The last time I drove a new Citroën C5 Aircross, it was in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in 2018. Of course, because of the lost years of the pandemic, the four years since then feel like five minutes. Suddenly, though, a face-lifted version of the car arrives, and it looks all the better for it.
The enhanced chevron logo is set in a black lacquer with chrome surrounds and sits on a redesigned grille that gives the front of the car a massive personality boost from its relative mousiness of yore. The air intake area has been widened to enhance the car's width, while the high, horizontal adds a touch of muscularity.
The rear light cluster has been reordered for a 3D effect, but the best feature is the new chrome C signature detailing around the glasshouse, tying the car together.
The C5 Aircross is available in six colours: White Ice White, Pearl White, Perla Nera Black, Platinum Grey, Acier Grey and the brand new colour, Blue Eclipse, that changes from dark blue to black depending on the outside light. Three new contrasting colour packs can be added - glossy black, dark chrome and energic blue.
The car sits high too, with 230mm of ground clearance for off-road credibility, and it's a really lovely package.
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The interior is the star, offering refined levels of comfort familiar from the C5 X. There's a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, and a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which feels a little on the small side given the Cinerama screens now available on other cars. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported.
It also boasts the latest generation of Citroën Advanced Comfort seats, which come in high-density foam core, with an extra 15mm layer of memory foam. Decorative blue stitching on the upholstery extends onto the door panels and dashboard.
The three independent rear seats slide forwards and backwards, and this means boot capacity of between 580 and 720 litres, a record in this segment of the market. Because of the battery, it's less in the PHEV at between 460 and 600 litres.
The C5 Aircross comes in three different powertrains, 1.2-litre 130hp BLUEHDI diesel (from €39,770) and 1.5-litre 130hp PureTech petrol (from €38,990) variants with sixspeed manual or eight-speed automatic transmissions, as well as an eight-speed auto only 225hp 1.6-litre 80kW motor petrol-electric plug-in hybrid that starts at €48,500.
Motor tax varies from €200 to €210 for the diesels, and €210 to €270 for the petrols. Tax on the PHEV is €140.
The latter car comes with a 13.2kWh battery that delivers 55km of purely electric driving based on WLTP figures, though I suspect a bit less in real-world driving.
The PHEV also has multiple online connected services to facilitate delayed charging, and cabin pre-conditioning, via the My Citroën smartphone app. If you have a 7kW wallbox at home, a full charge will take less than two hours.
There are three trims available, namely Feel Pack, Flair and C-Series, and a panoramic sunroof. Safety is well addressed, especially thanks to the highway driver assist.
Suitable on all types of road, it allows the driver to partially delegate the driving. You can select a target speed from 30kph and the system will maintain the position of the car in its lane, by following the lines on the road. Combined with adaptive cruise control with Stop&Go function, your car is then able to stop and restart depending on the vehicle in front, though you do need to keep your hands on the wheel at all times.
You also get blind spot monitoring, keyless entry and start, park assist, active safety braking, and intelligent beam headlights that dip automatically in built-up areas and in the face of oncoming traffic.
Fuel economy is average, at 5.7 to 6.8 litres per 100km in the petrol, 4.6 to 5.6 in the diesel (it's a bit less in the automatics), and 1.3 to 1.8 in the PHEV.
I tested it on the roads around St Paul de Vence in the South of France, which offers the challenge of hills, sharp turns, and bends by the dozen. The comfort suspension system I found a little flabby in the C5X works altogether better here, which seems counter-intuitive given the higher centre of gravity.
Nevertheless, the system and the car seemed better matched, and I thoroughly enjoyed driving the C5 Aircross.
I suspect its real appeal will draw on its genuine handsomeness.
After a couple of years in which Citroën as a brand had been eclipsed by its Stellantis stablemate, Peugeot, there seems to a renewed impetus to restore it to its former glory. The C5 Aircross will go a long way to achieving that goal.
