Citroën C5 Aircross 1.6T Shine Automatic (2020) Review – The French Evolution
Citroën is back in the country (again) and its C5 Aircross is almost as comfy as the Citroën DS of the Seventies.
The miraculous Citroën DS, also referred to as the Pallas, is a car very few South Africans have encountered, partly because production of the DS was discontinued in 1975. Visually an acquired taste, it had many virtues, but it was best known for its very clever and ultra-comfortable hydraulic suspension.
When sanctions against South Africa were scrapped in the 90s, Citroën returned, arm-in-arm with big brother Peugeot, and charmed young drivers with the sporty Citroën C2. But the company’s products didn’t really match South African tastes and there were problems with quality, reliability and parts supply – to name just a few challenges. In 2016 Citroën quietly withdrew, leaving Peugeot behind to fight a lonely battle. Until 2019, that is. In the year of Citroën’s 100th anniversary it returned to South Africa under new management.
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The Frenchman largely responsible for Renault’s success in our country, Xavier Gobille, helped to reintroduce Peugeot Citroën last year (2019). In February 2020 Leslie Ramsoomar was appointed Managing Director of PCSA (Peugeot Citroën South Africa). Gobille continues supporting PCSA, and works on growth strategies and business development in South Africa.
Apart from Gobille’s expertise, Peugeot Citroën also benefits from an excellent product range, probably better than anything they have sold here the past 30 years. One of them is the Citroën C5 Aircross, a medium-sized SUV. The class in which it competes is dominated by the VW Tiguan, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson. This makes things difficult for Citroën, as these are formidable opponents, made by manufacturers with deep roots in Southern Africa.
Styling
Before Citroën was swallowed by Peugeot, it had a quirky style that customers adored. But the cars they had built in recent years, were merely rebadged Peugeots. Anyone with an eye on the car industry would tell you that badge engineering is the way to run a profitable operation, but there are better and worse ways of playing this game. With the C5 Aircross, it looks as if the mother company is giving Citroën room for redeveloping an identity of its own. Overall, the perceived quality of Peugeot and Citroën products have shot up. Time will tell if this is reflected in their engineering and durability as well.
With its classical SUV shape, large wheels and muscular design, the C5 Aircross SUV is the flagship in its international SUV offensive, Citroën says. The company emphasises the car’s unique personality and strong style choices, such as its Airbump-inspired lower door and wheel arch protectors. Unfortunately, the Airbumps, that can stop a stainless-steel supermarket trolley in its tracks, didn’t make it onto the bumpers or flanks of the C5 Aircross.
The styling continues the bold themes of recent Citroëns – narrow split headlights peer from a widescreen grille and chunky cartoonish lines are everywhere. Black A-, B- and C-pillars create the effect of wraparound glazing to make the new C5 Aircross appear wider and sleeker.
Interior comfort and space
The C5 Aircross shares most of its mechanical parts with the Peugeot 3008 and Opel Grandland X, but its body appears very different and is slightly larger in size. The Citroën’s boot has a whopping 520-litre capacity. With the rear seats tipped forward, it will swallow a mountain bike, even with the front wheel on the bike.
The wide bench behind the driver consists of three separate seats that can move fore and aft independently. Each can fit a child seat, so the C5 is perfect for a set of triplets. The rear seats do not provide adult rear passengers with acres of legroom, though. If you transport long-legged passengers regularly, try the Hyundai Tucson.
The C5 Aircross Shine has a combination of leather and cloth upholstery for the seats (the Feel variant has woven fabric), and the interior styling is fun, if perhaps a little busy.
Citroën was one of the first automakers to ditch analogue dials in favour of fully digital instrument screens. In the C5 Aircross you’ll find a 12.3-inch (31 cm) digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel and an 8-inch (20 cm) touchscreen on the dashboard, covering the infotainment functions. The latter displays everything in turn, from the apps on your phone (via Car Play or Android Auto) to the chosen temperature of the air-conditioning. This is problematic, because switching from one display to another sometimes takes just a second too long.
The cabin offers plenty of storage space, including a large storage area at the front of the central console, equipped for wireless smartphone charging. Poke or push your fingers around the cabin and you’ll find the surfaces and materials sturdy or soft in the right places.
