MOTORING

CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS PLUG-IN HYBRID

ONE of the most crowded – and fastest growing – sectors in the new car market at present is for SUVs so Citroen’s latest offering, the C5 Aircross, already has a lot of competition.

Also growing fast is the demand for electric or hybrid cars which gives our test car this week another big market to compete in as it is the plug-in version.

With a 1.6 turbocharged petrol engine and 81kW electric motor the SUV has impressive stats with a total of 225bhp giving a 140mph top speed and 0 to 60 figure of 8.7 seconds, but the one which really counts these days is how much of the ever-more expensive go juice it will consume.

Well there is good news there as well as this entry level Shine trim e-EAT8 PureTech version will do a claimed 157 to 222 miles per gallon depending on your driving style.

There is also a range of 33 to 40 miles on electric only after a full charge which can be achieved, say Citroen, in less than two hours on a high power socket. I put the car on a slower three pin plug home charge overnight and that also gave a full charge.

Now at £35,000 it is not cheap (the non-hybrid models start from £25,000) but the list of equipment adds to this car’s appeal as it includes adaptive cruise control, all round parking sensors and cameras, an 8” central infotainment screen with sat nav and voice control, power folding and heated door mirrors, special ‘diamond cut’ 18 inch alloy wheels and a whole raft of safety systems. The C5 Aircross is also comfortable and spacious and drives well, with only a small loss of boot space compared to the diesel and petrol versions, and has comfortable seats and lots of room for adults in the back seats.

This Citroen’s distinctive exterior is reflected by an eye-catching interior design featuring chunky seats and futuristic design with a rounded rectangular theme and high centre console, although some of the interior materials used are a bit disappointing

You’re vaguely aware of the automatic gearbox shuffling between its eight speeds, but it’s all very smooth. Using the steering-wheelmounted paddles is largely a waste of time, as is selecting the car’s Sport mode, because the tweaks it makes fail to make the C5 feel remotely sporty.

Like the petrol and diesel versions there are the same thin LED daytime running lights at the leading edge of the bonnet, large Citroen badges and prominent wheel arches with plenty of plastic cladding helping the C5 Aircross to stand out from more conservative SUVs.

So what is the C5 Aircross Hybrid like to live with? Well after a week of very mixed driving, including a trip to the tip with an old wardrobe, it proved a practical motor which can cope with anything you need to do with peppy performance, comfort and great interior space plus a distinctive style which makes it stand out from the SUV crowd.

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SERVICES FROM

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EXCEL HYBRID

THERE’S no doubt Toyota have a reputation for making tough, reliable vehicles – remember Jeremy Clarkson’s attempts to ‘kill’ an old pick-up and news footage from third world conflicts almost always features the company’s aging products traversing rugged terrain.

So their latest large SUV, the Highlander, already ticks those two boxes (and even shares its name with an ‘immortal’ film franchise character) but what is it like to live with away from the battlefield or TV motoring stunt show?

Well we got our hands on the lower-spec Excel Hybrid version for a week and it did not disappoint. Mind you, for over £50,000 you would expect something special.

Now in its fourth generation, the Highlander has long been a key part of Toyota’s line-up world-wide, but not here in the UK until now. The seven-seater is a big vehicle so has lots of road presence with a blend of rugged SUV design and distinctive Toyota styling. The generous interior is comfortable and both Excel and Excel Premium trim levels have lots of kit with an upmarket feel. There is an eight-inch infotainment screen surrounded by assorted switchgear all close to hand and elsewhere a mixture of analogue and digital displays with the Premium models even getting a headup display.

The standard panoramic roof adds to the spacious feel while for comfort there are leather heated and ventilated seats, multi-zone air conditioning and a premium sound system. Passengers in the second row have plenty of space while the third row are big enough for adults on shorter journeys and kids all day long.

With the rear two seats folded down the Highlander offers a generous 658 litres of storage, rising to 1,177 litres if you also stow away the second row which fold down flat.

The Highlander Excel (from £50,595) also has a power tailgate, which adds to its practicality, and other standard kit includes black leather upholstery on all seven seats, three-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, puddle lights, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and sat nav.

The plusher Excel Premium (from £52,575) also gets that headsup display, a top-down parking camera, heated rear seats and ventilated fronts among other additions.

The Highlander is offered with only one powertrain for the UK, a 244bhp 2.5-litre petrol-electric hy-brid set up which has an electric motor on each axle to give four-wheel drive and plenty of power (0 to 60 in 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 111mph) while returning an impressive claimed mpg of a shade under 40.

Toyota’s long experience of hybrids means seamless integration of petrol and electric power alt-hough the CVT transmission can let revs rise a bit under hard acceleration. The Highlander can al-so run on electricity alone up to the motorway limit given enough charge is available.

The suspension set up gives a comfortable ride on normal roads yet can cope with the rough stuff if required. The Highlander is, however, more road focussed that its slightly bigger brother, the ven-erable Land Cruiser.

There aren’t many seven-seater premium hybrid SUVs on offer at this price so the Highlander could find a niche for those looking for a value for money, well-appointed, spacious and practical large SUV backed by the pedigree of the Toyota brand.