2018 Citroën C5 Aircross review

CITROËN’S no stranger to building soft-riding, comfortable cars, but at first glance the new Citroën C5 Aircross appears to have all the ingredients for a rather firm and unforgiving SUV.

However, nestled behind the big alloy wheels and within the brand’s typically unconventional bodywork is some clever suspension tech that Citroën promises make it one of the most comfortable SUVs on sale. Its dampers contain two extra hydraulic chambers that are designed to absorb serious thumps more progressively — effectively deadening that horrible jarring thud you feel if you fail to spot a pothole until it’s too late.

So, does it work? Well, in short — yes. On the rock-strewn Moroccan roads we drove it on, the new Citroën C5 Aircross did an admirable job of softening bumps that would see most SUVs bouncing and shaking all over the place. It doesn’t quite deliver the unbelievably smooth ride you’d get from the air suspension systems found in a few of the much more expensive alternatives — the Mercedes S-class’s “magic carpet” ride, this is not — but it’s a more cost-effective solution that works surprisingly well.

It isn’t just the C5 Aircross’ oily bits that have been well thought-out — its practical cabin is worthy of praise, too. All five seats are spacious enough for six-footers to get comfortable, and that’s before you’ve reclined the rear-seat backrests – which you can do as standard in every model. The back seats are all the same width and each can slide individually if you need to prioritise luggage space over passenger legroom.

Push all three back seats forwards, and the C5 Aircross’ boot is more capacious than the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, SEAT Ateca and Kia Sportage, while with seats folded down it’s as roomy as the Volkswagen Tiguan.

If hauling four friends and plenty of luggage sounds like a regular weekend activity for you, you’ll want to pick the 180hp diesel engine. It’s powerful enough to pull a fully-laden C5 Aircross around at a respectable pace and doesn’t grumble when you accelerate hard. It’s whisper-quiet at motorway speeds too, and suits the car’s relaxed, laid-back attitude.

The eight-speed automatic is less impressive. It’s smooth enough around town and doesn’t jerk at slow speeds, but it takes an age to change down when you accelerate hard and holds on to gears longer than feels necessary – even in fuel-saving Eco mode.

This should only be considered a minor mark against the Citroën C5 Aircross, though. Overall, it’s a very capable SUV that continues Citroën’s tradition of building some of the most comfortable cars on sale.

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Citroën C5 Aircross rivals

Volkswagen Tiguan
Price: £23,485-£40,285
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Peugeot 3008
Price: £24,109-£36,379
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Hyundai Tucson
Price: £22,045-£34,945
See how much you could save at carwow