Say hello to…
…the Citroen eC5 Aircross a mid-size SUV available as a PHEV or an all-electric car. In EV form, the eC5 Aircross is available with a choice of two battery packs, a Long Range 97kW unit and a 73kW unit in the Comfort Range car.
The eC5 Aircross is available in three trim levels:
- You
- Plus
- Max
Standard kit on You variants include 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, 13-inch infotainment, wireless phone charger.
Plus adds keyless entry, front parking sensors and reversing camera.
Max adds head-up display, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, powered boot lid and a heat pump.
Is The Citroen eC5 Aircross Suitable For My Fleet
Big and practical is a plus for fleets, but when the efficiency is this poor – 2.9 miles per kWh – the eC5 loses marks. A car with a 73kWh battery should, in this day and age, be returning a real-world 300 mile range. Even with the heat pump on the Max trim level we tested, we only saw a range of just over 200 miles. For a car that’s coming in at close to £600 a month, that’s not good enough.
Leasing A Citroen eC5 Aircross
Gateway2lease is offering the Citroen e-C5 Aircross in Max trim with the Comfort battery for £589 a month on a 3+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year. Forecast maintenance costs are £33 a month according to Gensen Reports and the Class 1A NIC comes in at £21 a month.
Driving A Citroen eC5 Aircross
If comfort is your priority, the e-C5 Aircross delivers. It’s a big, softly sprung SUV that majors on ease rather than engagement, with a ride that smooths out poor surfaces and makes journeys feel largely effortless. There’s noticeable body roll through corners, but that’s clearly part of the brief rather than a flaw. This is a car tuned for wafting, not pressing on.
Performance is adequate rather than brisk but even so, efficiency is a weak point. At around 2.9 miles per kWh, real-world range settles at roughly 211 miles, which feels underwhelming for a car of this size and positioning. And it’s 111 miles short of the official figure. On the plus side, a peak 160kW DC charging capability helps offset that to a degree, making rapid top-ups relatively painless on longer trips.
While ride comfort is good, the driving experience is let down by some dynamic inconsistencies. The brake pedal lacks firmness and confidence, with a soft, sinking feel that takes some getting used to. Adaptive cruise control can also be overly cautious, disengaging too readily when conditions aren’t perfect.
Inside, space is a clear strength. There’s plenty of room for passengers and a generally airy feel, reinforcing its credentials as a practical fleet choice. The cabin design is a mixed bag, though: there are some genuinely lovely touches, such as the cloth-effect dashboard trim, but these sit alongside cheaper-feeling ‘80’s hifi’ plastics that undermine the overall impression.
Tech usability is similarly uneven. The infotainment layout is logical and easy to navigate, but the processor is sluggish, leading to frustrating delays. Connectivity also proved unreliable on test, with CarPlay prone to dropping out.
Overall, the e-C5 Aircross is best viewed as a comfort-first cruiser with strong practicality, but one that falls short on efficiency, polish and dynamic confidence.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Citroen eC5 Aircross
Too expensive and too inefficient to wholeheartedly recommend. But we do like Citroen’s approach to comfort.
Citroen eC5 Aircross
- Model: eC5 Aircross Max Comfort Range
- Power: 213hp
- Torque: 125Nm
- Max speed: 106mph
- 0-62mph: 8.9s
- Official range: 322 miles
- Test range: 211 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- BIK tax band 2026/27: 4%
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