertrain options and Skoda’s Kodaiq ups the game with more space for less money. 

Chinese offerings, such as the MG HS, BYD Seal U and Jaecoo 7, all follow a similar theme of impressive numbers, lots of tech and low prices, but also place a lower priority on driving dynamics and comfort. 

The gist is that, for the class, the C5 Aircross offers lots of car, for not much money, with good tech, lots of space, a comfortable ride and a distinctive character. It’s not class leading in any one area, but offers a compelling combination of factors for family car buyers.