Citroen’s new C5 Aircross promises an electric version with 422 miles of range

Citroen has revealed its new flagship model, the C5 Aircross – and it will take on Europe’s growing mid-sized SUV market by offering a selection of green powertrains.

The second-generation C5 Aircross builds on the concept unveiled at Paris Motor Show last autumn and will come with the choice of three electrified setups; a conventional self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully-electric option.

Citroen says it will allow buyers to be ‘free to make their own choices […] at their own pace in their transition to electrification’.

If drivers choose the Extended Range e-C5 option, the French maker promises an impressive 422 miles of range – but we can’t tell you whether that’s truly achievable until we put it to test on the roads.

The new Aircross will aim to improve on the outgoing model with upgrades across the board – including dramatic styling touches and a living room-inspired cabin.

Prices aren’t set yet but it’s likely to start from under the £30k affordability ceiling. 

The new C5 Aircross design

Citroen’s designers have dumped the outgoing C5’s curvy shape in favour of a sharper, more angular look with tauter lines and wider haunches, which fit in with Citroen’s new design language.

Sitting on the same STLA-M platform as its sister Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 3008, the New C5 Aircross is 1.66 metres high with a boxy silhouette.

However, the bodywork prioritises efficiency, with a plunging nose, sloping roofline and a side edge line that travels from grille to tailgate.

As a result, the New C5 Aircross has an improved drag coefficient – improved to 0.75 from the 0.84 SCx of the old model.

It’s not just aerodynamic improvements though; the New C5 Aircross has a dramatic new rear light Light Wings signature; a horizontal gloss black facade at the rear, gloss black side skirts, chunky cladding and Citroen’s new C-shaped headlights that protrude from the side of the rear pillar.

Practicality and interior

As a mid-sized SUV, the new C5 Aircross will need to deliver for all family needs in order to compete against rivals.

A large part of the upgrade is tailored towards this. 

At 2,785mm, the wheelbase [distance between the front and rear wheels, which indicates cabin space] is 600mm longer than the old model.

Almost all of the additional space is extended rear legroom, Citroen says, and it’s also 150mm longer than before (now 4,652mm) and 1,902mm wide. This should make it a capacious option in the segment.

This makes it marginally bigger than the Peugeot 3008 but slightly shorter in length than the Skoda Kodiaq, albeit wider.

Tall passengers get 68mm of additional headroom in row two compared to the previous model as well. 

And the rear bench backrests can be adjusted between angles of 21 and 33 degress, which makes it far more comfortable for passengers.

Where it picks up brownie points over the competition is its load-lugging credentials. 

The 651-litre boot is a segment leader, and impressively there’s no loss of boot space in the plug-in hybrid or electric versions either. 

It’s significantly bigger than the Peugeot e-3008’s 520-litre boot but less than the Skoda Kodiaq’s 765l.

There’s additional storage space in a compartment under the boot floor, too, which can be adjusted to two different heights.

There’s 40 litres of extra storage throughout the cabin as well, making it a perfect family option for keeping the entertainment clutter necessary when transporting kids on long journeys.

The interior- what’s new?

Citroen’s going hard on the innovations of the New C5 Aircross interior. Though maybe too far, we’d argue.

It’s said to have been designed using the precepts of the Citroen ‘C-Zen Lounge’ architecture, which is supposed to make driver and passengers feel like – no prizes for guessing – they’re in a living room.

This includes a ‘Sofa Design’ dashboard which is said to be shaped ‘like a piece of living room furniture’ and uses a ‘high-quality foam fabric’ to feel like a ‘real cocoon’.

We’re not sure about you, but to us it looks like a conventional modern-day car interior rather than a lavish living space.

The Advanced Comfort seats indeed look very plush, though. 

But, while we appreciate that the front chairs are 10-way adjustable, heated and ventilated, and come with five different massage functions, we’re not buying into the ‘living room’ marketing ploy.

However, we will give a round of applause for Citroen using 160kg of recycled metals and 47kg of recycled or bio-sourced plastics in the C5 Aircross – and 20 per cent in its tyres. It also becomes the first car in the world to use vine shoots: the clear plastics in the console and doors are made from 20 per cent vine shoots sourced from organic vineyards in Burgundy.

Another bonus is the massive panoramic glass roof. 

At 1,069mm by 720mm, it’s pretty huge. And it can be opened electronically at the front, provides lots of natural light into the cabin.

C5 Aircross tech 

Citroen’s other big interior pull is the new ‘Cascade’ touchscreen, which is the largest central HD display ever offered by a Stellantis brand (also including the likes of Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall).

The floating touchscreen has fully customisable and fixed sections for easy function; there’s a control bar for car settings, homepage and phone asjustments, as well as driver and passenger climate control settings, but you can also select 16 widgets per page for other functions, like infotainment.

Using the latest generation of Citroen’s tech, eight drivers can create personalised profiles. 

There’s also wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a wireless charging pad, as well as ‘Hello Citroen; voice recognition and ChatGPT too.

Driver’s get a 10-inch digital instrument cluster with a 30 per cent larger head-up display than on the C5 X, which is also customisable.

Which powertrain options are available?

As we’ve mentioned, there are three powertrain options to suit all levels of electric enthusiasm.

The C5 Aircross Hybrid 145 has a generous combined range of 559 miles and requires no recharging.

It marries a 136hp three-cylinder 1.2-litre turbo engine with a 12hp electric motor, and the 0.9kWh battery is automatically recharged during deceleration.

The conventional self-charging hybrid limits its fuel consumption to around 15 per cent less than a non-hybrid petrol model and, thanks also to its aerodynamics, four per cent less than the previous generation C5 Aircross Hybrid.

The Plug-In Hybrid 195 offers an electric-only range of 53 miles – a 33 per cent improvement on the old model. In town, this should stretch to 62 miles of EV range Citroen says.

The PHEV combines a 150bhp four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with a 125bhp electric motor and a 21kWh battery; the two engines cna operate together or separately depending on what the driver wants or conditions call for.

Charging on a 7.4kW charger is completed in two hours and 55 minutes.

The range-topping all-electric e-C5 Aircross comes in two options: 210 horespower Standard Range and the 330hp Extended Range.

The 210 has a 73kWh battery offering 323 miles of range, while the 230 Extended Range utilised a larger 97kWh unit with a range of 422 miles. Both come with three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – as well as three-stage regenerative braking.

The e-C5 is also fitted with a heat pump as standard for improved charging efficiency and battery performance, especially during colder months.

The 210 Standard Range will charge in six hours 45 minutes from a 7.4kW single-phase AC charger, four hours 30 minutes from an 11kW three-phase AC charger, and 30 minutes on a 160kW DC rapid charger.

The 230 Extended Range will take a bit longer to replenish its larger battery pack: charging in eight hours 55 minutes from a 7.4 kW single-phase AC charger, six hours 30 minutes from an 11kW three-phase AC charger, but just 27 minutes from a 160kW DC rapid charger.

From 2026, the e-C5 Aircross will come with Vehicle-to-Load tech too, so you can charge your appliances from the car.

When’s it available and how much will the C5 Aircross cost?

We don’t know pricing yet, but to remain competitive the cheapest hybrid will likely need to cost less than £30,000.

For the full EV variant, expect to pay closer to the £40k mark. 

Developed and assembled in France, the New C5 Aircross will go on sale in the main European markets in the second half of this year.