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Safety
Like any European car worth its salt, the C5 Aircross scored 5/5 in the EuroNCAP crash test. To prevent collisions, the ‘Shine’ has an antonymous braking system (Active City Brake), blindspot monitoring, driver attention alert, ABS with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), emergency brake assist (EBA), electronic stability programme (ESP), traction control, hill start assist, automatic hazard lights in emergency braking, a tyre-pressure monitoring system, parking sensors front and rear, and a rear camera.
The list of safety features also includes six airbags, front fog lights with corner function, an anti-theft alarm system, ISOFIX seat anchors for kiddie seats, and an electric parking brake. The spare wheel will do its job as well as the other four: It’s a 17-inch steel wheel, size 215/65/R17.
The drive, power and performance
With its innovative hydraulic suspension, the ride of the DS of the old was only exceeded by hovercraft. It had built on Citroën’s reputation for ride comfort, which it had established earlier in the 20th century with cars like the Traction Avant.
The new C5 Aircross revives some of that magic, as it has advanced dampers (shock absorbers) for which Citroën says it had to register 20 patents. Where major compression and rebound occur, these dampers gradually slow down movement to avoid sudden jolts. Citroën says hydraulic buffers at either end of the suspension setup have all but eliminated bounce from the car’s drive. It’s true that the car provides an excellent ride and good road-holding too, but a DS driver might have expected something a little more impressive.
In addition to the supple ride, noise from the engine, road and air rushing over the car are almost absent. Citroën says the double-glazed laminated front windows have insulated layers that provide occupants with “cocoon-like soundproofing”. These refinements also prevent fatigue, while the super comfortable seats provide stamina for long drives.
The C5’s engine is a 1.6-litre turbo-charged petrol unit that makes 121 kW at 6 000 rpm and 240 Nm from 1 400 rpm. It feeds power to the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. The 0-100 sprint takes as little as 10.5 seconds and the top speed is 189 km/h.
The C5 Aircross can’t be labelled as underpowered, but, every so often, you have to wind the revs up to get its 1.5 ton mass moving briskly – even without passengers or luggage. If you like the C5, but crave diesel power, consider the Peugeot 5008 2.0HDi Allure (R571 500) or the Peugeot 5008 2.0HDi GT Line (R616 900). The Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and VW Tiguan also offer superb diesel engines and for less money than the stretched 5008. The Toyota RAV4 is available only with petrol engines.
The C5 Aircross rides on beautiful 18-inch alloys (235/55R18) and it has a generous 230 mm of ground clearance. Keep in mind the engine drives the front wheels only, so rather don’t attempt 4×4 trails.
Fuel economy
Because the driver has to whip it sometimes to get it going, petrol consumption suffers. Citroën’s official figure is 7.9 l/100km and, as is the norm, that supposes ideal driving circumstances. After a week’s careful driving, the trip computer settled on 8.8 l/100km. By contrast, Volkswagen claims consumption of 5.6 l/100km for its diesel-powered Tiguan 2.0TDI 4Motion Comfortline (R610 500). The VW is much more expensive, though.
Pricing
The Citroën C5 Aircross 1.6T Shine sells for R524 900, while the lower-spec “Feel” version goes for R484 500. For a bit of context, the Mini Cooper Convertible auto, Opel Astra hatch 1.6T Sport OPC Line, Nissan Navara 2.3D double cab SE, Audi Q2 35TFSI and Volkswagen Caddy Alltrack 2.0TDI auto are similarly priced to the Shine.
Peugeot Citroën South Africa are well aware that many local consumers hold the opinion that Citroëns are unreliable and the parts unavailable or expensive. In an effort to address this, Citroën provides customers with a 5 year / 100 000 km warranty and service plan. It also commits to lending the customer a car while his is serviced or repaired under warranty.
Related: Re-inventing Peugeot in South Africa
Verdict
Citroën is facing a merciless battle. To call this C5’s market segment something like “hotly contested” is an understatement. The odds are truly against it: It has to survive a post-Covid19 economy, while dealing with the financial drain and other demands of the electric-vehicle storm. We wish them well. South Africans will not look kindly on another departure and reintroduction of Citroën.
As for the car? The well-crafted C5 Aircross Shine is spacious, attractive and refined. If you do take the leap, your set of wheels will stand out from the crowd and you will enjoy a class-leading ride.