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Better late than never Citroën finally fills the most glaring gap of its range with the new Aircross C5. The average SUV arrives at a time when the segment "overflows" with many proposals, so that it will not have an easy life.
However, the ambitions of the French brand are great. In Portugal, it is expected that the C5 Aircross is in the top 3 of the segment, currently conducted with some advantage by the obvious Nissan Qashqai, pursued by the "brother" Peugeot 3008 and the other French named Renault Kadjar .
Citroën's new SUV has been known for some time, though it only reaches the Old Continent. He was revealed in 2017 and began his career in China …
RELATED: Citroën's first PHEV is the C5 Aircross Plug-In Hybrid
Robust without being aggressive
It is based on the same platform as the Peugeot 3008, the EMP2, but will not confuse them. The Citroen C5 Aircross is characterized by a unique style and even contrarian trends observed in the industry.
As you can imagine, the new C5 Aircross is not the dynamic superstar of the segment … and hey, it's a family SUV, not a hot hat in high heels.
Unlike the current visual aggression – huge grilles and (fake) air intakes and vents at the ends of the bodywork, sharp edges capable of cutting a steak – the Aircross C5 follows the open recipe by the C4 Cactus with soft shapes and transitions between generous surfaces, generous spokes, bi-starter front optics, protective airbumps and a bodywork dotted with colored elements.
This is one of the few examples in the industry to prove that it is possible to have a SUV that is both robust and protective without resorting to visual aggression to achieve it.
Stand out from the crowd
The late arrival on the market, however, requires to have new arguments to stand out or even impose on an overcrowded segment. Citroën responded to the challenge by calling the C5 Aircross "the most flexible and comfortable SUV in its segment. " It's okay?
The ingredients are definitely there. On the side of flexibility, we have three single rear seats, of identical dimensions, all sliding (in 15 cm), reclining back (five positions) and folding. Despite the attention paid to the occupants of the second row, some rivals offer better odds, but on the other hand, the hatchback is the best in the segment (five-seater SUVs) with a capacity ranging from 580 liters to 720 liters.
Rear sliding seats with reclining back
As for comfort, the bet is just as strong. Citroën Advanced Comfort has already been mentioned in the Citroën Advanced Comfort range of solutions, namely the Advanced Comfort seats and suspension with progressive hydraulic stops, which promise "unmatched filtration quality and comfort on board". There was only one way to find it … driving.
So, is it comfortable?
No doubt, but I'm sorry, this is not the return of the "flying carpets" of yesteryear. First impressions, however, are promising.
We have easily found a comfortable driving position and the Advanced Comfort seats have proven their worth over the many kilometers behind the wheel, effectively supporting the bodywork.
Aerial interior, with large glazed area, assisted, in the units tested, by the panoramic ceiling. However, the height space behind is altered
The interior follows the latest trends of the brand, with a look both playful and technological, with pleasant aesthetic details. The construction is generally robust, but the materials oscillate a lot in their visual and tactile pleasure – there is a striking contrast between the inside panel of the door (hard and unpleasant to the touch) and the top of the dashboard (much softer), for example.
In front of us is a 100% digital (12.3 ") dashboard, with multiple views to choose from, coupled with an 8" infotainment system touchscreen that could be more intuitive. Below, there are shortcut keys, but they are capacitive – I still think that physical buttons with "clicks and clicks" would be a better option.
The engine is animated by pressing a button and we advance the first meters. The controls are all very light, maybe too much, almost like there was a disconnect and an initial feeling of floating. As the pace increases and a few kilometers later, the feeling fades and the statements on the comfort of the C5 Aircross seem logical.
In the route chosen for the presentation, sometimes the road simply "disappeared". A real test for the hydraulic suspension stops of the Aircross C5
But the choice of place in Morocco in North Africa, put all kinds of challenges to the suspension of the Aircross C5. A country of contrasts, even on the roads at our disposal – there were very good roads and others that we could hardly call roads. A good part of the road led to the towering Atlas mountains, with narrow and steep roads, and sometimes even no tar: gravel, earth, stone, even mud were part of the menu.
