Citroën’s latest and largest SUV majors on comfort. Massimo Pini drives the new C5 Aircross.

Are you sitting comfortably? Well, if you’re aboard the new C5 Aircross, Citroën is determined that your answer to that question will be a resounding “yes”.

Having taken some time to launch a big brother to the C3 Aircross and C4 Cactus, completing its SUV line-up, the French carmaker is keen to assert itself with a distinct personality and direction for its latest offering – aiming for best in class for its segment in both comfort and modularity.

We’ll come back to those points but for now, let’s start with the exterior styling - it’s showroom appeal. At four and a half metres long, with a ground clearance of 230mm the new model is spot on for the class in terms of dimensions (fractionally larger than a VW Tiguan) and shares its platform with the very popular Peugeot 3008 - which is no bad thing. There’s a softness and fluidity to its form which makes you want to give it a hug (OK, maybe that’s just me); the antithesis of the angularity found in the Lexus SUV range, for example. The design is punctuated with interesting details and graphic touches, including the two-tier light signature up front, Airbump panels, chromed elements on the C-pillars and optional coloured inserts in the lower bumpers, side panels and two-tone roof bars.

Does it stand out among the competition? Yes, I believe it does.

The interior features an 8-inch central touchscreen and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. I’m not a fan of the heating and ventilation controls being entirely on-screen, although this is becoming increasingly common in recent times. I believe it’s important that controls such as these can be accessed and adjusted by touch alone, keeping the driver’s eyes on the road ahead. Similarly, to switch between the main screen options, you’re faced with a row of uniform, touch-sensitive keys printed on a slender strip of piano-black plastic, which again requires you to avert your gaze from the tarmac.

The major controls are well weighted with smooth actions, but not everyone will warm to the slightly squarish (Quartic, anyone?) steering wheel. I myself found it fine to use but my colleague remarked upon it feeling lumpy as it passed through his fingers.

The sofa-like ‘Advanced Comfort’ front seats (constructed using a sandwich of foam layers, each with a different density) of the C5 Aircross are cosy and inviting, a welcome change from figure-hugging sports seats favoured by many manufacturers, yet still supportive so I emerged fresh and relaxed after a number of hours at the wheel. 

Size-wise, the C5 Aircross is strictly a five-seat car, Citroen says it currently has no plans to develop a stretched 7-seater version but given that Peugeot has done so with the 5008, I wouldn’t be surprised if they follow suit.

The C5 Aircross does have a very large boot, however – adjustable from 580 to 720 litres by sliding the three individually-adjusting rear seats backwards and forwards, or 1,630 litres with all three folded flat. I was also particularly pleased to find a steel space-saver spare wheel included as standard rather than a can of foam.

On the move, the cabin remains relatively quiet, thanks to laminated glass in the front windows, though engine noise does begin to permeate as the revs increase.

Citroen’s other big comfort innovation is  suspension with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’. Fitted across the range, it adds extra damping and springs to the car’s struts, delivering a softer response to modest road surface imperfections without the usual wallowiness over larger potholes.

It works well, for the most part, smoothing over manhole covers and motorway expansion joint remarkably well, but the C5 Aircross will still thump and bump when the going gets really rough on our pockmarked UK road network. 

There are three trim levels available – Feel, Flair and Flair Plus – and we first got behind the wheel of a PureTech 130 Stop & Start in Flair trim, powered by a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, developing 129 hp and 230Nm of torque, fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox. Its peppy, three-cylinder thrum seemed a little out of character with the C5 Aircross’s otherwise placid demeanour, but it was far from unpleasant. Our test car was fitted with only one optional extra – Tijuca Blue metallic paint – adding £545 to its £25,325 on the road cost.

We then also tried a diesel-powered BlueHDi 130 Flair version equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The smooth-shifting gearbox can be set to Normal, Eco or Sport settings via push-buttons on the centre console, and if you prefer some manual intervention, you can change gears using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. As well as Nera Black metallic paint, this car had a few more options including a motorised hands-free tailgate at £790, and an Exterior pack which adds 19” alloys and an opening panoramic roof for £1.030. These pushed the cost of our test car up from £28,425 to £30,790 on the road.

All Citroen C5 Aircross models come with a comprehensive safety suite, including 19 safety and driver assistance technologies, with Advanced Active Safety Brake, Active Lane Departure Warning and Active Blind Spot Monitoring – all fitted as standard.

In 2020, Citroen says it will offer a plug-in hybrid version of the C5 Aircross but there’s already much to like about the current car. It’s stylish, impressively comfortable to drive and also practical. Definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a family-orientated SUV.

On sale now, prices start at £23,225 for a manual petrol car in entry-level Feel trim, rising to £32,725 for the most powerful diesel automatic in range-topping Flair Plus trim.