Does SUV successfully break with tradition?
Sedan out, Break out, SUV in. Citroën, which was once successful with sedans, hatchbacks and station wagons, will also stick the C5 logo on an SUV from now on. So the Citroën C5 Aircross. The addition ‘Aircross’ emphasizes that this is a special edition. Whatever name the beast has, what really matters is how you like the car in practice. Are owners satisfied with Citroën’s SUV?
The Citroën C5 Aircross may no longer have hydropneumatic suspension, but traditional buyers are still – well – pampered. The Aircross is equipped with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’. Simply put, there are extra dampers in the existing dampers. These provide gradual damping at the ends of the suspension travel, which should ensure a smoother ride and better handling.
How does the C5 Aircross drive?
“The first thing you notice: quiet, very quiet. Immediately afterwards: oh, how comfortable this springs, but above all not weak. Nothing sway. The car is very stable on the road.” These are words from the enthusiastic owner of a 180 hp strong C5 Aircross Business Plus. He is also pleased with the 1.6-litre petrol engine: “The car is fast, there is always power. Shifts up and down without you noticing it, while the speed always remains nice and low.” In combination with the 130 hp engine, the automatic transmission appears to perform less pleasantly, as a driver of such a copy experiences. “The automatic is not the nicest traveling companion. He sometimes chokes on which gear to put in, which results in a considerable ‘clunk’ throughout the car.”
With this 130 hp 1.2 three-cylinder, the car is of course less fast, but according to this owner, his SUV is still adequately motorized. “It is not a speed monster, it keeps up with traffic without excelling in speed. It is very quiet, responds directly to throttle and brake and steers a little indirectly. But everything with wonderful comfort without swaying, the comfy seats finish it off.” A Citroën driver of the old school is also quite convinced. “On the less good French roads, the suspension comfort is fantastic. It is not yet as with the former feather bulbs, but it comes close.”
So far nothing but praise for both the handling and the comfort of the C5 Aircross, but the comfortable chassis is too much for a few. One driver notices that his daughter in the back gets carsick easily. “I think that is a real disadvantage of this car, that you can quickly get carsick in the back. And then I just drive quietly.”
How is the C5 Aircross and is it roomy?
Drivers and passengers have absolutely nothing to complain about the furniture. “The seats are like real chairs, very soft and comfortable. A three-hour drive in a row is no problem at all,” describes the owner of a 2021 Aircross sitting in the front. About the rear seat: “Three full seats in the back, more than enough space for children and adults, plenty of legroom. A plus is the sliding bench.”
There is also room for improvement, although this improvement does not have to be implemented immediately. “Despite the fact that I believe that the seats of the front seats are too short, I (1.88 meters) got out of the car very relaxed after a long drive without any problems with my back or legs.” The trunk is generally sufficiently spacious, but several people – literally – run into the tailgate. It doesn’t open high enough.
Infotainment and driving aids
How does the C5 Aircross score in terms of infotainment, user-friendliness and driver assistance systems? According to people who use the car every day, the infotainment system works properly, but there is room for improvement. The central screen should respond a bit faster. The navigation has voice control, but it doesn’t work as intuitively as this owner would like: “Speech recognition is there, it works vaguely and slowly. You must first say the place, then the street name again and then the navi asks for confirmation. At Mercedes I could say the address, which was then taken over.”
The C5 Aircross is equipped with a lane assist, which should prevent unintentional lane departure. The button with which this system can be operated is somewhat hidden. “Not really negative”, this owner experiences, “but rather clumsy. Such as the buttons for the driver assistance systems, which are hidden on the left side of the dashboard and are invisible to the eye.” The lane assist reacts a little too slowly to the turn signal, the owner of a 180 hp Aircross experiences. “If you indicate to the left and you steer in that direction almost at the same time, the system responds with a slight steering correction to keep you in lane.”
As an option, the C5 drives partly independently, with adaptive cruise control and an active lane assist. This assistance system should make long motorway journeys more relaxing, but it is not flawless. “Driving in the right lane and passing the well-known, elongated road markings at motorway entrances, the system is completely confused. It engages and jerks to the right. Both hands on the wheel is the message!”
Malfunctions and irritations C5 Aircross
So far, the C5 Aircross pleases its owners quite well. Annoyances are largely limited to the low-opening tailgate and hidden buttons in the interior. There is also greater suffering. For example, one owner received a new manual gearbox after 46,000 km and the entire battery pack was replaced under warranty in a plug-in hybrid Aircross. Two owners report a defect in the exterior mirrors, as a result of which they no longer fold.
Bottom line, the C5 Aircross seems to have been a great move. The comfort Citroën intended is apparently experienced and appreciated by owners and there do not seem to be any structural problems for the time being. Do you have the same experience with the Citroën C5 Aircross, or a completely different one? Then write a review on AutoWeek.nl!
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