Brand New Citroën C5 Aircross 170kW Plus Long Range 97kWh 5dr Auto

If you want a Citroen e-C5 Aircross, then you probably want this 97kWh Long Range version. Jonathan Crouch explains why.

Ten Second Review

A curious government grant strategy has created a situation where choosing the 97kWh Long Range version of Citroen's e-C5 Aircross mid-sized full-electric family SUV is a bit of a no-brainer. Like its Comfort Range smaller-battery showroom stablemate the top version of this electric crossover is spacious, well priced and assertive. Dealers must wish they'd had this car years ago.

Background

More full-battery models are qualifying for the highest £3,750 level of government Electric Car Grant. Here's another of them, the Citroen e-C5 Aircross Long Range. We've already reviewed the e-C5 Aircross in its Comfort Range 73kWh form, but for reasons best known to the Inland Revenue, that model only qualifies for the lower £1,500 level of grant. Which makes it effectively redundant as this Long Range model costs virtually no more with its higher grant deducted and gives you significantly more driving mileage. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

The 322 mile range figure of the e-C5 Aircross in its 73kWh standard form isn't too bad by segment standards, but there's every chance that, as a family, you might sometimes find it a bit restricting. So it's difficult to see why you wouldn't choose the Long Range 97kWh version we're focusing on here, given that thanks to differing government grant levels, the two variants retail at much the same price in the UK. With the Long Range model, range jumps substantially - up to 421 miles, and the extra weight of all those additional battery cells is mostly accounted for by an increase in output from 210hp to 230hp. As evidenced by the 0-62mph times which with the Long Range version actually improves fractionally to 8.8s, en route to the 106mph top speed that all e-C5 Aircross models share. One of the things we criticised with all the Stellantis Group STLA-Medium-platform mid-sized SUV designs we tried before this one (namely the Peugeot 3008 and the Vauxhall Grandland) was heavy weight. And that meant a clunky ride, particularly in the EV versions. This C5 Aircross must use that overly weighty platform too, but the ride you get with it will be nowhere near as bad as it is on, say, a Peugeot E-3008 because Citroen has carried forward to this car a bit of clever damping tech. Namely the 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushion' suspension system that it introduced on the first generation C5 Aircross. The name of this model might suggest this to be an air-sprung set-up, while the current trend might suggest it to be driver-adaptive. Neither of these solutions though, fits with the approach Citroen must take at this price point. The company lost money building too much damping complexity into its affordable cars in the '60's and '70's and in developing this SUV, it wasn't about to make the same mistake again. So what we've got here instead is an ordinary everyday spring-and-damper set-up that's been re-imagined in a rather clever way. In ordinary cars, such a system usually works with rubber bumps stops that the suspension coil crashes against over bumps at the top and bottom of wheel travel. The 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushions' set-up replaces these stops with hydraulic dampers. These cushion those impacts over things like speed humps and tarmac tears and allow the fitment of softer springs and dampers, producing the exemplary ride quality that Citroen claims this car can deliver.

Design and Build

Just as the standard e-C5 Aircross looks little different to the combustion Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid versions, there's nothing much visually to set this 'Long Range' version apart from its smaller-battery 'Comfort Range' showroom stablemate. This second generation C5 Aircross design is quite different to the first, being all angular and techy - in contrast to the curvy original. The switch to a more advanced 'STLA Medium' platform has allowed it to become quite a lot bigger too, the 4,652mm length being 152mm longer than the previous generation design. It's also much more aerodynamic than the original model, aided by a groove above the rear wheel arch that funnels air along the side through so-called 'light wings' - a couple of narrow rear light strips that protrude from the body. But there's still 200mm of ground clearance. And big wheel sizes up to 20-inches. Unusually, it's the rear that makes the biggest style statement. Instead of the light bar now fashionable in this class, the interesting graphic is made up of three red horizontal strakes linked by a black gloss panel. It's equally striking inside, were Citroen's tried to create what it calls a 'C-Zen Lounge' where 'occupants are seated as if in a living room'. Hence the sofa-like foam padding on the dashboard and quilted 'Advanced Comfort' seats you sink into that can be adjusted in ten directions and can include a massaging function. The upper part of the seat is shaped to 'wrap around you like a shawl'. The 'Cascade' centre monitor which flows out of the centre console is the largest yet fitted to a Stellantis Group model, plus there's a 10-inch instrument screen and a head-up display. In the back, the big disappointment is the lack of the previous model's individual sliding seats. There's just a fixed bench, but you will have more room to move about, with 51mm more knee space and 68mm more head room than before. Plus the backrest can be reclined between 21 and 33-degrees, 'adding to the sensation of travelling first class'. The boot is also bigger, now 565-litres, with a 75-litre space beneath the floor. There are no catches to fold the rear bench but with everything flat, up to 1,668-litres of space is available.

