Citroen C5 Aircross Shine 2021 Review

A purchase price of $46,990 plus on-road costs – adding $690 for the metallic paint of the test vehicle – is arguably near the top end of the market for a mid-size SUV with a downsized (turbocharged) engine and front-wheel drive only.

The Ford Escape Vignale is a few hundred bucks cheaper than the 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross Shine, but with a larger, more powerful engine – also turbocharged.

Standard equipment offered on the Citroen includes 19-inch alloy wheels, front/rear parking sensors, power fold-in mirrors, keyless entry/start, a powered tailgate with motion gesture operation, leather-accented upholstery, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate control, powered driver’s seat adjustment and manual lumbar adjustment.

To my surprise, the motion gesture facility for the tailgate does actually work.

The infotainment system in the C5 Aircross comprises an 8.0-inch touch-screen, satellite navigation, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring, digital radio, inductive smartphone charging and voice recognition.

Sensibly, the inductive charging tray is located ahead of the gear shifter and abutting a 12-volt power outlet and USB-A port in the centre fascia.

The C5 Aircross runs LED headlights, but they’re not as powerful as expected of LED units, although they are significantly better than most halogen lights available in this market segment. On high beam, the lights are quite effective, but you’ll need to raise and lower the beam manually, as auto high beam assist isn’t offered.

At five years (and unlimited kilometres), the warranty cover for the C5 Aircross is competitive, helped along too by the five years of roadside assistance.

And while service intervals are limited to 12 months, owners will get to travel up to 20,000km during that year-long gap, unlike some rivals that only allow up to 15,000km – or less.

It’s somewhat of a surprise in 2021 to be driving a new car – even a new SUV – that is only rated four stars by ANCAP. That is the case for the Citroen C5 Aircross, based on ANCAP’s 2019 testing regime.

The Citroen actually performed well in keeping adult and child occupants safe – achieving 87 and 88 per cent respectively. What let the C5 Aircross down was its vulnerable road users score, and specifically because its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system for Australia did not recognise cyclists.

Other than that area of concern, the C5 Aircross is well equipped for safety kit, given the purchase price.

In addition to AEB that does detect pedestrians, the C5 Aircross comes as standard with blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, driver fatigue monitoring, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring and six airbags.

It’s not uncommon for mid-size SUVs to be powered by a smaller turbocharged four-cylinder engine. These are also found in rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Volkswagen Tiguan, to name just three.

Measured against these examples, the 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross is an also-ran, to be frank about it, producing 121kW/240Nm from its 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The Hyundai and Kia deliver more power and torque (132kW/265Nm), and the Tiguan, which has a smaller-displacement 1.4-litre engine, still produces more torque (250Nm) than the C5 Aircross.

And that translates on the road as well. While the Citroen impresses more with its fuel economy, returning a figure of 8.3L/100km on a night-time drive, it could do with a little more punch in terms of performance.

It gets away alright when prodded but there is some turbo lag present.

Considering the engine’s size and performance, it actually sounds relatively muscular and a little sporty under load, to its credit.

And at touring speeds engine noise is suppressed very well, the powerplant quietly ticking over at 1900rpm for a road speed of 100km/h.

The transmission is occasionally slow to respond and pick up a gear; that is, shifting from neutral to drive or reverse. And while it shifts pretty smoothly as a general rule, it is reluctant to select a lower gear using the shift paddles.

Furthermore, in manual mode the transmission shifts up automatically at the redline (which is just under 6000rpm), rendering the manual mode and the paddles redundant.

If there is one particular aspect of the 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross that is outstanding, it is the vehicle’s ride comfort.

Citroen’s suspension engineers have calibrated the chassis for impressively cushy spring rates, without the vehicle feeling underdone over the bumps and sharp-edged impact points such as potholes. The damper rates are excellent across a range of speeds.

While the ride and handling balance is skewed more towards comfort than dynamics, the Citroen’s roadholding remains in the same ballpark as other front-wheel drive SUVs in the segment. And the steering is quite direct and communicative.

Although the brake pedal feel is tactile in one sense – allowing the driver to pull up gently at the traffic lights – the pedal is quite soft and travels a long way in emergency braking. It’s not the sort of braking that instils great confidence in the driver when pressing the pedal harder.

