Citroen C5 Aircross

HELLO

£ 28,330/£29,400 as tested/£290pcm

WHY IT’S HERE

Do crossovers work best when they’re determinedly anti-sporty?

DRI V ER

Paul Horrell

THE TOP SPEC OF A RANGE ISN’T ALWAYS THE BEST. IN FACT WITH THE

C5 Aircross, I’ve got a lot of affection for the bottom one. It’s got the sweet little 3cyl turbo engine and – hurrah – a manual ’box. The Aircross doesn’t have the sort of chassis that demands power. And I don’t expect to use it in a way that demands torque. It’s not like I’ll be towing a caravan up an Alp.

So the basic spec is in place. But then it’s been tripped up by the trim. It’s the uppermost Flair Plus. That brings with it one of my pet peeves: a motorised tailgate. Always prefer a DIY door, folks. The Flair Plus also has 19-inch rims, which I feared might imperil the ride, but don’t seem to, so I’ll let them pass. My phone’s too old to use the wireless charging plate. Also it has a panorama roof. I never liked glass roofs because of weight and noise reflection. Plus a lorry-driver friend said they all look down through the glass and watch drivers scratching their goolies. Not that I do. So the only real benefit, for me, of the £2,400 upgrade from Flair to Flair Plus are some minor cosmetics, and the adaptive cruise control which is useful for average-speed-cam motorway sections.

To its OTR price, this actual example adds £720 in pearly white paint and £250 for the black roof and £100 for the black paint on the wheels. It’s a good combination, but £1,070’s worth? Blue with grey wheels is fine and costs half that.

Anyway, I’m getting on well with it so far. The whole rig encourages a zen style of driving. The ride and seats really are a step ahead in comfort, it’s pretty quiet, and the view out helps you anticipate.

The huge boot’s already been tested by a recycling run with some scrap iron. My kid loves the individual back seats and, her Dad’s reservations notwithstanding, the glass roof too.

I have lots planned for it. But no track days.