Market and Model

Citroen wants nearly £37,000 for this 97kWh Long Range e-C5 Aircross, but because it qualifies for the higher £3,750 level of Electric Car Grant (rather than the £1,500 level of the Grant that applies to the 73kWh e-C5 Aircross), what you'll end up paying for the two variants ends up much the same. At the time of this review in late 2025, that meant a Long Range model asking price of just under £33,000 in base 'YOU!' form, just £370 more than an equivalently-specced 73kWh 'Comfort Range' 'YOU!' model. There are two other trim level available - mid-spec 'PLUS' and top-spec 'MAX'. Top 'MAX' trim is necessary if you don't want to have to pay extra for a heat pump to maintain range in cold weather. The EV can also be upgraded to include a 22kW onboard charger. And can come with vehicle-to-load charging so that you can power external devices from the car's drive battery - like laptops and lights. Despite the value pricing, equipment levels are strong. Base 'YOU!'-spec includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights with High Beam Assist, a 13-inch touchscreen with 3D navigation, a wireless smartphone charger, adaptive cruise control and an 'Urban Grey' interior with Sofa fabric. Mid-range 'PLUS'-spec includes a 'Metropolitan Blue' interior with premium fabrics, ambient lighting, dark-tinted windows, proximity keyless entry, front parking sensors and a 180-degree reversing camera. Top 'MAX' trim adds a 'Hype Blue' interior with premium materials, an extended head-up display, heat for the front seats and steering wheel, a hands-free electric tailgate and the brand's 'Drive Assist Pack 2.0' with semi-autonomous features. That 'Drive Assist 2.0' pack includes extended blind spot detection (scanning up to 75-metres behind the car) and a lane-change system that allows semi-automated motorway lane changes above 43mph with a press of a steering wheel button. There's also a 'VisioPark 360' camera system offering a whole range of manoeuvring views.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the range figures in our 'Driving' section - the 97kWh Long Range version at 421 miles as opposed to 322 miles for the 73kWh version. Those figures jump, respectively, to 414 miles and 544 miles in exclusively urban driving. The e-C5 Aircross DC charges at up to 160kW, regardless of your choice between the 73kWh or the 97kWh battery. That means a 10-80% DC charging speed of 27 minutes for the 97kWh model which curiously is 3 minutes faster than the 73kWh version. The longer charging time you'd expect a larger battery to need is evident though with the AC charging times. At home using a typical 7.4kW wallbox, the Long Range 97kWh model AC charges from 20-80% in 8 hours and 55 minutes (2 hours 10 minutes longer than the 73kWh model); with a three-phase 11kW three-phase supply, it'd be 6 hours 30 minutes for a 20-80% Long Range model AC charge (2 hours longer than the 73kWh variant). All versions of this model will be covered by the brand's usual unremarkable three year/60,000 mile warranty. Citroen wants to emphasise this model's eco-credentials. Some of the plastics used in the doors and centre console are partly made from harvested burgundy vines that would otherwise be burnt. And around 160kg of this model's metal parts are recycled, while 47kg of the car's plastic comes from environmentally-friendly sources. Recycled fabric is used for the seats and there's no real leather upholstery option.

Summary

We liked the e-C5 Aircross with its standard Comfort Range battery. Now there's even more reason to like it given that for virtually no more money, you can go quite a lot further on a single charge in this Long Range model. And you'll do so more comfortably than in most rivals thanks to Citroen's Hydraulic Cushion suspension set-up. Other mid-sized SUV rivals might be more stylish or better to drive. But it's difficult to think of a better all-round package in the segment than this.