Meet Citroen’s chic new pothole buster. Ignore the assertive lines, practical features and smart, roomy interior of this family-friendly C5 Aircross SUV.
For the showstopping feature is its hi-tech suspension – tuned to mitigate the worst effects of Britain’s battered roads.
This sharply styled new model – priced from £30,495 – is designed to glide through bumps and cracks with minimal fuss.
It’s a delight to drive, and its distinctive exterior features attracted a lot of attention. It has anti-dazzle LED lighting, and the protruding Art-Deco-style rear lights help with aerodynamic air flow.
That smart and contemporary styling continues with a calm and unfussy interior, good use of fabrics, a 13 in central screen, a handy wireless phone charger and flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Sofa-like seats add to an ambience akin to a living room on wheels, with a decent-sized, flexible boot. Overall, it’s a very intuitive car to drive.
Available in three trim levels – You, Plus and Max – it uses ‘progressive hydraulic cushions’ to reduce sudden jolts and create a ‘flying carpet’ effect that Citroen says delivers superior comfort without sacrificing stability. It really is a smooth operator. There are also three varieties.
On sale now with an eight-year warranty, and first deliveries around New Year, are the two versions I drove: the 145hp petrol hybrid from £30,495, and a fully electric model from £34,065. A high-spec plug-in hybrid version with an electric-only range of 53 miles is to follow from £38,885.
First was the C5 Aircross Hybrid in Max trim, costing £35,775. This combines a 1.2 litre turbo engine with an electric motor, powered by a battery under the driver’s seat and linked to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It goes from 0 to 62mph in 11.2 seconds, up to 125mph.
Citroen reckons it can be driven up to half time in electric mode, contributing to a claimed fuel economy of up to 43.6mpg.
Next up was the feisty all-electric 210hp e-C5 Aircross which sprints from 0 to 62mph in around 9 seconds. With a claimed range of 322 miles, it should get you from London to past Newcastle.
A more powerful 230hp Long Range electric version promising 421 miles – or from London to north of Edinburgh – is to follow.
Citroen’s chief designer Pierre Leclercq, a Belgian who has been transforming the Citroen look since 2018 after a career spanning BMW in Germany, Kia in Korea, and China’s Great Wall Motors, took me on a guided tour of his latest – but not last – creation at the C5 Aircross’s UK launch. But it’s not just about looks. There is real substance behind the style.
The reason the new C5 Aircross is so effective against potholes and rough roads is down to a suspension system designed specifically to absorb road imperfections and deliver a smooth, cushioned ride, says Citroen.
And it really seems to work. Driving on some of the worst potholled and bumpy roads I know (from experiece in other cars) – on the Chilterns border between Buckinghamshire and anti-car Oxfordshire – caused barely a ripple.
Citroen has added what it calls (and has trade-marked) ‘progressive hydraulic cushions’ to its advanced comfort suspension set-up. These additional cushions provide extra damping to mitigate the more extreme effects of compression and rebound when the car’s suspension – like a loaded spring – seeks to cope with bumps and potholes.
Citroen explains: ‘Working alongside traditional springs and dampers to reduce jolts and create a ‘flying carpet’ effect, the result is exceptional comfort and stability, filtering both small bumps and larger impacts for a relaxed driving experience.’
This new system, says Citroen is a step up from the traditional use of springs and dampers to absorb shocks. These rely on fixed mechanical limits which on uneven roads can transmit harsh impacts to those inside the car and are often a trade off between comfort and handling – where softer setups improve ride quality but reduce stability, while firmer setups enhance control but feel less smooth.
Suspension has for generations been a Citroen ‘thing’. The original back-to-basics Citroen 2CV – hidden from invading Germans for the duration of the last war only to later emerge after liberation yo become an automtive icon – was designed to carry a farmer, his wife, their children and a basket of eggs over a ploughed field. A post-war Citroen suspension system proved so good that Rolls-Royce used it on their limousines.
Wheels are available in 18, 19 and 20 inch. Options include head up display and a panoramic glass roof.
Check on EV grants and in-house discounts for the electric model before you buy or haggle for a finance deal.
Given the amount of tax motorists already pay the government through VED, fuel duty and VAT, perhaps instead of spending millions of taxpayer pounds on patch-and-mend sticking-plaster solutions to the blight of Britain’s potholed roads Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander should just buy everyone a new Citroen C5 Aircross instead.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
