Overview

We’ve rather enjoyed watching Citroen head back to its roots. The brand has abandoned the pretentions of sportiness it had in the Noughties and gone back to building superbly comfortable mile-munchers. The Citroen C5 Aircross is a fine example of the breed that strikes us as a sensible choice given how family SUVs are most likely to be used.

That unashamed focus on comfort is refreshingly honest. Most other SUV manufacturers claim that theirs can do everything. That they can carry lots of passengers and stuff while riding like a magic carpet and cornering like a sports car. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of SUVs can’t actually do that. But Citroen makes no such claims of the C5 Aircross, and we respect that deeply.

The C5 Aircross was launched in 2018 as a de facto replacement for the old C5 saloon/estate – Citroen recognised earlier than most that the writing was on the wall for traditional large family cars. A facelift was applied in 2022, and a new hybrid powertrain was added to the range in 2023. We’ve tested many examples of the C5 Aircross over the years, including a six-month long-term test in 2022. Read more about how we test cars at Parkers to reach the verdicts we give in this review.

Rivals to the C5 Aircross include the Kia Sportage, Skoda Karoq, SEAT Ateca and Volkswagen Tiguan, among very many other mid-size SUVs. Each has its merits but none of them can match the C5 Aircross for ride quality. You need to step up to a premium SUV such as a Land Rover Discovery Sport or Range Rover Evoque to get the same level of comfort, spending a considerable chunk of extra change in the process.

In-keeping with its comfort-biased brief, you won’t find any high-performance powertrains in the C5 Aircross line-up. Even the most potent 180hp plug-in hybrid model feels merely brisk at best; the bulk of the car’s range consists of smaller displacement petrol and diesel units offering between 130 and 136hp. You won’t find any four-wheel drive models, either.

But what the Citroen gives away in performance, it gives back in practicality. It’s basically a big box with a wheel at each corner, which creates a usefully spacious cabin. The rear seats also slide fore and aft, allowing you to prioritise rear legroom or boot capacity. Non-hybrid models have loads of luggage space, plus a height-adjustable boot floor.

Confusingly, Citroen builds another C5 variant – the C5 X. It’s easy to tell the two apart, though. The Aircross is an upright SUV while the X is a longer, lower crossover estate-type car.

Over the next few pages, we review each aspect of the Citroen C5 Aircross. Our assessment considers its practicality, interior quality, comfort, technology, driving experience and running costs. Then we’ll offer our final verdict on the car to let you know whether it’s worth spending your money on.