Citroen C5 Aircross Review 2022 - Top Gear

AdvertisementClose advertisement

• Home
• Car Reviews
• Citroen
• C5 Aircross

• Overview
• Driving
• Interior
• Buying
• Specs & Prices

Car ReviewCitroen C5 Aircross reviewPrices from£30,000 - £38,670 Leasing offers from

£213 p/m

External link towith Leasing.com8Paul HorrellPublished: 10 Dec 2025

Read why you can trust our independent reviews

• Overview
• Driving
• Interior
• Buying
• Specs & Prices

Skip 29 photos in the image carousel and continue reading1 / 29Advertisement“From generic corporate parts, Citroen has made something likeably honest in its role as a comfy and useful member of your family”

Good stuff

Neither petrol or EV are compromised. Holds the family. Drives sweetly

Bad stuff

Rear seats less versatile than before. Hardly king of the outside lane. Some cheap cabin bits

Overview

What is it?

The new version of Citroen's very useful and refreshingly honest family crossover. Refreshingly honest? Yup, it never pretended to be sporty, never came in a high-powered, over-tyred version, and always rejected go-faster graphics. It is comfy and spacious. Best of all, it doesn't let its rationality completely erase a certain quirkiness.

For the second generation, it's almost completely new. Related under the skin, and so a rival to, the Vauxhall Grandland and Peugeot 3008. The Jeep Compass too. But Jeep buyers look across the Atlantic while Citroen buyers feel more at home gazing over the Channel. They're just different people so buyers of either likely wouldn't consider the other.

Advertisement - Page continues below

Anyway, this Group makeup means the C5 is eligible for a three-cylinder mild-hybrid powertrain, or a PHEV, or a full battery drive. Something for everyone. Except that is those who demand German-style schportiness.

Other petrol and electric rivals include the Renault Austral and Scenic, Skoda Kodiaq and Enyaq, VW Tiguan and ID.4, Nissan Qashqai and Ariya, Kia Sportage and EV5, Toyota RAV4 and bZ4x, Ford Kuga and Explorer, MG HS and S5.

Does it really look quirky?

You can see a lineage to the splendidly out-there Oli concept car. Check the blade-like protruding lights, and the chiselled surfaces and square-topped arches. Several of these elements cut drag. The CdA (that's total drag, accounting for frontal area) is 0.75m2, versus 0.84m2 for the old one. That cut is equivalent, Citroen says, to an extra 18 miles of electric range at motorway speed.

How's the inside?

Cabin design is also distinctive, with a big central screen and lounge-like furniture. Stereo tweeters sit in horns on the dash ends, and the screen opens up a big space beyond. The big deal is the 'advanced comfort' seats, which are seriously squishy but supportive too.

Advertisement - Page continues below

There's loads of room in the back and boot. Click through to the interior tabs of this review for more detail.

Sadly the old C5 Aircross's individual rear seats, its most distinctive bit of packaging and something very child-friendly, have gone.

What are the drive systems, and what do they do?

Things start with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine paired with a 48V motor in the six-speed DCT autobox. A mild hybrid in other words. It makes 145bhp in total, for a 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds. Which sounds less like an acceleration time than a gestation period.

Then a 1.6-litre engine paired with a PHEV system, for 8.3s 0-62, a WLTP electric range of 53 miles and 62g/km tax-friendly emissions performance.

But the fully electric one is more straightforward, barely slower at 8.9s 0-62, and running 320 miles in the WLTP cycle. That's on a 74kWh (net) battery and front motor. There’s also a long range version with a 97kWh battery for an impressive 421 miles WLTP.

So how do those engines feel?

The mild-hybrid is one we've driven in multiple other Stellantis cars, and here it's actually more effective than the acceleration figure implies. The motor and engine handshake neatly, it's generally pretty quiet and the dual-clutch autobox has a strategy that makes the best of things.

The electric one is just as you'd predict – a direct answer to your right foot with no interruptions or surges.

Until recently, Citroen, Peugeot and DS used a PHEV system with feeble battery range, an indecisive transmission and messy acceleration as it juggled electric and petrol. This is a new setup, though, with more electric power and a new seven-speed DCT. And thankfully much improved.

If it's not sporty, is it a total dirge to drive?

Obviously it puts emphasis on comfort. The low speed ride is maybe a little stiffer than you'd expect, if no worse than rivals, but once you're moving the suspension is lovely and supple.

Yet, thanks to some tricky multi-rate (but not adaptive) dampers, the control of body motions at speed is impressive, so you can throw it at a corner or undulating road with confidence.

More detail on all this in the driving tab of this review.

How much will it cost me?

