Citroën’s quirky roots return in the new C5 Aircross

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word convention means “according with, sanctioned by, or based on convention”. In short the same old-same old, which explains why the clever wordy people also describe the word’s meaning as “lacking originality or individuality”. Therefore, boring.

If you separate your emotions from your logical side, then the gross majority of cars fall into the conventional bracket. But every now and again something different comes along. Some of these are just plain hideous, like the Fiat Multipla, but then there are others that hit the spot with a different kind of consumer. Enter the Citroën C5 Aircross.

The recent return of Peugeot’s sister brand to the SA market after a three-year hiatus has been well documented and they were nice enough to give us a C5 Aircross 1.6T Shine. At R509 900, it is the flagship model on the Citroën menu. And in true Citroën style, the car is quirky. Quirky, by the way, is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as “unusual in an attractive and interesting way”. And over the years, the French carmaker has thrived on the unconventional approach with varied success.

The oddly styled DS set new standards when it made its first appearance in 1955, with its revolutionary hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension. The car’s technology was considered ingenious and it was so well received that almost 1.5 million units were sold over two decades.

More recently, another out-of-the-box design from the French carmaker was the C4 Cactus, with its distinctive “airbump” panels on the car’s sides – meant to protect the bodywork in car parks. The rubbery side walls were maybe too far out the box and production lasted less than four years. Airbump panels have found their way to the C5 Aircross, but they neatly tucked into the bottom of the side doors while still providing the intended protection from oblivious fools shamelessly denting your car in a parking lot.

The big thing the C5 Aircross brings to the table – apart from some unconventional styling queues – is what the manufacturer terms the Citroën Advanced Comfort Programme, which is supposed to provide a “magic carpet ride” which was also the original payoff line for the DS. This is made possible through progressive hydraulic cushions suspension and advanced comfort seats. Starting with the suspension: conventional suspension systems are made up of a shock absorber, a spring and a mechanical stop.

The progressive hydraulic cushions system adds two hydraulic stops on either side, one for rebound and the other for compression. So, during major compression and rebound, they gradually slow down movement to avoid sudden jolts. The suspension felt good in city traffic. I did not take it off that tarmac. But colleague Andre de Kock did during the launch ride and was impressed.

As far as the seats go, Citroën uses various types of foam to try what it calls replicating sitting in an armchair. We must admit the seats are really comfy and regret not taking it on a long road trip. The second row consists of three individual sliding, folding and reclining seats and the configuration gives you hordes of options to maximise comfort or practicality. The seats can be tilted to offer five different positions and the standard 520-litre boot can be increased all of 720 litres by moving the second row forward. It can also fold completely flat to provided 1 630 litres of extra space.

Power comes from the 1.6 THP petrol engine that sends 121kW/240Nm to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox. The power is decent, but somehow slightly less sprightly than the Peugeot 5008, which has the same engine. Fuel consumption was around the 11.5l/100km mark, not far off Citroën’s claimed 10.5 on the urban cycle.

Citroën paid special attention to soundproofing the engine compartment. Double-glazed laminated front windows with an insulated layer also adds to an extremely quiet ride, similar to what we experienced in the 5008. To add to your in-car experience, there is an eight-inch touchscreen on the dashboard covering the infotainment functions and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display panel.

The C5 also offers an impressive list of safety features that include active safety brake and active lane departure warning systems, driver attention assist and active blind-spot monitoring. As quirky as it may be, the C5 Aircross has enough going for it to not only appeal to unconventional souls. It might sway a few regulars to break out of their boring closets.

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