Citroen C5 Aircross interior

Infotainment

Every Citroen C5 Aircross comes with an 8.0-inch central touchscreen that controls almost all of the car’s onboard functions – including the heating and ventilation, which we’ll get onto in a moment.

It’s bright enough to see clearly in direct sunlight but the system’s red and white graphics could do with a splash of colour to make it much easier to tell each icon apart quickly. Thankfully, the screen is nice and sharp, so you won’t find yourself squinting to read some of the smaller menu text.

Unlike some touchscreen systems, the Citroen C5 Aircross’ infotainment display comes with a row of shortcut buttons to help you access key features easily. Sadly, these aren’t physical buttons, rather they’re touch-sensitive pads with icons that glow at night. As a result, they aren’t quite as intuitive to use as the switch-style buttons in a Hyundai Tucson. It’s also rather frustrating that the volume knob for the stereo is tucked away under the dashboard next to the controls for the heated rear windscreen.

Equally awkward is having to use the Citroen C5 Aircross’ touchscreen to control the heating and ventilation. Rather than just turning a dial, you have to press a button on the dashboard to load up the correct menu, then swipe up or down to change the temperature and fan speed.

You can use the Citroen C5 Aircross’ voice controls to change the cabin temperature, though. This system works pretty well and also lets you input an address into the sat-nav without taking your hands – or eyes – off the road.

Speaking of sat-nav, it comes as standard on all but entry-level Feel versions. You do get Apple and Android smartphone mirroring as standard across the range though, so you can use your phone’s navigation apps through the car’s built-in screen instead.

If you do pick a Flair or Flair Plus model, you’ll get a TomTom navigation system as standard. Entering an address is a little tricky because the on-screen keyboard is laid out alphabetically rather than in a conventional qwerty layout, but once you’re on the move it delivers concise, clear directions.

It also alerts you with a little beep whenever you’re approaching a speed camera, which is useful if driving in unfamiliar areas. The map graphics aren’t a patch on what you get in the VW Tiguan or Skoda Kodiaq, but at least they’re bright and easy to read.

On the plus side, the Citroen C5 Aircross comes with a digital driver’s display as standard – unlike almost all other mid-size SUVs. This 12.3-inch screen replaces conventional dials with a customisable display that lets you choose exactly what information you want to see. It’s easy to read and even lets you view upcoming directions from the sat-nav system, but it doesn’t show you road names like the optional digital dials in a VW Tiguan do, so it’s not as useful.