IF comfort and economy are at the top of your new car wish list then the revised for 2022 Citroen C5 Aircross hybrid could be for you.
Also there’s lots of room in this large SUV which can travel up to 34 miles on electric power meaning with regular overnight home charging most commuters could get to and from work without any emissions.
Its combination of a petrol engine, electric motor and battery pack also means good fuel economy on longer journeys – Citroen claim up to 222mpg is possible!
It shares its powertrain with other models from the Stellantis Group, such as the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid, DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE and Vauxhall Grandland Hybrid using a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor, producing a total of 222bhp.
This also gives reasonable performance from what is a large car – 0 to 62 in 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 140mph.
A set of blue badges is really all that denotes this is a hybrid and it benefits from the same visual makeover as the rest of the C5 Aircross line-up for 2022 with that sharper and more aggressive current Citroen corporate look.
CO2 emissions are just 31g/km so the C5 falls into the 12 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company-car tax band and it’s practical too, with only a small loss of boot space compared to the diesel and petrol versions plus lots of room for adult passengers in the back.
The car is set up more for comfort than handling with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’ and ‘Advanced Comfort Suspension’ but body roll in corners is good with the C5 being composed over the bumps and pot holes.
We took our Shine trim version car for a long weekend break in North Wales and it proved more than up to the job giving relaxed motorway cruising with that sweet eight speed auto box plus lots of room with four on board around the twisty lanes of Anglesey.
Kit wise there is a lot to like and amongst the goodies are adaptive cruise control, all round parking sensors and a rear camera, electric heated and folding door mirrors, auto lights and wipers, an advanced ‘bi-zone’ air con system, power driver’s seat, digital instruments and a large central infotainment touch screen plus lots of handy storage areas and a raft of the latest safety systems.
All this does come at a cost which is £35,835 and our test car also had a number of extras which bumped that up to £38,150 including a power tailgate and panoramic power roof with electric blind… but it is still a lot of car and kit for your cash.
So ticking the comfort, economy and equipment boxes the latest C5 Aircross hybrid is very easy to live with and enjoy.
More info at www.citroen.co.uk.
By Motoring Editor Steve Howarth