The flying carpet, the mythical means of transport of the most beautiful oriental fairy tales, has now become a fixed point of reference for Citroën. With an almost asphyxiating search for maximum comfort, the designers and managers of the French brand want to make the occupants of their cars travel as if detached from the ground and isolated from the world. The goal of giving comfort to customers, relatives and friends is not new for Citroën, but it has become a real mantra at the turn of the centenary, launched in June 2019. The revised and corrected edition of the C5 Aircross is no exception. , making its debut 4 years ago and somewhat slowed in its sales ambitions by a difficult period not only for the automotive world, despite 245,000 units delivered in Europe.
The transalpine SUV comes back in a more modern look with a less rounded style and well-defined lines, especially in the front area. The style is more modern and close to that of the latest creatures of the brand with the double lozenge, namely the C4 and the C5X. On board the renewal effort was made in the direction of a higher perceived quality. In the center of the dashboard stands a new 10 ”touchscreen brought closer to the driver. The materials used are more refined, with black inserts that underline the desire for elegance of the interior. For an optimum level of comfort, padded seats with an additional layer of 15 mm of foam are complemented by progressive damping hydraulic shock absorbers. Yes, the very ones who want to recreate the flying carpet effect mentioned above. The three independent seats in the second row stand out, guaranteeing more modularity of space inside.
C5 X, the new formula of the Citroen flagship
by Roberto Gurian
In Italy the C5 Aircross arrives in 3 versions. The 1.2-liter 3-cylinder petrol engine and the conventional 1.5-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel both have an output of 130 hp. At the top of the range is the plug-in hybrid with the 4-cylinder petrol 1.6-liter 180 hp combined with an electric 81.2 kW for a total power of 225 hp. Prices start at 29,700 euros to reach 43,350 euros in the basic set-ups. In testing with the Hybrid 225 we were able to appreciate the excellent level of comfort promised by the car, with a mellow engine complex capable of pushing the vehicle towards interesting performance, with a top speed of 225 km / h.
The ace in the hole, for those who can take advantage of it on a daily basis, is represented by running in electric mode with a declared range of over 50 km. The behavior on the road is like an SUV that pampers the occupants, with a sensitive roll if a more brilliant driving style is adopted, however possible by choosing the relative mode of use of the vehicle. The presence of the standard automatic gearbox (and optional on the other versions) further underlines the ambitions of a comfortable traveler for the renewed C5 Aircross.