SOFTLY-SOFTLY

Citroen‘s medium SUV gets a plush ride and cushioning safety gear

How do the car marketers get potential buyers to look at a relatively unknown model in the densely populated medium SUV segment? Hyping it as a potential rival for the segment leaders will get some attention — and the Citroen C5 Aircross adds to the interest with a couple of stand-out features.

The Citroen gets a big tick for its ability to turn chopped-up road surfaces into barely a rumble in the serene cabin.

This comes at the expense of some body roll through corners but Citroen argues more SUV buyers will prefer a plush ride over a stiff suspension. Sales will tell if they’re right.

The other telling point in this Citroen’s favour is that, beyond the distinctive family styling, it doesn’t feel French.

There’s more flair than idiosyncrasy in the cabin, from the three equally sized rear seats with individual slide and tilt adjustment to the standard digital driver’s screen and head-up display.

VALUE

The C5 Aircross line-up has just two versions and they’re aimed at private buyers shopping towards the pointy end of the segment.

The C5 Aircross Feel starts at $39,990 plus on-roads. As the “base” car it is packed with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, smartphone mirroring, 12.3-inch digital dash, auto headlamps and wipers and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The $43,990 Shine variant adds leather upholstery, power driver’s seat, wireless phone charging pad and 19-inch wheels. Metallic paint adds $690; pearlescent paint is $1050.

Servicing, at 12 months/20,000km, isn’t cheap at an average of $600 a visit for the first five trips but includes such consumables as fluids and lubricants, for which rival brands charge extra.

COMFORT

It is hard to fault the C5 Aircross in the city. The shock absorbers — “progressive hydraulic cushions” in Citroen-speak — are tuned to soften bumps rather than keep the cabin level.

They work by disconnecting your gluteus maximus sensors from your visual perception — your eyes see the bumps but your butt doesn’t feel them.

What you can still feel are the pitching forward and back that soft suspension induces under hard acceleration or braking, plus the minor body roll around the bends.

The C5 Aircross also suffers a touch over bigger bumps at higher speeds, where the suspension feels as though it can’t recover in time over successive ripples.

It is the inevitable trade-off for this plush ride but if most of your time is spent in metropolitan traffic, the C5 will suit you well.

The seats are supremely comfortable up front and forward vision is excellent, though the rear roof pillars limit the view aft, a trait of most modern cars.

The rear seats, it is worth noting, don’t constrict the person in the middle. Long-legged types may find foot space a touch tight, which is where the 150mm of slide adjustment in each seat proves its worth.

With the seats set back, cargo space is a creditable 580L. Push them forward and you’ve liberated 720L of carrying capacity.

There are even four tie-down hooks, though the back two don’t sit flush with the sides when the ring is folded flat and consequently can tear shopping bags and cartons of cans or bottles if they slide around during cornering.

SAFETY

ANCAP has yet to pass judgment on the C5 Aircross. EuroNCAP has, awarding five stars to the safety-pack endowed version.

That pack is standard fitment on Aussiespec vehicles, meaning the Citroen should score about 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child protection, 67 per cent for vulnerable road users and 82 per cent for its safety assist software.

Standard are six airbags, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, driver attention monitor, blind spot alert and lane keep assist.

DRIVING

The C5 Aircross is a capacious commuter for drivers who want a smooth ride rather than scalpel-sharp handling.

Its 1.6-litre turbo (121kW/240Nm), matched to a six-speed automatic, generates more than enough momentum to keep up with the traffic.

The engine outputs aren’t far off the Mazda CX-5 (140kW/252Nm) or the Toyota RAV4 (152/243Nm) — and at 1430kg kerb weight the Citroen is about 150kg less than those rivals.

Don’t be fooled by the plastic cladding — front-wheel drive restricts the C5 Aircross to light off-road duty. It will still get up a sandy track or gravel trail but I’d rule out mudrunning.

Steering feel is numb but direct, which is OK for this class of car and its focus on comfort.

There’s plenty of grip from the tyres but if you get vigorous in the corners or on roundabouts, the nose will begin to push wide.

Storage space includes an impressively deep centre bin, a couple of cup-holders (but none down the back), decent door pockets front and rear and, in our Shine grade, a wireless phone charging pad.

The six-speed auto is a smooth operator at city speeds and on the freeway and the brakes are progressive and easy to modulate.

HEAD SAYS

Citroen’s softly-softly approach to a medium SUV may be a sharp move.

HEART SAYS

Pricing is on the money and the kit is good but the competition is equally convincing.

ALTERNATIVES

The segment leader is equally safe and wellappointed and packs all-wheel drive, at a premium of less than $2000 over the Citroen.

Under-appreciated and similar to the Aircross in having plenty of features — and room — for buyers who look beyond the best-sellers.

The all-wheel drive Forester packs great safety software and space. Its purposeful boxy look is as distinctive as the Citroen’s styling.

VERDICT

Anyone with a bad back and a need for a medium SUV should give it a drive. It’s practical, smart and soft to sit in without unduly rag-dolling the occupants — a considerable improvement.