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Citroën Refreshes the Slow-Selling C5 Aircross

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MY23 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport

Peugeot Citroën operates under a single banner in Australia, one of the only markets to do so. Citroën C5 Aircross is being given a makeover that is a bit more than just a bit of rouge and a new lippy.

Only 8 C5 units have been sold so far this year, a shame considering how nice a drive the C5 Aircross is. In fact, Peugeot/ Citroën together have only moved 469 units so far this year. The problem is both brands don’t appear to be good value for money, especially compared to Korean brands that now dominate the Australian market. I’ve been waiting for the creation of the Stellantis Group to bring forth some fruit. It puts Peugeot/ Citroën in the same basket as Dodge, Fiat, and alfa Romeo, among others, but so far it has been more of the same from each of the 18 brands (or thereabouts).

Citroën has had several importers over the last decade or two, but has languished, rather unfortunately, on an automotive back burner. It is now brought in by Inchcape along with Peugeot and Subaru. new model launches are now restricted to a very small group of publications, as if the company is doing its best to keep things a secret.  Gay buyers are a discerning bunch, so you’d think Inchcape would move heaven and earth to make their brands more available to the LGBTIQ+ market.

But, I digress, there will be a single variant, the C5 Aircross Sport.

Kate Gillis, Managing Director Citroën Australia, said: “We are delighted to welcome the refreshed C5 Aircross Sport to our local range. We are confident C5 Aircross Sport will appeal to both existing and new Citroën customers in Australia who have a keen eye for style and French flair.

“Not only will the refreshed design cues turn heads, but the inclusion of Citroën’s signature Advanced Comfort philosophy certainly makes our latest SUV offering an attractive package for those wanting on-board peace of mind.”

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ABOVE: 2023 Citroen C5 Aircross Sport

Outside:

A casual onlooker probably won’t notice too much change. The grille and lights have been fiddled with, intakes are now  functional, and there are some gloss black bits peppered throughout.

19” wheels are designed to fill the arches more muscularly, and the now-blackened tail lights have a more pronounced 3D effect. Colours now include Eclipse Blue that changes hew depending on the intensity of the ambient situation.

Inside:

The sunroof is now standard, and the dash and console have been remodelled. The 12” driver’s screen and 10” infotainment screen are augmented by one touch buttons for essential functions.

There is a wireless Qi charger, but Android auto and Apple Carplay are still wired.

The gear toggle is subtle, discretely placed to sit beside the parking brake button and downhill descent selector.

The design manages to echo recent Citroëns, without being a tragic pastiche. The passenger dash reflects a more grown up version of the lovely, but unloved, Cactus. Also taking cues from Cactus’ airbump doors outside, are the reverse bumps below the front sills inside.

C5 Aircross now gets the Citroën Advanced Comfort® seats as seen in C5 X and C4. It uses a special foam rubber for extra support and comfort, and for that added verisimilitude, they’re trimmed in a rather smart Paloma Nappa leather with blue highlights.

The oily Bits:

Sadly, Citroën’s fabulous hydro-pneumatic suspension is long gone, with fancy progressively dampened shock absorbers taking the place of those sexy spheres. The rather mysteriously named Pseudo MacPherson strut takes care of the front, while a Deformable crossmember handless rear bumps. It sounds more like a drunken parliamentarian than a mechanical part, which is probably why most of us call it a Torsion Beam set up. I still lament the utterly sublime ride in those older models.

I suspect part of the reason C5 Aircross has been a slow seller is the high price compared to the power under the bonnet. Power has been slightly revved up from 121kw to a slightly less unimpressive 131kw/250Nm. The tranny now has an extra few cogs, with an 8-speed unit replacing the aging 6-speed in the outgoing model.

While is it unlikely to set the performance world afire, it will no doubt be as nice a drive as its predecessor. Citroën was once an innovator, with the DS, CX, SM, C6, and XM being something the world should have bought, but didn’t. Having said that, the DS was like something from space on the day it was released. It made other 50’s cars look like cattle drays.

Following the somewhat drab offerings of the early naughties, the current range certainly look more exciting, if a trifle over-priced.

C5 Aircross certainly looks the part, and least it has a proper spare wheel, even if is a skinny temporary thingie.

Fuel consumption is combined at 5.7L/100k, which is more likely to be 7 or 8L/100k despite the 6.3L/100k claim

PECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
1.6L Turbo Petrol PureTech Stop & Go system
Capacity: (cc) 1598cc
Cylinders: 4
Max power: 133kW @ 5500rpm
Max torque: 250Nm @ 1650rpm
Fuel system: High pressure direct injection

TRANSMISSION
8-speed Efficient Automatic Transmission (EAT8)

CITROËN PROGRESSIVE HYDRAULIC CUSHIONS SUSPENSION 
Front: Pseudo MacPherson strut, integrated pressurised hydraulic shock absorbers with progressive dampening
Rear: Deformable crossmember, hydraulic pressurised shock absorbers with progressive dampening

WHEELS & TYRES
Wheel Size & Tyre: 19″ diameter, 205/55 R19
Space saving spare wheel

CONSUMPTION & EMISSIONS^^^
City cycle (L/100KM): 6.3
Highway cycle (L/100KM): 5.4
Combined cycle (L/100KM): 5.7
CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) emissions (G/KM) combined: 130

WEIGHTS (kg)
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM): 1995
Tare weight: 1402

BRAKES Front/Rear
Ventilated front discs. Solid rear discs.

CAPACITIES (Litres)
Fuel tank: 53

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS (mm)
Length: 4500
Width: 1859 (excluding mirrors)
Height: 1695
Wheelbase: 2730

BOOT VOLUMES (L)
Boot volume seats up (2nd row seats most rearward): 580L
Boot volume seats down: 1,630L

Model Price (MLP*) Standard Paint Colour Metallic Paint Colours ($690)! Premium Paint Colour ($1,050)!
Citroën C5 Aircross Sport $54,990 Polar White Perla Nera Black
Platinum Grey
Steel Grey
Eclipse Blue		 Pearlescent White

CITROËN ASSURED SERVICE PRICING^^

Model 20,000km/
12 months		 40,000km/
24 months		 60,000km/
36 months		 80,000km/
48 months		 100,000km/
60 months		 Total
Citroën C5 Aircross Sport $415  $744  $415  $758  $429  $2760

PRE-PAID SERVICE PLAN PRICING~~~:

Model 3 Year 5 Year
Citroën C5 Aircross Sport $1,100 $2,000

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