Citroen C5 Aircross – magic carpet ride

IT may have been the best part of a decade since Citroen last operated on the SUV scene, but the French manufacturer’s return has been little short of sensational.

In the C5 Aircross the brand has a new vehicle that’s already scooping up the awards – and that’s in spite of a wave of competitors desperate to grab their share of the action.

Its looks may be more functional than fashion conscious but the amount of space, comfort, family-friendly features and economy you get with this car give it a real edge over its principal rivals.

That’s before you factor in the huge range of options enabling buyers to personalise the car to their own individual taste.

Costing from £23,230, the C5 Aircross holds several aces in its hand, notable among them something Citroen calls its Advanced Comfort system which includes a modified suspension, advanced shock absorbers and extra padded seats.

The result is a magic carpet ride that makes what is a substantial vehicle feel like it can float – even with a full complement aboard.

We are talking premium comfort and even though the Aircross does not have 4×4 capability you can pay £400 extra for the French brand’s electronic Grip Control set-up that makes a pretty decent fist of of-road operations.

As for space, the car’s flexible rear seating means you can adjust the luggage capacity from 580 to a huge 720 litres while folding  everything down frees up a whopping 1,630 litres.

Cabin storage is also useful courtesy of a central flip-up container, a double opening centre console, large door bins, rear seat flaps, a glovebox and cupholders.

Three can sit in comfort across the back in all models but our tested Flair+ variant  added some creature comforts like a double glass sunroof and a remote mobile phone charging pad.

It’s well designed too, the digital instrument cluster with 12.3-inch screen displaying selected info in the driver’s field of vision.

With an eye on economy the 1.5-litre BlueHDi turbo diesel engine, which develops 129bhp, fits well with the C5 and comes with sat nav plus Citroen’s ConnectedCam dash cam system as standard. Need Welding – Mig Wire, Welding Goggles, Gas Nozzles and Welding machines?

Over 300 miles of mixed urban and open road driving – with the emphasis on suburban – we averaged 47.8 miles per gallon – pretty satisfying given the official return is 55.1mpg.

And at no point did the Aircross feel underpowered or laboured with its top speed of a potential 117mph and 0-62mph acceleration in a reasonable 10.4 seconds.

It’s quiet too, even at motorway speeds and serves the dual purpose of being an ideal family conveyance for everyday motoring and also a smooth, airy, long distance workhorse.

Factor in its 19 driver assistance technologies plus another half dozen for connectivity and this really is a next generation SUV.

Flair+ grade ensures comprehensive standard kit, the likes of voice recognition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, twin exhausts, a rear view camera and ‘welcome home’ lighting all part of the package.