• Good room for four, with plenty of legroom
• Lots of storage space around the cabin
• Headroom isn’t brilliant, especially in the rear

How much space is there?

Passenger space in the Citroen C5 X is good compared with similarly-priced family cars, including the full-fat SUVs the firm is trying to tempt you out of. We managed to accommodate four adults comfortably on long trips, with ample lounging room for legs – not something you can say about most cars in this price point.

We’d like a little more headroom, though. You pay a price for the sleek styling and the sloping roofline compromises the headroom for taller drivers, especially in the rear of sunroof-equipped cars. Definitely worth checking if this is an issue for you – and one area where the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV beats its cousin.

Boot space and storage

Boot capacity is 545 litres, some way off the Volkswagen Passat Estate’s 650 litres, but pretty sizeable nevertheless, and more usable in shape than most SUVs, without the excessively-high loading lip. Levers enable you to fold the back seats while standing at the rear bumper – that expands the loadbay to an estate-like 1,640 litres, compared with 1,632 for the more expensive Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake.

Naturally opting for the plug-in Hybrid 225 does reduce boot space, capacity reducing to 485 litres seats up or 1580 with them down.

Is it easy to park?

Despite the epic length of the C5 X, parking is easy enough. The view out of the front is good, making it easy to place. The shape of the car makes seeing out of the back a little difficult, but all models are assisted by front and rear parking sensors and a rear view camera.

Safety

• Disappointing four-star by Euro NCAP
• Packed with safety equipment
• Driver-assistance technology works well

The C5 X was rated four stars by Euro NCAP in the 2022 test, but it does squeeze in all the safety tech you’d expect from a large family car, though. It comes with autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, three Isofix child seat mounting points, a night vision mode and driver attention monitoring. Adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist are available, and it has to be said, it’s a little on the sensitive side to allow easy and relaxed cruising.

Other systems include driver attention monitoring (warning you if your attention wanes), and adaptive LED headlights (the beam pattern adapts to speed and road conditions), blind spot monitoring, and extended traffic sign recognition.

The C5 X has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a system which applies the brakes after an impact to avoid secondary collisions.

Watch the Citroen C5 X crash test video