It may have more than twenty different driver aids and a cruise control system that effectively allows for semi-autonomous driving, but Citroën didn’t spend much time talking about any of them at the European reveal of the C5 Aircross.
Instead, the company spent most of the day extolling the virtues of padded seat cushions and hydraulic suspension.
While other manufacturers are chasing a sporty feel above all else, Citroën is going in the opposite direction, with a pothole-absorbing ride and seats you sink into.
And honestly, it’s refreshing to see, especially at this end of the price spectrum. After all, comfort is a given in the Bentley Bentayga, but it’s rare for it to be the focus of a car costing a tenth of the price.
Comfort, both inside and when on the move, has been one of Citroën's values for years, but its reputation for reasonably priced wafty rides has perhaps been lost in recent years in the transition to SUVs.
The revised C4 Cactus kicked off a renewed focus on comfort last year, and now the C5 Aircross has established it as a trend. The hydraulic cushion suspension system is currently only found in these two cars, but it was developed to work across the whole range.
If this is a sign of things to come, it feels like Citroën is on its way to reclaiming its niche.
This is, after all, an approach that can work: just look at Volvo. Beyond embracing Swedish styling above 0-60mph times, the brand is now known for making safety one of its highest priorities.
Of course, it helps that Volvo also makes one of the best compact SUV out there right now, but its reputation for safety was common knowledge long before the Volvo XC40 arrived.
Citroën is currently half-way through overhauling an eight-car line-up, with a flagship saloon and an all-new electric car both planned for 2020. If it wants to double down on comfort, now could be the perfect time to do it.
Read more:
Citroën C5 Aircross revealed at Shanghai Motor Show
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It's all very well lauding
It's all very well lauding Citroën for focusing on comfort over lap times but I've never read a road test that hasn't commented negatively about this, in this mag or any other. The tests always start out stating that Citroën's goal is comfort and praise the ride, seats and so on but then it's always the same old story by half way through: stay away if you enjoy spirited driving, not a car for the enthusiast, etc. That's all fine and dandy but I have never read a test that says this family car has impressive handling but is as uncomfortable as a metal-seated kiddie's go-cart, stay away if you dislike abdominal hernias and haemorrhoids.
Judge a car by its own declared intentions, not by other manufacturers' declared intentions and then pieces like this will not be quite as disingenuous.
Well done Citroën for
Personally, what I want in a car is a nice, comfy seat to park my bum on, a spacious, ergonomically sound interior, and a comfy ride that doesn't try to give me back problems, shake my fillings loose or both.
Family car was a DS
Bring back comfort over sportiness, probably whi I now drive a Lexus IS300 Hybrid and am not bothered about handling.
When I was a kid the family car was a DS Estate (Pallas?) It probaly didn't handle all that well, I never drove it, but then with mum in the front passenger seat and 5 kids likely to "pebble dash!" the interior, I don't think it was top of the old man's priority list. A 7 seater Peugeot 504 estate followed, no idea if that handled sportily either for the same reasons.
There was also a Reliant Scimitar GTE for a while but that was never used for transporting kids. We were restricted to mum's Vauxhall Victor FD Estate with 3 speed column shift and bench seats. No rear seat belts or child seats.
My 1st car was a Morris Marina Coupe, which handled much better with a couple of 3' x 2' paving slabs bolted to the boot floor!!
Citroen used to be known for
Citroen used to be known for comfort with their old hydropneumatic system, however magazines such as Autocar ripped any car that aimed for comfort to shreds as it meant they were a little slower around the nurburgring.
The majority of time cars are being used to go to work / ferry kids around / go shopping. They aren't used for lapping race tracks. And for those who want this, there are models that can accomodate that.