Citroen C5 Aircross 1.2 PureTech EAT8 Feel Review: Rather Comfortable In Its Own Skin

What we like:

Best-in-class comfort

punchy and economical Cat A engine.

What we dislike:

Infotainment is dated and interior materials could be improved.

The C5 Aircross was previously equipped with a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo engine in Singapore, which meant it required a Cat B COE. Cleverly, the latest C5 Aircross on test here has a downsized 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo which allows it to take advantage of the significantly lower Cat A COE prices.

While it may look disappointing on paper, don’t be. The 4-time International Engine of the Year winner is a terrific little motor, with way more power on tap than you’d expect. In fact, the car doesn’t feel underpowered at all. Paired with the excellent 8-speed auto, there’s more than enough shove which is really surprising given the size of the car.

Comfort is exceptional as well, and there’s real innovation going on here - Citroën made a suspension with what it calls ‘progressive hydraulic cushions’, apparently gleaned from motorsport. Bottom line, it works tremendously well. It’s a well-insulated ride and one of the most, if not the most comfortable car in its price range. Think of riding on air and you wouldn’t go amiss. It’s as quiet as a whisper on a cruise, too.

The trade-off is typical handling expected of a high-riding car - a fair amount of body roll. This in and of itself isn’t really an issue as the car wasn’t made to corner carve, but more steering feel would be appreciated. The electrically-assisted rack is super light to steer, and doesn’t tell you much about the road.

The interior architecture is pleasingly modern, but immediately noticeable is the low-grade locally-fitted leather which simply feels a little out of place in the well-appointed cabin. The three individual rear seats are sliding, incline-adjustable and foldable - a nice little surprise for practicality and comfort, but legroom seems to be a bit of a premium. Strangely, the bootlid dampers seem overly enthusiastic, and will swing out rather strongly once you open it. As a consequence, closing the bootlid requires quite a fair bit of effort too.

Another thing that isn’t quite as seamless is the infotainment system. If you’re used to rapidly loading and high-definition screens, the one on the C5 Aircross feels rather dated. It is slow to respond and appears quite pixelated. At least it is an in-house system, which is aesthetically more pleasing than a third-party screen.

Speaking of looks, I think the C5 Aircross has quite an interesting design. It has a healthy dose of French quirkiness and charm, and its Airbumps are as useful as they are a visually impactful design.

I think the C5 Aircross is on a good trajectory to be the most comfortable and fuss-free car in its segment, especially if it could nail a few details in its next update. It’s a likeable car and refreshingly doesn’t bother at all to be sporty and consequently hard-riding, which is a big plus for a family car.

Credits: Text by James Wong; Photos by Horizon Drivers' Club