Citroen’s gone soft with the Aircross

YOU have probably not heard of Linda Jackson. Hers is not a household name, but in the motor industry she’s big news.

Jackson is the British boss of French car giant Citroen – and is only the third woman in history to run a car company.

I met her at the C4 Cactus launch and she told me that from now on the emphasis at Citroen would be on making comfortable cars that are relaxing to drive.

The company’s latest machine is the C5 Aircross, a late arrival in the battle to steal sales from the super successful Nissan Qashqai. In fact, the C5 Aircross has been on sale in China for the past year but has only just made it to these shores.

Fulfilling Jackson’s promise, the emphasis is on comfort, from the suspension to the seating and all points in between. For starters it uses the same sophisticated dampers as the recently introduced Mk2 C4 Cactus. The dampers have extra hydraulic reservoirs that bleed oil through progressively smaller holes as the damper reaches the end of its travel either in compression or extension. This allows Citroen C5 Aircross Flair five-door SUV

Price: £28,235

Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder, 180bhp 0-62mph: 8.2sec Fuel consumption: 39.6mpg

Citroen’s engineers to fit a softer spring for the middle bit of suspension travel.

They work, too. This latest Citroen rides bumps and ridges without shaking or rattling its passengers, and on most surfaces it feels as if you’re riding on top of a soft cushion.

However, it’s not just the suspension that’s responsible for this calm progress. The seats have

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