Louth Motors: ​The SUV that puts comfort first

Compromises and clichés. Whenever you say you have a French car people always have an opinion and whilst they are trying to be nice they always manage to convey a sense of “oh, you bought one” however hard they try to hide it. The usual comments are lovely cars but what about the electrics?

​Then there’s the “Don’t get me wrong, they are very comfortable but the handling isn’t a patch on other makes”. It’s always the but’s from most people who have never driven one and their opinions are usually based on other people's opinions. I suppose that’s common across a whole array of topics from people who are afraid to invest any of their time finding things out for themselves. For the record we have owned Renaults, Peugeots and Citroëns. My benchmark for road noise is still our Renault Grand Scenic on a road near where I live because it was silent, and I mean silent, compared to others. I’m talking all makes of cars from entry level ones to prestige models. And also for the record I have found the French cars to be as reliable as any of them out there.

So the C5 Aircross. It’s a medium sized 5-seater SUV - the largest Citroën make. This is the second generation of it following a facelift a few years ago. What immediately strikes you is the looks. No rinse and repeat monkey business going on here. The C5Aircross is refreshingly and pleasingly different. The rear light clusters are so distinctive accentuating the appeal and will attract those who have an eye for attractiveness – isn’t that us all? It’s in no way divisive and most observers will applaud Citroën for trying so hard. The black moulding details on the wheels complement the SUV image and the bit at the lower part of the door behind the wheels presents both a design opportunity and serves as protection against mud and tar. The new look eschews the curvier lines of the past and gone all-in on sharp and chiselled lines. The front is sophisticatedly simple with a thin grille and split lights / DRLs with all eyes focused on the huge Citroën badge in the centre. Space is perfect for 5 passengers and there is a very good and useful 580 litre boot. The rear seats all individually slide back and forth and will fit full size adults. For family SUV motoring this hits all the markers.

Where it didn’t, in my case, was with the engine. I drove the mild hybrid version with 145hp. That sounds powerful enough but in this new version it felt like it was keeping a few horses for itself and felt like a car with, say, 25hp less. I also think the slower downward shifting gear changes were less than desirable because I was expecting them to be imperceptible. It’s not a slouch, just not as responsive as I was expecting. Not that eking the maximum performance out of a C5 Aircross is the reason for buying it. The reason to buy this car is its supreme comfort. For the money, show me a more comfortable car? The Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension / Advanced Comfort seat combination gives you that Imax experience in a car. It is one cliché about Citroëns that’s not a cliché but indeed a fact. And it’s quiet too, so if refined, comfortable, family motoring is your goal you’ll score a hat trick. The interior has benefitted from the designers touch and not only does it look very inviting with a huge sense of quality.

Faults, there are a few. Some big, some small but none related to the fact that it is a Citroën or French. The space under the floating console is, from a practicality perspective, unusable as are all these under floating console spaces in other cars. They usually place USB ports here that are hard to reach and don’t ever try connecting to them when driving. The infotainment display is flat across the dash and although I’ve experienced this in other cars it should be more angled towards the driver. The fabric material on the dash and doors is textured and beautiful to see and feel but (I’m sounding like those armchair experts of earlier) I have doubts on the stain resistance ability and the ability to clean them back to new if they get dirty. Finally, no comprehensive manual for the car is supplied in book form or, unbelievably, electronically via the central screen. Whoever came up with that idea needs to find a new job. You can of course scan a QR code in the meagre booklet they give you but that means you have to have a smartphone. It would be easier if they had this already in the car. A silly idea whoever came up with it.

Plusses are many. The heads up display with integrated smartphone mirroring is excellent and comprehensive. The across the cabin ventilation grilles are superb and should be mercilessly copied by all. The two angled vents at the end are inspired. It was hot when I had the car and the huge, cooled central storage console was a boon. I just wish they added this to the seats but that’s reserved for the C5X model only. Who knew this would be a feature Irish buyers would want and more remarkably need nowadays?

Prices start at €39,300 for the You trim rising to €44,380 for the Max trim with the Plus in between. That €5k extras gives you LED headlights with adaptive high beam assist, a 360 degree camera for parking, a comprehensive Drive Assist Safety Pack, heated seats with pneumatic lumbar adjustment, that incredible heads up display, bigger wheels, a powered tailgate, electrically folding mirrors and a smattering of design clips around the car. For the additional 14% of an outlay I think it’s worth it but everyone has a budget.

I never felt I compromised when we bought a French car and I am so pleased to have ignored the no experience ramblings of the lazy commentators and judged the car on its merits. You should too and ignore the cliché & compromise brigade because if you need a classy looking, cool, funky, extremely spacious and comfortable SUV then the C5 Aircross should meet your requirements be it Hybrid, PHEV or all-Electric.