Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid - long-term review

Welcome to Top Gear’s new anti-stress machine. The Citroen C5 Aircross MAX Hybrid 145 in striking Ruby Red. £35,775 base, £36,095 as tested, thanks to the £300 two-tone Perla Nera Black roof and the £20 puncture repair kit. Extravagant, I know.

Under the bonnet is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo with hybrid assistance, making a combined 145bhp. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch auto and takes 11.2 seconds to reach 62mph. If you are planning ambitious overtakes, pray for a light tailwind. Official economy sits in the low 40s mpg, which is entirely respectable for something weighing 1.5 tonnes.

So why is it here? Because Citroen says this is the comfort benchmark of the C-SUV world. The press release is littered with phrases like ‘sofa design’, ‘lounge on wheels’ and ‘ultimate comfort experience’. I actually did a word count on the word ‘comfort’ and it appears 28 times. Subtle.

It sits on Stellantis’ new STLA Medium platform, which in our case translates into a 2.78m wheelbase and properly ample rear legroom. Boot space is 565 litres regardless of powertrain, stretching to 1,668 litres with the seats folded. There’s a reclining 40-20-40 rear bench, a hands-free tailgate, and enough USB-C ports to keep the family civil.

Inside, things get a little funky. Our MAX-spec car comes with the full ‘C-Zen Lounge’ treatment, a large vertical touchscreen down the centre console, head-up display, heated seats, heated steering wheel, wireless charging, matrix LEDs and adaptive cruise control. There is also the ‘Hello Citroen’ voice assistant, with optional ChatGPT integration available via the Connect PLUS pack. It’s quite useful for turning things like the heated seats on and off without delving into the touch screen, but has its limitations.

The seats are supremely squishy ‘Advanced Comfort’ items, and the dashboard is trimmed in what Citroen proudly describes as ‘sofa-style’ fabric. For me, the seats are an instant highlight. Your derriere will not be disappointed.

Then there’s the suspension with, wait for it, Progressive Hydraulic Cushions. This is Citroen’s party trick. The claim is a ‘magic carpet’ ride capable, one hopes, of filtering out Britain’s cratered roads. This will be tested thoroughly.

There’s something reassuring about Citroen leaning into its history of comfort. The brand has long placed ride quality high on its priority list. Now we find out whether comfort, space and general quirkiness are enough to make us fall for it. Let the decompression begin.