Growing up I saw the two sides of Citroën, the epic and beautifully styled and the horrifically built and simply silly. Fortunately they’ve learned from those mistakes, now creating some of the most technologically advanced and good looking vehicles on the roads. The C5 Aircross is meant for people who like to stand out, whom like style but also appreciate going occasionally into some of the muddier stuff. It’s bold, it’s curvy, it’s very Citroën… but with how they’ve been making cars recently, that’s a good thing!

The outside is pretty… decent!

French styling has always been a love of mine, making a SUV look good isn’t always easy but I guess if anyone was going to do it… it would be Citroën. A proud and defined front end, smooth arches and occasional lines. Character ‘plating’ on the side to imply ‘rugged off road’ even if it probably wouldn’t protect it much (it really wouldn’t).

The back end has been finished nicely too, the trend with smaller crossover SUV’s is to have minimal information on the back (ie: XC40), however Citroën have thrown caution to the wind and filled it with aesthetically nice information. Diamond-cut alloys finish off the outside, giving you a sporty yet off-road looking crossover which can be suited to the Cotswolds or Co-Op. It also stands out among the pack, looking different against every other suburbia SUV on the school run.

A comfortable interior?

Yes, it’s lacking a photo (oops) – but just imagine what I’m describing. Easy access, soft touch plastics, decent infotainment, a great seating position and cabin comfort you’ve only generally seen in German rivals. The front end is spacious, bundled with technology and reminds you more of a Mazda / Toyota than a bargain French crossover SUV.

The rear seats are truly perfect for family lifestyle, a slightly higher seating position but still ample head room and leg room for days. For once in a cheaper crossover the rear passengers aren’t forgotten, giving them more than just a window to look out. USB chargers and a host of optional extras mean any rear seat passenger can literally comfortably bliss the journey away. ISOFIX means your carseats fit in easily and due to said decent rear legroom… the bigger ones aren’t a worry.

Cargo in the rear isn’t exceptional, however for the normal family it’s more than enough. You’ll find the load height a little high at times, however for usual family life the storage level is decent. Due to the wheel ingress in to the cabin, wider items don’t fit in as easily. Bigger prams are an issue, unless they fold down completely or come apart.

The 1.5 diesel is more than enough!

Yep, that’s not a statement I ever thought I’d say. However 129bhp / 300Nm torque suit the C5 Aircross perfectly, offering decent overall performance and economy. 0-62 comes in 11.8 seconds, topping out at 117mph whilst having the capability to return up to 65mpg.

Bottom end pull is brilliant, with the gearbox offering a brisk and prompt response to whatever throttle input you give it. Back roads are surprisingly fun, thanks mainly to the C5 Aircross actually giving you very little roll in corners – not to forget the steering giving a light but informative feedback alongside nicely weighted pedals.

The engine works in every situation, giving you power to nip out at a junction or overtake a Honda Jazz. Truly I didn’t find a moment I didn’t like it.

There must be something bad?

Yep there are definitely bad points to this car, not least the beautifully designed alloys which find themselves being damaged by passing feathers. However, they look amazing so… you’d just learn to drive more carefully. However, ever bad point I could think of was walked over by the price aspect.

£31,000 (on the road, including options) for a vehicle which can take you and the family everywhere, do it safely whilst returning good economy, oh and look the part too… that’s amazing value for money. The C5 Aircross is also bundled with standard technology and safety bits the considerably more expensive competitor vehicles don’t get as standard.

It’s not perfect, but it’s about as perfect as you could want for the money – and for what it can do. I just hope Citroën keep up this beautiful design language going forward.