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By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
By 2020, the PSA conglomerate was busy electrifying all its mid-sized SUVs, so the Citroen C5 Aircross got that tech too. Like its group stablemates, it can be recharged from a home wallbox in under 2 hours and it offers a decent full-electric driving range - here WLTP-certified at 34 miles. Like all C5 Aircross variants, this one majors on comfort, courtesy of the brand's 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushion' set-up. Here, we look at the pre-facelift 2020-2021-era versions of this model.
Models
5dr SUV (1.6 Hybrid Plug-in) [Flair, Flair Plus, Shine, Shine Plus]
History
The C5 Aircross, launched in 2018, sold steadily in the mid-sized 5-seat part of the SUV sector from launch but needed a few more headlines. This plug-in hybrid variant, launched in early 2020, provided a few of those, incorporating as it did a cutting-edge electrified powertrain. Citroen tried to build this into the car without compromising its other comfort-orientated attributes and, as usual with the brand, there was a strong emphasis on value and innovative design.
This car shared its PHEV engineering with three PSA Group cousins from the 2020-2021 period, Plug-in Hybrid versions of the Peugeot 3008, the Vauxhall Grandland X and the DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE. This Citroen won't be the first car you'll have thought of if you happen to be looking for a mid-sized plug-in SUV from this era, but it might well be worth including on your wish list. Here, we look at the pre-facelift 2020-2021-era models.
What You Get
There's very little to visually give away the fact that this C5 Aircross variant is a hybrid, apart from 'Hybrid' badging on the front wings and the tailgate. The brand's signature 'Air Bumps' make an appearance just above the lower side sills, but they're toned down here.
Inside, as with most modern Citroens, what you find is a mixture of interesting design, a few cheaper plastics and some clever electronics. Oh and lovely seats, these being of the generously proportioned 'Advanced Comfort' variety. The instrument binnacle is another cabin talking point, conventional dials completely replaced by a standard 12.3-inch colour screen that's fully configurable and customisable. Just about everything else you'll need to know can be found on the 8-inch centre-dash capacitive touchscreen which delivers everything you'd want - the usual DAB stereo, 'phone, navigational and smartphone-mirroring functions, plus WiFi, a Connected Apps package and various specific EV screens.
At the rear, that lengthy wheelbase translates into a cabin that feels significantly larger than that of most models in this class. And as in an ordinary C5 Aircross, you get what Citroen claims is the 'most modular' rear bench arrangement in the segment, with three seats that individually slide and recline, MPV-style.
Few PHEV competitors can match the size of this C5 Aircross model's luggage space area either, the extent of which depends on the position of the sliding second row bench. The 460-litre capacity is 120-litres down on what you get in an ordinary C5 Aircross though, thanks to battery placement beneath the cargo area base.
What You Pay
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What to Look For
Most C5 Aircross buyers we came across seemed satisfied and there seem to be no major issues with the hybrid system. We've come across some common C5 Aircross issues though. A number of owners have reported problems with the car idling unstably. Usually, this is caused by an ECU software or electrical malfunction. If this happens to afflict the model you're looking at, it can usually be fairly simply corrected by plugging into a computer at a dealership and having the ECU reprogrammed. On a handful of models we've come across, the electrical supply to the water heater can shut off too soon when the vehicle is stopped. Fuel will then remain in the heater, producing possible leakage.
On the subject of fuel leakage, a few models produced before October 2021 exhibited fuel leakages due to cabling and software upgrade issues. There were various small product recalls. One in February 2020 for trailer tow hitches possibly not fitted to correct specification. There were further towbar issues that prompted recalls in January and March 2021. Otherwise, it's just a case of looking at the usual things - scratched alloy wheels, evidence of child damage in the interior and so on. It's unlikely that this car will have been used seriously off road but have a quick look underneath just in case. And of course insist on a fully stamped up service history.
Replacement Parts
(approx based on a 2020 C5 Aircross Hybrid excl. VAT) Expect to pay around £4 for an oil filter, around £10 for an air filter and around £23 for a pair of wiper blades. Front brake pads cost around £38 for a set; rear pads are in the £28-£51 bracket. For front brake discs, think around £48-£67 for a pair; rear discs cost in the £56-£99 bracket. A radiator costs in the £142 bracket. A pollen filter is around £17-£34.
On the Road
This electrified variant comes with a powerful and adaptable powertrain which sees a PureTech 180 Stop & Start petrol engine and an 80kW electric motor combining with a specially designed e-EAT8 automatic gearbox, to offer the equivalent of up to 225hp. At the wheel, you get three driving modes, with the one you'll be using most of the time being the 'Hybrid' setting that chooses the best mix of electric and petrol propulsion to suit your driving style whilst optimising efficiency. The alternative settings are either 'Sport' (where the car combines the power of the electric and petrol motors to offer livelier performance). And 'Electric' (where the car uses only the battery-powered electric motor, resulting in an ultra-quiet and smooth drive with zero exhaust emissions, offering a WLTP range of up to 34 miles. There's also a mode allowing you to reserve charge for later in your journey.
Otherwise, things are very much as they would be in any other C5 Aircross. This car's key differentiating point is the way it glides over bumps. That ability comes courtesy of its Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension system. This two-stage set-up features a couple of hydraulic stops on each side of the car, one for compression, the other for rebound. For major uneven ground impacts, the hydraulic stops work with the springs and shock absorbers to avoid jerky movements and unpleasant bouncing. Thicker softer seat padding also embellishes the impression of comfort. And double-laminated front windows and engine bay soundproofing play their part in reducing cabin noise.
Overall
We're always happy to see a product that tries to bring something a little different to its market segment, which is why we rather like this C5 Aircross in its more standard forms. If you can find the significant price premium necessary to get this plug-in Hybrid version, then there's also plenty to like here too - and it's obviously that bit more affordable in this pre-facelift 2020-2021-era guise.
The electrified stats are very class-competitive amongst Crossovers of this type from this period, but you could argue they'd be replicated by equivalent versions of the Peugeot 3008, the Vauxhall Grandland X and the DS 7 Crossback which feature the same engineering. The 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushion' set-up of this Citroen though, gives this particular SUV something a little different - you really can feel an improvement in the way it eases over tarmac undulations. It's worth a test drive then - as a possible starting point to your electrified future.
