Citroen C5 Aircross Sport 2023 Review

Replacing the previous Shine model, the 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport has arrived and continues the French brand’s single-model policy for its mid-size SUV.

If anything, the Sport pushes the premium specification of the C5 Aircross further upmarket and has a price to match, starting at $54,990 plus on-road costs.

This puts the C5 Aircross Sport in direct competition with high-spec European medium SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI ($54,890 plus ORCs), Peugeot 3008 GT (from $53,414) and Skoda Karoq Sportline (from $49,490).

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport generally measures up against its competitors with a combination of Nappa and synthetic leather on the seats – powered and heated at the front with massage on the driver’s side – as well as a power sunroof, dual-zone climate control and embedded sat-nav.

Most of this, including the sunroof, leather trim, seat heating and driver massaging, came with the recent switch from the Shine to Sport model grade.

The C5 Aircross Sport is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty including roadside assist for the full period.

Fixed-price servicing is set at a total of $2747 for 100,000km or 60 months at yearly/20,000km intervals. There are optional, cost-saving pre-paid plans that sequentially cover either three ($1100) or five ($2000) scheduled services.

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport is well-enough specified in general safety terms but misses out in several ways that contribute to a low four-star ANCAP safety rating.

Driver assist systems include low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian avoidance, blind spot monitoring, unmarked road edge detection, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capabilities in slow-moving traffic, tyre pressure monitoring and lane departure warning with lane keep assist.

There are six airbags: dual front, front side and curtain airbags covering both first and second rows.

The below-par ANCAP safety rating for the C5 Aircross came when it was tested in 2019 and was largely due to the lack of cyclist detection, plus low scores in pedestrian protection.

This resulted in a total score, in vulnerable road user protection, of 58 per cent. In other measures – adult occupant protection (87 per cent), child occupant protection (88 per cent) and safety assist technology (73 per cent) – it scored well, although the assessment protocols have moved on since then and are today much tougher than they were four years ago.

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport comes with wireless mobile phone charging and wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality, as well as the sat-nav previously mentioned, Bluetooth connectivity and two USB ports in the centre console.

The dash has seen significant changes, mainly comprising a higher-set and larger 10.0-inch central touch-screen – the air vents are now located below, rather than at the sides – and factors in a 12.3-inch customisable digital instrument display in front of the driver.

A toggle-style micro shifter is located at the front of the centre console along with an electric parking brake, but the adaptive cruise control functions are hidden to the left of the steering column. It’s all part of a quirky French-ness and takes some getting used to, but becomes intuitive over time.

Significant driveline changes come with the revised 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport.

It remains front-wheel drive only, but the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine has had its power boosted from 121kW at 6000rpm to 133kW at a slightly more relaxed 5500rpm, while the torque output increases from 240Nm at 1400rpm to 250Nm at a higher 1650rpm.

The other notable change comes with the adoption of a new eight-speed auto gearbox replacing the previous six-speeder.

The outcome of all this is that the C5 Aircross is markedly quicker on the road and effectively counters criticism that the previous version lacked verve.

Acceleration from 0-100km/h now takes 8.2 seconds where the pre-update model only just scraped in below 10 seconds. It’s not the fastest in its class, but it’s not the slowest either.

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport is not only quicker, it’s measurably more economical.

Citroen claims a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.7L/100km, where previously it was quoted at 7.9L/100km.

With the 53-litre tank, the upgraded model promises a reasonably extended touring range.

Mind you, Citroen does ask that the C5 Aircross Sport be topped up with 95RON premium fuel.

Ride comfort has for a long time been a focus with Citroens, all the way back to the iconic DS from the 1950s.

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport uses what the company calls Progressive Hydraulic Cushions, the dampers remaining soft in mid-travel but becoming progressively firmer towards their limit.

The result is an agreeably absorbent, refined ride with a relatively flat cornering stance only marred by a slight sensitivity to smaller, sharp-edged bumps – a characteristic often found in full-hydraulic systems. In the Citroen’s case, this may be exacerbated by the sizeable 19-inch wheels.

Even though the steering tends towards light and, at just short of three turns from lock to lock, is lower-geared than might be expected, the compact steering wheel contributes to a sense of sportiness.

If the lower-powered 1.6-litre turbo that motivated the pre-update model lacked some enthusiasm, the latest version’s 133kW/250Nm outputs work well with the new eight-speed auto to give some credence to the ‘Sport’ moniker.

Some foibles, such as the need to hold the starter button for a few moments before the engine fires up, and the invisible steering column stalk for the cruise control, eventually become second nature to the driver.

The C5 Aircross Sport typifies the changing perceptions of what an SUV should be. Its 182mm ground clearance and maximum towing capacity of just 1200kg might seem underwhelming for those seeking a rugged five-seat wagon but does every SUV buyer want or need those things anyway?

The French car-maker has gone to some pains ensuring that passengers entering the 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport feel comfortably cosy.

The ambience is definitively French with stadium-style rear seating, plenty of evidence of Nappa leather trim and lots of soft-touch surfacing.

The even more lushly-padded ‘Advanced Comfort’ front seats are accommodating and comfortable over long distances, while the three individual, multi-adjustable rear seats do a similar job, at least within the confines of the available space.

Even though the wheelbase is longer than a Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander, the Citroen C5 Aircross Sport’s available rear legroom varies between marginal and acceptable, depending on the amount of adjustable fore-aft travel being used.

The boot, with a capacity that stretches from 580 to 1630 litres depending on how the seating is configured, is unarguably generous and more than comparable to mid-size SUV rivals.

The 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport makes for an interesting conundrum.

It may be one of the least popular SUVs in Australia, but it has an appealing individualism that you would think could draw sales from other Euros such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Karoq and even Cupra Formentor.

The latest C5 Aircross borders on luxurious while being functional, well fitted-out and not ridiculously overpriced at the same time.

So must we assume that the four-star safety rating – and its front-drive-only configuration – are the main factors inhibiting its popularity?

2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport at a glance:
Price: $54,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 133kW/250Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 130g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Four-star (ANCAP 2019)