Crossover | On the road

Citroen C5 Aircross

By Bill McCarthy

You will have read this before elsewhere no doubt, but Citroen produce some striking looking motors.

It should be no surprise, therefore, that C5 Aircross SUV is no different.

Well, it is a bit different, with a number of innovations including its modular design which includes three sliding, adjustable rear seats which incline and fold to offer a multitude of cargo carrying and stowage options. Capacity ranges from 580 to 720 litres and a huge 1,630 to the roof with the seats folded.

In fact it mirrors the looks of many of the brand, with its muscular profile, high ground clearance, striking light clusters to front and rear and the now familiar airbump protectors to doors and wheel arch guards.

It also has what appear to be two slim grilles and equally slim lights and subtle integrated roofers. Large air scoops and genuinely striking two-tone alloy wheels further distinguish it from the crowd.

The interior is high quality, if not quite up to the sibling DS standard, it is nevertheless stylish, functional and incredibly practical. It seems logically designed with eight inch touchscreen and a 12.3 inch customisable TFT instrument display with multi-function trip computer.

The touchscreen controls navigation, infotainment and connectivity via voice recognition for radio, nav and phone and Mirror screen-Mirrorlink, Apple carplay, Android auto. It also has two USB sockets, six speaker sound system,

The darkness of the dash and upholstery is only really offset by chrome trim to air vents, steering wheel and the binnacle and large glass areas letting the light in. There is a large centre console accommodating, in this case, the auto gearshift, a large oddment container and two large cupholders. Practicality rules and addition there is an illuminated glove box fixed centre storage box with sliding lid, door pockets front and rear, hinged parcel shelf and map pockets on front seat backs

It is a spacious vehicle and the large, raked windscreen allows plenty of light into the cabin. The five individual seats are large and comfortable and there is plenty of leg and headroom to front and rear thanks to the squarish shape

It is powered by a lively but frugal two litre engine, mated to a seamless eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Acceleration is brisk for the type of car, although SUV buyers are unlikely to be looking for hot hatch type performance – although the 0-60mph figure of 8.5 seconds is rapid enough. Economy is good for a big car, delivering a real world combined figure of between 43 and 47 mpg.

On the road, the two litre diesel unit has plenty of punch and a good amount of torque, so it pulls well in all gears is refined and occupants are well shielded from road, engine and wind noise.

Handling as you would expect is more oil tanker than racing car, but unless you think you’re a boy racer, it never really comes into the equation.

It is built for comfort and there is plenty of it with a softish ride aided by the Progressive Hydraulic suspension soaking up all but the very worst lump and potholes.

It is also packed with equipment including high levels of safety kit including, assisted braking, stability an traction control, hill start, full complement of airbags, ice warning and coffee break alert.

Parking camera, parking sensors, electric, heated door mirrors, sensing wipers and two position boot floor are also available on this model in addition to a raft of standard kit.

The C5 is an innovative SUV, with clever design, five full size seats, large cargo space and hi-tech bells and whistles and with a starting price of between £24 and £25k it offers plenty for the money

Factfile

Citroen C5 Aircross Flair Blue HDi 180 EAT8

Price: £31,135

Mechanical: 174bhp, 1,997cc, four cylinder turbo diesel engine driving front wheels via eight-speed auto gearbox

Max speed: 131mph

0-62mph: 8.6 seconds

Combined mpg: 43-47 mpg

Insurance group: 25

CO2 emissions: 125g/km

Warranty: 3yrs/60,000

SsangYong Tivoli by Bill McCarthy

Think Tivoli and you might think of a town in Italy or even the famous Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

But maybe not SsangYong? SsangYong is the oldest vehicle manufacturer in Korea, dating back to 1954 and despite being overshadowed by Hyundai and Kia is the country’s only 4×4 and SUV specialist producer.

The Tivoli is a a compact SUV/crossover, which should be no surprise, given the huge popularity of the type.

Older SsangYong models I have driven like the Rexton and Korando have been notable for their, how can I put this, quirky design.

The Tivoli has led the way with new design, which has brought the range right up to day.

It is as mainstream as you can get, with sharp styling, economical engines and an industry matching seven year warranty.

But with a starting price of around £15k it is no longer rock bottom, bargain basement price.

That’s Dacia Duster territory.

Yet even the base model is packed with standard equipment and is one of the most spacious in its class.

This limited edition offers a sporty look, with three striking colours, orange in this case ,with contrasting black roof and chrome door handles, piano black grille, front fog light and projector headlines together with front and rear LED daytime running lights. In addition there are heated, power folding mirrors with integrated indicators smart black diamond cut 18-inch alloys and a rear spoiler, plus tinted glass.

The interior is smart, spacious and slightly funky looking with a neat control layout, comfortable, leather look seats and plenty of space for four and even five with a bit of a squeeze.

The cabin is roomy, airy and well appointed while head and legroom is surprisingly good. For extra comfort for passengers, the rear seats recline.

It is packed with kit and the centrepiece of the interior features seven-inch touchscreen, with DAB radio and iPod & Bluetooth connectivity with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

Navigation and infotainment is also controlled from here.

Other goodies on this model include cruise control, smart steering, reversing camera, heated front seats and multi-function D-shape steering wheel.

Available in petrol and diesel in this case, this model also added automatic transmission to give a health price tag of £20,245.

The latest 1.6 litre diesel delivers decent enough performance while the six-speed auto gearbox is slick enough, although it is less economical than the manual, although mid-40s mpg is still achievable.

Acceleration, if that’s what you’re looking for, is modest, hitting 60mph in around 12 seconds and there is evidence of clatter on start up but is all but absent on the motorway.

But handling is decent enough, actually quite sharp, although the ride can easily become unsettled on poorer roads. Manoeuvrability is good and with three steering settings, which is excellent, particularly around town and into tight parking spaces.

Crossovers, particularly the smaller ones need to be practical and the Tivoli scores well here.

In addition to excellent passenger space, the boot offers a more than competitive 423-litre boot that will accommodate most loads for a normal family. In addition the split folding rear seats open up a much wider cargo capacity of 997 litres. There are also other pockets and cubby holes throughout the cabin.

For safety there are seven airbags, assisted braking, stability programme, forward collision warning and rollover protection.

No longer bargain basement, the Tivoli, with its range of standard kit and seven year warranty,offers something different in a packed compact crossover field.