Sitting at the top of the C5 Aircross lineup, the SUV Hybrid (that’s how it’s called, seriously!) is available to order in France for the princely price of €39,950 including taxes. That’s expensive by compact crossover standards, but then again, the all-electric range of 50 kilometers makes every euro worth it.
Despite the terminology that Citroen’s marketing department came up with, you’re actually looking at a plug-in hybrid with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor driving the front wheels as well. Twinned with the DS 7 Crossback, Opel Grandland X, and two Peugeots, the newcomer totals 225 PS (222 horsepower) as well as 320 Nm (236 pound-feet) of torque.
Instead of an e-CVT, the French automaker made a case for a torque-converter automatic transmission with eight forward ratios. Linked to the 80-kW electric motor on the front axle, the Citroen also boasts 13.2 kWh instead of 11.8 kW in the case with the Peugeot 508 Hybrid sedan and station wagon.
It boggles the mind why automakers still charge extra for a 7.4-kW charger, but you’ll need it unless you want to wait seven hours or so on a domestic socket with the standard 3.7-kW charger. The faster system needs under two hours to charge the battery on a 32-amp wall box and four hours on 14 amps.
Estimated fuel economy as per the WLTP? Even though these numbers are somewhat optimistic, the C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid is technically capable of 1.7 liters per 100 kilometers if your driving style implies granny going to Sunday church. That’s 138.3 miles to the gallon U.S. and 166.2 miles per gallon in the United Kingdom, translating to CO2 emissions of 39 g/km.
Anodised blue exterior accents set the plug-in hybrid apart from ICE-only versions of the C5 Aircross, and the auto-dimming rearview mirror emits a blue light to the outside of the car when driven in EV mode. Changes further include dedicated graphics for the instrument panel and touchscreen, joined by a driving mode selector on the center console next to the gear selector.
EV mode can take you up to 135 km/h (84 mph), but as standard, the system is programmed to default in Hybrid every time you start the car. Sport mode is also available, but Citroen isn’t kidding anyone with this feature.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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