Nearly new buying guide: Citroen C5 Aircross
If there’s one way to stand out from the SUV crowd, this is it
At first sight, this large SUV might not look like the natural successor to such idiosyncratic masterpieces as the Traction Avant, the DS, the CX and the XM, but the Citroën C5 Aircross has just enough going on under its quirky bodyshell to at least raise the eyebrow of the dedicated Citroëniste.
It is, it has to be admitted, a bluff, family-friendly SUV in size and shape, and not a fancy and innovative low-slung aerodyne like those Citroëns of old, but it has a comfortable ride, perhaps to tie in with that tradition, and is also surprisingly quiet and smooth. It isn’t one for attacking the bends, though, because the payback for that soft suspension is unusually pronounced body roll in corners. The feather-light steering isn’t the most communicative out there, either.
Never mind, the motive force for the five-seat C5 Aircross is supplied by a range of decent engines shared with the current doyen of the class, the seven-seat Peugeot 5008. These spread from a perky 128bhp 1.2-litre Puretech turbo petrol through torque-laden 1.5 BlueHDi 150 and 2.0 BlueHDi 180 diesels to a 222bhp plug-in hybrid.
Click here to buy your next used C5 Aircross from Autocar
Entry-level Feel trim brings a comprehensive list of standard equipment that includes 17in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, a 12.3in digital instrument display and an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Mid-range Flair adds 18in alloys, sat-nav, a height-adjustable boot floor, cruise control, front parking sensors and a rear-view camera, while Flair Plus gets 19in alloys, a powered tailgate, adaptive cruise control and keyless entry.
Every model comes with automatic emergency braking as standard, along with blindspot monitoring and lane departure warning, while the optional Safety Pack adds lane-keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition.
Just to make things more interesting, recent models have decided to go all Citroën-quirky on us and have renamed their trims C-Series, Sense, Shine and Shine Plus but, as with the old monikers, you’ll find no shortage of kit in any of them.
As mentioned, there’s room for only five where some can seat seven, but there shouldn’t be any concerns about the amount of space inside, unless you go for the Feel Plus model, which gets a panoramic glass roof.
The rear bench is made of three separate seats that fold individually and can even slide fore and aft to allow passengers to stretch their legs or increase boot space. The boot in question isn’t the biggest in the class, but it is tall and square and has a wide opening to help load bulky items.
Prices for a used C5 Aircross start at around £16,000 for a 2019 1.2-litre Feel, which is usefully cheap. Expect to spend £17,000-£19,000 for a higher-spec trim from the same year or a Feel model from early 2020. Most 2020 C5 Aircrosses are £22,000- £33,000, depending on trim.
*BUYER BEWARE*
*Body* Check for paint defects, poorly executed repairs and irregular panel gaps.
*Interior* Some trim is fragile and quite brittle-feeling so check for cracks and general wear and tear. Make sure all's well with the infotainment and driver assist systems since a few owners have experienced problems.
*Need to know*
The C5 Aircross is pretty economical as large SUVs go. If you opt for the 1.2-litre petrol version, you should be able to get close to its official economy figure of 44.2mpg. For those who do lots of motorway miles, the 1.5-litre diesel has the best economy (ignoring the plug-in hybrid’s largely unachievable 222mpg figure) at 55.1mpg.
Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000 miles. The first visit will cost £199, the second £249. Thereafter, a minor service is £179 and a major one £299 – exactly the same as it is for the closely related Peugeot 5008.
Citroën was ranked a lowly 22nd out of 31 brands in the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey.
*Our pick*
*1.2 Puretech 130 Feel: *Unless you do plenty of miles and need the extra fuel economy of a diesel, chances are you’ll find the 1.2-litre petrol will provide plenty of performance and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with its respectable fuel economy.
*Wild card*
*1.6 Phev 225 Shrine: *If you have easy access to charging facilities, this plug-in hybrid is a bit of a crowd-pleaser, because it has 222bhp and a stunning on-paper fuel figure of 222mpg.
*Ones we found*
2019 C5 Aircross 1.2 Puretech 130 Feel, 12,000 miles, £16,500
2019 C5 Aircross 1.5 BlueHDi Flair, 10,000 miles, £18,150
2020 C5 Aircross 1.6 PHEV 225 Shine, 2000 miles, £32,000
*READ MORE*
*Citroën readies Audi-rivalling premium saloon for 2021 *
*New Citroen C4 and all-electric e-C4 go on sale in UK *
*Citroen C3 Aircross gets redesign, comfort and tech boost for 2021*