He quickly found the limits of the suspension. If small irregularities are actually absorbed, others steeper, such as small craters, revealed a sudden action of the suspension, sometimes producing something more violent than expected – maybe the 18 "wheels that fitted the units tested could also be a factor to consider.
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The softer setting of the Aircross C5 also gives more body movement compared to other firmer segment proposals. nothing exaggerated or disturbing, but still noticeable.
As you can imagine, the new C5 Aircross is not the dynamic priority of the segment … and still remains good – it's a family SUV, not a hot hatch high heels.
Do not mistake yourself. Among the rare opportunities to accelerate the pace, the C5 Aircross has always been safe and predictable, but it's not a car that invites such rhythms. Relax a bit and easily find a pace … comfortable without being slow – leads to questioning about the presence of the Sport button …
Available engines
For our market, it was more important to be behind the wheel of the 131 HP BlueHDI 1.5 (the brand estimates that it corresponds to 85% of sales in Portugal) and the 1.2 PureTech (petrol) to 131 HP . However, in this international presentation, only the Aircross C5s with 181 and 181 PureTech engines and the 178 horsepower BlueHDI 2.0, both equipped with the new eight-speed EAT8 automatic gearbox, were available only for for tests.
It has been possible to experience both engines and, although they allow live rhythms, once again, the emphasis on comfort leads us to stay "comfortably" in the diets in the middle, where the generous binary is, to continue the highest regimes in the world. engine. Acoustic refinement is common to both – it's only when we crush the throttle pedal that the engines are heard – a feature that extends to the rest of the Aircross C5 , which effectively isolates us from the outside.
Ahhh … What would Morocco be without camels, or more exactly camels? It was not difficult to cross with the "desert horses", but it is even easier to see donkeys, much bigger
Honestly, there is not much to separate the two engines, despite the different fuels and operation. Turbo lag practically imperceptible, rather linear in their response, and more friends of the average schemes.
Only the criticism of the automatic, which is not the fastest to act, sometimes even reluctant to change gears – in manual mode has proved more cooperative, but the tabs behind the wheel are very small, do not invite their use.
Once again, relax, sit comfortably in the seats and travel at moderate speed. Everything is logical in the C5 Aircross.
In Portugal
The Citroën C5 Aircross should arrive in January. All versions are class 1 without having to join the Via Verde until the hybrid version Plug-in there will be no full versions, and the brand has already released its prices, but with a caveat.
Despite the different types of terrain we went through, Grip Control with Hill Assist Descent was not necessary. Something to test in more winter conditions in Portugal. In the arsenal of technology, the C5 Aircross can count on 20 assistants to the driving, including the device for assistance to autonomous driving, level 2.
The prices in the table below are NEDC2-compliant, ie they correspond to the transition period (until the end of the year) between NEDC and WLTP, where Official declarations are a conversion to NEDC of the values obtained according to the most demanding WLTP protocol.
What does it mean? The prices presented now will have little value in 2019, as they will have to be revised in January. Official emissions of CO2 will no longer be reconverted and only those that are obtained in the WLTP test for the ISV and IUC computation will count, which will imply not only an increase in the declared values but also the differentiation of these values according to the installation or not of certain equipment, such as big wheels.
As you have to calculate it, we can expect the numbers to increase early next year.
| ENGINES | Live | Feel | SHINE |
|---|---|---|---|
| PureTech 130 CVM6 | € 27,150 | $ 29,650 | € 33,050 |
| PureTech 180 EAT8 | – | – | $ 37,550 |
| BlueHDi 130 CVM6 | $ 31,850 | 34 350 € | € 37,750 |
| BlueHDi 130 EAT8 | € 33,700 | € 36,200 | 39 600 € |
| BlueHDi 180 EAT8 | – | – | $ 41,750 |
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