Citroën C5 Aircross Nissan Qashqai rival rated
Citroën’s first Nissan Qashqai rival finally arrives in European specification
This is a car that Citroën should have launched years ago. The French brand has never offered a true Nissan Qashqai rival in the UK: the C4 Cactus is too small, and while Europe got a reskinned Mitsubishi ASX in the form of the C4 Aircross, it never came to the UK.
Though we’re driving it for the first time, the C5 Aircross has been on sale for more than a year, first unveiled in Shanghai in April 2017. It shares its platform and engine range with other PSA Group SUVS such as the Peugeot 3008, but with cheerfully unaggressive styling and a few unique features.
It’s the second model, after the C4 Cactus, to use Citroën’s Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension, which aims to revive some of the ‘magic carpet’ feeling old Citroëns with hydropneumatic suspension were renowned for, but without the complexity. The brand’s ‘Advanced Comfort’ programme also brings seats that wouldn’t look out of place in a high-end furniture store, acoustic glass and additional engine bay soundproofing.
Climb aboard and first impressions are positive. The seats are the standout feature – softly trimmed and thickly padded, they initially feel a touch too cushy but prove surprisingly supportive on the move. A multitude of colour options help give the cabin a light and airy feel, and the driving position is comfortable. Closer examination reveals some familiar Citroën foibles, however. Trim quality at the usual touchpoints varies from surprisingly plush to somewhat below par, particularly on the flimsy-feeling door cards, while the brand’s infotainment system remains irritatingly laggy and difficult to operate on the move even with shortcut touch buttons.
The C5 Aircross fulfils its promise of best-in-class practicality, at least. Three equal-width rear seats slide, recline and can be removed entirely, but head room is reduced with the panoramic roof option. There’s also a very generous 720-litre boot.
On the road, it’s decent but not as remarkably isolating as we’d hoped. The initial softness is promising, and the system is adept at cushioning you from less demanding roads. But it doesn’t seem a great deal better than the class average at absorbing large impacts. Throw in a succession of potholes and it loses composure. It’s far from uncomfortable, but even on our relatively modest 18in wheels the hydraulic system doesn’t give the standout plushness of ride we were hoping for. Still, noise isolation is impressive, with wind, road and engine sound all deftly suppressed.
It’s a pity, because a super-smooth ride would make it easier to forgive the laid-back approach to handling. The overly light steering retains the synthetic feel we criticised the 3008 for but with none of the directness. Grip is reasonably strong, yet the pronounced body lean and lack of damping sophistication discourages you from exploring its limits. There’s a fair amount of dive under braking too. Even by the modest standards of the class, this is not a car you’d relish taking the long way home in.
A relaxed driving style suits the powertrain we’ve got here. It’s the 178bhp 1.6-litre turbo unit doing service in several PSA Group models, mated exclusively to an eightspeed automatic transmission. It’s probably the powertrain of choice if refinement is key, as it delivers power in a smooth and subdued manner. It’s brisk enough, too, but the gearbox can be jerky and hesitant if caught off guard. Despite our dynamic criticisms, a typical family buyer would find enough to like about the car’s easy-going nature on the road, and we suspect it would make a very good motorway companion.
The design and interior ambience are enough to help it stand out visually, while competitive pricing and a practical cabin mean the C5 Aircross will likely achieve what’s expected in the sales charts. Yet the expectation of a revolutionary level of comfort afforded by trick suspension just hasn’t been met.