The mild hybrid starts at £30,495. The electric versions start at £32,565, with the long-range version from £32,935. That’s not a typo – the smaller battery only qualifies for the £1,500 government electric car grant, whereas the bigger battery gets the full £3,750 discount. Bit of a no brainer there.

The plug-in hybrid is the most expensive, starting from £38,855, primarily because it’s only available in the top trim. See the buying tab for the full lowdown.

What's the verdict?

“It isn't as progressive as the great past Citroens. But hey, it looks idiosyncratic enough”

The C5 clears all the family crossover hygiene factors with ease. It has bags of room, and it's efficient and well priced, with launch versions from a squeak over £30k to a fraction under £40k. Sure, you won't take long to find places in the cabin where they saved cash (the vents feel super cheap) but in the important ways it's fully up to snuff.

Of course it isn't as progressive as the great past Citroens. But hey, it looks idiosyncratic enough that you won't lose it among all the blobby crossovers in the car park, without actively frightening anyone. And it hits the Citroen promise of comfort.

Starting with a generic set of Stellantis corporate parts, Citroen has managed to make something with a character of its own. This is a likeable car because it's honest. Its driving dynamics recognise that the people who buy it won't be climbing mountains or lapping racetracks. It doesn't pretend, and it recognises its buyers don't pretend either.

7

Kia Sportage

£33,930

7

Nissan Qashqai

£30,020 - £42,765 8

Skoda Enyaq

£38,945 - £51,895

Find another car review

Manufacturer296 Special Edition (2025)AbarthAlfa RomeoAlpinaAlpineArielAston MartinAtlasAudiBACBentleyBMWBrabhamBugattiBYDCadillacCaterhamChanganCheryChevroletChryslerCitroenCorollaCorvetteCupraDaciaDodgeDSEagleElementalFerrariFiatFiskerFordFrontlineGeelyGenesisGMCGordon Murray AutomotiveGWMGWM ORAHondaHyundaiIneosInfinitiIsuzuJaecooJaguarJeepJensenKGMKiaKimera AutomobiliKoenigseggKTMLamborghiniLanciaLand RoverLeapmotorLexusLincolnLockheed MartinLotusLucidMaseratiMazdaMcLarenMercedes-BenzMG Motor UKMiniMitsubishiMorganNioNissanNobleOmodaPaganiPeugeotPininfarinaPipistrelPolestarPorscheProdriveRadicalRAMRenaultRimacRivianRolls-RoyceSeatShelbySkodaSkywellSmartSoyuzSsangyongSubaruSuzukiTeslaThe Little Car CompanyTop Gear Technology CentreToyotaVauxhallVolkswagenVolvoXpengYukonZenvoModelCONTINUECONTINUEContinue reading: DrivingAdvertisement

Country lane stand-off between two stubborn drivers enters 19th hour

Thank you wave becomes legal requirement on UK roads

US to request five-year car history for foreign tourists

F1 movie sequel confirmed, 'ultra realistic' plot to follow predictable one-team domination

Advertisement

Country lane stand-off between two stubborn drivers enters 19th hour

Thank you wave becomes legal requirement on UK roads

US to request five-year car history for foreign tourists

F1 movie sequel confirmed, 'ultra realistic' plot to follow predictable one-team domination

Country lane stand-off between two stubborn drivers enters 19th hour

Thank you wave becomes legal requirement on UK roads

US to request five-year car history for foreign tourists

F1 movie sequel confirmed, 'ultra realistic' plot to follow predictable one-team domination

1. 2026 TopGear.com Awards

   "Drives like a BMW ought to": why the iX3 is Top Gear's 2026 Car of the Year

2. Long Term Review

   Life with a Dacia Bigster: should we have just got a Duster instead?

3. List

   11 deeply flawed cars we still love

4. Retro

   Red Bull has helped Singer reinforce its reimagined classic Porsche 911s

5. Watches

   Deep dive: watches that can go deep underwater needn't be massive

6. Opinion

   Opinion: are 'boring' old cars more interesting than 'interesting' new cars?

Subscribe to the Top Gear Newsletter

Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

SuccessYour Email*Country*Please select your countryUnited KingdomAfghanistanAland IslandsAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCaribbean NetherlandsCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongo (Brazzaville)Congo (Kinshasa)Cook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong Kong S.A.R., ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyIvory CoastJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacao S.A.R., ChinaMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorth KoreaNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestinian TerritoryPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaint BarthélemySaint HelenaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth KoreaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluU.S. Virgin IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited StatesUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVaticanVenezuelaVietnamWallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

By clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.

Sorry, something went wrong

Please try againSubscribemagazine

Subscribe to BBC Top Gear Magazine

find out more