Citroen’s engineers have done well to suppress road noise from the Michelin Primacy 3 205/55R19 tyres, even on coarse-chip bitumen country roads. There is some wind noise, however.

The Citroen’s doors close securely with a gentle nudge. They don’t need to be slammed and they fasten securely for a good weatherproof seal.

Being a medium SUV, the Citroen’s hip point is spot on for taller kids and adults of average height.

The interior of the C5 Aircross is a mix of style and durable practicality, with a functional driving position and good but not outstanding seat comfort.

Although the seats are quite comfortable for long-distance touring – and there is additional lumbar adjustment for the driver from a knob on the inboard side of the backrest – the front seats lack support while cornering.

An instrument cluster offering different modes for viewing doesn’t quite reach the standard of flexibility and diversity of views available in some German cars, particularly Audi models.

But placement and operation of the controls generally makes sense, and the parking brake and shift lever are quite self-explanatory to use with a button in the latter marked M for manual mode.

A couple of ergonomic shortcomings are the engine start button’s location closer to the front passenger and the cruise control/speed limiter stalk tucked out of sight behind the steering wheel.

The starter button needs to be held down for a second or two for the engine to crank. To reset trip computer functions and data, there’s a button in the end of the wiper stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column.

Details in the interior such as the combination of soft leather trim and fabric for the seats plus contrast stitching lend the C5 Aircross a luxurious ambience. That’s enhanced by glossy black lacquer and satin-finish aluminium-look door handles and door pulls.

The infotainment touch-screen is very easy to use, but incorporates a climate-control screen which may necessitate drilling down or backing out of navigation screen to use.

There are basic controls but no favourites buttons – just basic window demisting and climate-control buttons plus a volume control knob for the audio system located in the right position for the passenger to use (below the infotainment touch-screen).

Finding the buttons for the map reading lights in front proved difficult at night.

There’s a welter of storage options, with a deep receptacle underneath the lidded centre arm rest, and the two door bins for stowing keys, coins and the like. However, while there are two cup holders in the centre console, there are no bottle holders in the door cards.

Stadium seating in the rear offers an elevated view ahead and to the side for little ones, while retaining generous headroom and legroom for adults of average size – although the cant rail is quite close to the head on the way in or out, and even when seated.

The seats adjust fore and aft for more luggage space or more legroom, as required. There are adjustable vents and a USB-A port in the rear of the centre console for the use of the rear occupants.

The rear seat is a triple split-fold unit which won’t fold completely flat and, when lowered, it doesn’t form a flush bridge with the boot floor at its highest point. However, there is plenty of useful space liberated for larger items with the parcel shelf removed and seats folded down.

A common complaint about Subaru wagons and hatches that also applies to the C5 Aircross is the seat belt for the centre-rear seat position, which is mounted in the headlining behind the seat rather than on the seat itself. This is inconvenient for users who frequently rely on the Citroen to be both a passenger-carrying vehicle and a goods-carry vehicle in equal measure.

A compact space-saver tyre leaves room for a two-tiered boot floor to conceal more goods under the floor, along with the tyre.

Additionally, there are two small compartments, one each side of the boot, for smaller oddments to be carried without rolling around. And the boot features four tie-down points, a 12-volt power outlet and side-mounted light to illuminate the boot while loading it at night.

The 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross is an interesting and practical package, one that is certainly comfortable and easy to drive.

It’s a car that will suit younger families, and the ANCAP rating isn’t necessarily a deal breaker in the circumstances.

While the performance is hardly breathtaking, it is adequate, and the Citroen’s engine offers some character.

The problem confronting the Citroen in this market, however, is that higher grades of the Hyundai Tucson and the just-launched new-generation Kia Sportage provide very similar specifications, but run on 91RON fuel, not the more expensive 95RON premium stuff.

Highly commended in the 2021 carsales Car of the Year awards, the Kia Sportage is tuned specifically for Aussie roads, so it handles and steers better – but still rides well. It hasn’t yet been tested by ANCAP, but a five-star rating is anticipated.

There are a variety of other models in this top-selling segment offering positives that the Citroen just can’t match.

Unfortunately, and as competent as the C5 Aircross is, it’s competing in a very tough sector of the market – and competence alone sometimes just isn’t enough.

How much does the 2021 Citroen C5 Aircross Shine cost?
Price: $46,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 121kW/240Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 179g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP 2019)