Citroen C5 Aircross - Interior & comfort

When it comes to comfort, which is one of the areas in which Citroen's family flagship was billed to excel, its disappointing performance on bumpy roads is rather unfortunate. It's a real shame that the brand's 'advanced comfort seats' don't particularly impress, either. Although the C5 Aircross’ fancy Progressive Hydraulic suspension irons out most bumps well, it can be unsettled over deeper potholes or wonky speedbumps. When this happens, the cabin can shudder and upset the relaxed atmosphere.

The seats look great, especially in the range-topping 'Hype Brown Ambiance' finish, and their soft nature makes them comfortable at first, but they lack lateral support when you encounter a corner, doing little to keep you upright. And while they felt supportive beneath our thighs, the same wasn't true of back support, with twinges beginning to surface after a few hours of driving.

If the advanced comfort seats lived up to their name, the C5 Aircross interior would be hard to fault. There's impressively little wind or road noise when cruising, and there's certainly no shortage of standard equipment. Not all of the interior surfaces are great quality, though, and our test car had a few infuriating rattles.

Citroen C5 Aircross dashboard

Enthusiasts of design will find much to like about the C5 Aircross interior. It has a unique and interesting look that expands on the theme seen before with the smaller C3 Aircross, and contrasts starkly against the futuristic Peugeot 3008.

The C5 Aircross presents hi-tech electronics against a backdrop of good-looking, tactile materials and rich colour schemes. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is standard on every model, and there's an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen in the centre console. While the dashboard looks and feels expensive, the door panels are rather less pleasing to the senses, with a cheap feel around the door handles and window switches.

There are few changes to indicate you’re in the PHEV, but intriguingly, a blue light behind the rear-view mirror lets pedestrians know when the car is in electric-only mode. You can also hit a shortcut button to quickly access new hybrid information screens within the infotainment setup.

Equipment

There are four C5 Aircross trim levels - Sense, C-Series, Shine and Shine Plus. None are anything less than generously equipped, with 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, a digital dashboard and eight-inch infotainment system with DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility standard across the range.

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C-Series is only available to order online and has a different look thanks to roof rails and red exterior highlights. It also gets a 12.3-inch instrument display, 18-inch alloy wheels and tinted glass. Stepping up to Shine piles on additional equipment, such as folding door mirrors, an adjustable boot floor, keyless entry and start, and a silver exterior colour pack.

The range-topping Shine Plus adds a powered tailgate, active cruise control, wireless smartphone charging, an opening panoramic glass roof, 19-inch wheels and an acoustic windscreen to make the car quieter inside.

Every C5 Aircross has autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring.

Options

ConnectedCAM, an integrated dashcam, is one of the more interesting features you'll find on the options list and it costs £200. A tow bar with Trailer Stability Control can be added for £450, while Colour Packs are also offered to allow buyers to personalise their car's exterior.