Citroen C5 Aircross is a brilliant family car, has loads of space & just had a makeover – now you can win one
THE Citroen C5 Aircross has just had a makeover with a new, more economical, hybrid engine.
If you’ve been collecting Sun Savers codes to win one, you’ll be wondering what it’s like.
The answer: A brilliant family car.
Unlike most things these days, it’s not trying to be sporty.
Not in how it looks or how it drives.
It’s useful, friendly and versatile.
Just like those old-school MPVs that Citroen used to make.
Remember Uncle Bryn’s Picasso in Gavin & Stacey? Except the C5 Aircross isn’t egg-shaped, so people won’t laugh.
Got three adult-size kids? Or two and a friend? They’ll thank you.
In the back are three individual seats that each slide and recline and fold independently. If one child is shorter, you can slide them forward to make the boot bigger, but leave the others with more legroom.
Or if someone leans back to doze off while the other two want to sit up and watch their screens, no bother.
Anything that’ll take the arguments out of family journeys has got to be a good thing.
The suspension does a brilliant job of soothing away most bumps in the road. But what about the person at the wheel?
This is an honest car. It doesn’t pretend to be sporty, but its soft chassis still gives you decent control. It’s surprisingly satisfying to drive.
You’ll be pretty relaxed. Citroen is right up among the most comfortable car makers.
The C5 Aircross has plush soft seats, trimmed in suede-like Alcantara.
The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable and both front seats are heated.
You sit high and get a good view out. The satnav screen, which also mirrors your phone for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, has recently been updated.
This e-series trim adds advanced driver assistance on the motorway.
The main update is under the bonnet.
A new hybrid system drives just like a normal automatic, but the electric motor adds acceleration when you floor it. And then recovers energy when you’re coasting, improving economy by about 15 per cent in mixed driving.
In town jams, the engine often shuts off, so you trickle along in silence.
And you don’t have to plug it in. Another stress reducer.
KEY FACTS: CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS E-SERIES
Price: £33,475
Engine: 1.2-litre petrol hybrid
Power: 148hp, 285 Nm
0-62mph: 10.2 secs
Top speed: 124mph
Economy: 49.7mpg
CO2: 130g/km
Out: Now
Now WIN this car
MAKE this Christmas one to remember and drive home in a new Citroen C5 Aircross e-series, as reviewed above, worth more than £30,000.
The perfect car for adventures with friends or family.
See page 18 for details of how to enter.
Online access required, multiple code collect, 18+.