Bentley Continental vs Citroen C5 Aircross

What's the difference?

It may not come cheap, isn’t ideal for family buyers and will have you visiting the petrol bowser regularly, but it’s still hard not to love the Continental GT.

It’s an over-the-top car in so many ways, from the dramatic styling to the plush and pampering interior to the effortlessly powerful engine, this is a car that is a pleasure to drive 10km or 10,000km.

It’s certainly not cheap, especially if you start diving into the options list, or the even more costly Mulliner program, but price is relative, of course, and for Bentley buyers purchasing one of these cars isn’t about getting a ‘bargain’ but instead it’s about experiencing the finer things in life.

So, what did my family think about the Citroen C5 Aircross Sport?

I love how it looks and its updated safety list. It’s fairly spacious inside and has a great boot space but it’s lacking a lot of family-orientated practicality in the back seat. The lack of individual storage and amenities is noticeable when you have a kid or two but even as an adult, not having a cupholder for your coffee/drink on a trip feels odd.

The multimedia system and reversing camera need to be improved, too. Overall, it will suit a small family which is out of the baby stage but can’t yet justify upgrading to a larger SUV. It gets a 6.5/10 from my family. 

The most interesting aspect of the third-generation Continental GT design is how similar it looks to the first-generation model launched 20 years ago.

Put the pair side-by-side and you’ll notice the latest model is more refined and features crisper lines and more intricate details, but the overall shape and design themes, such as the grille, headlights, etc, bare a similar family resemblance.

This is a deliberate act from Bentley, choosing an evolutionary styling approach for the Continental GT in the same way Porsche has approached the 911.

As for the specific details of this particular Continental GT S model, there are some key differences between it and the standard GT and GT Azure models that sit beneath it in the range. 

The most notable - even if it is slightly harder to spot on our black test car - is a ‘black pack’ that swaps all the chrome finishes on the exterior to black.

This includes the grille, headlight surrounds, lower bumper grille, window surrounds, door mirror caps and the exhaust tips. The S also adds black sports sills and black-painted alloy wheels.

The facelifted model sees a sportier front with the grille redesigned to highlight the double chevron badge.

The bonnet curves around the badge, as do the two long LED strip lights that connect the headlights. The bonnet also sports new divots that give it a gruffer edge.

The wide profile at the rear and new three-pronged tail-lights create some interest.

The black plastic moulding that runs along the base of the car could look unfashionable on a lighter colour but on our blue paintwork, it looks good. As does the contrasting black roof!

The interior trims are finished in a combination of synthetic and Nappa leather but boast a two-tone colour which might not land with everyone. Particularly given the navy portions seem to be glittery in certain lights.

Sitting at 1859mm wide, 1695mm high and just 4500mm long, the overall exterior design is sporty but cute. It should appeal to those who want a nice-but-not-loud-looking car and something that is easy to park.

As mentioned earlier, the Continental GT is a two-door, four-seat grand tourer, but while it’s certainly grand, calling it a four seater may be a stretch.

There are two small seats in the rear that can be used if absolutely necessary but anyone in the back won’t feel like they’re in a luxury car because they’ll be cramped for space - even with the roof down.

You could pop small kids in the back in a pinch (and there is a pair of ISOFIX anchor points) but the Continental GT is hardly a family car.

In fact, the Flying Spur is a four-door sedan built on the same underpinnings as the Continental GT, so Bentley does have family buyers covered.

So, let’s keep our attention on the front seats, which is where you want to be in this grand tourer. The seats are comfortable and offer fantastic support, thanks in large part to 12-way electronic adjustment.

To help you enjoy your convertible with the top down regardless of weather, the seats are heated and available with a vent to blow warm or cool air onto your neck.

The seats are just the start, the whole cabin is a blend of modern technology and classic luxury elements.

There’s the media touchscreen, but there’s also a physical button for most functions, so it’s a busy layout but one that will likely appeal to Bentley’s older clientele.

Our test car was fitted with not only the optional sound system but a rotating display, so you can hide the screen away when you’re not using it.

Overall the build quality and attention-to-detail is exceptional, as you’d expect for a car at this price. And it’s really one of the main reasons you buy a Bentley, because it has a level of luxury and quality above brands like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.

The interior is spacious for a medium SUV but the back seat knocks off some points for family practicality. So, let’s start in the back.

Despite there being plenty of headspace for my 168cm (5’6’’) height, the legroom is cosy behind my driving position.

Meaning a 0-4 rearward facing child seat will encroach on front passenger space. It’s probably best suited to a family which is out of the baby stages but it was cumbersome fitting my big harnessed-booster seat in there, too.

It has ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard rear seats and three top tethers but two seats will fit best. The floor is flat, which offers far more comfort for a middle seat passenger and I love how the seats can be individually shifted.

The amenities and storage in this row are sparse. You get directional air vents, reading lights, netted map pockets and shallow storage bins in the doors.

Siblings may squabble over the single USB-A port on a long road trip but more than that, there are no cupholders or drink bottle holders back there or even a centre armrest.

That said, the 182mm ground clearance made it an easy car for my six-year-old to get in and out of; plus, the stadium-like seating and wide windows meant he had an awesome view this week.

Now for the front. It has ample amenities, storage and tech. You get plenty of head- and legroom, plus with the panoramic sunroof the cabin manages to feel airy, too.

Individual storage is great with an extra deep middle console, glove box, two cupholders, bins in each door and two very handy utility trays situated near the toggle-type shifter.

Charging options are much better up front, too, and you can choose between a wireless charging pad, two USB-A ports and a 12-volt socket to charge your device.

It's super easy to connect to the wired Apple CarPlay and there’s wired Android Auto for those users.

The built-in satellite navigation is straightforward but that’s where the simplicity ends. I did not find the multimedia system or the digital instrument panel to be terribly intuitive to use and the touchscreen controls can be laggy.

I’m sure you could get used to it over time but I felt flustered.

For this size SUV, the boot space is great at 580L with all seats in use but you can bump it up to 1630L if you fold the back row.

The floor can be adjusted to make a level load space or dropped to give you greater depth for bulkier items and there is a temporary spare tyre underneath the floor.

There are luggage tie-down anchors, a cargo blind and I always like having a powered tailgate. 

There is only one model for the C5 Aircross Sport and it will set you back $54,990, before on-road costs.

That prices it as the most expensive compared to its rivals with the Mazda CX-5 GT SP ($51,810) coming in closest but the Nissan X-Trail ST-L ($46,790) and the Kia Sportage SX+ ($41,850) are even more affordable.

The only included paint colours are 'Polar White' and 'Nera Black'. Our model’s 'Eclipse Blue' will add on $690.

However, the C5’s price tag doesn’t feel too cheeky because of the feature-heavy specification, including heated front seats, electric driver’s seat with massage function, a panoramic sunroof and a mix of premium Nappa leather and synthetic leather interior trim.

You also get a powered tailgate, rear privacy glass tinting, full LED lights on the exterior, individually sliding seats on the back row and black 19-inch alloy wheels.

The technology has been upgraded with the dashboard being headlined by a 10-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.

Built-in satellite navigation, as well as wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also included as standard equipment.

On top of that, the safety list has been significantly improved, but more on that later. 

Bentley is renowned for its big, powerful engines, specifically its unique W12. That’s available in the top-of-the-range Continental GT, but the S model we’re driving is motivated by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

It may not be what Bentley is famous for, but it’s a fantastic engine in its own right and it’s paired to a well-matched eight-speed automatic transmission and an active all-wheel drive system.

Making a very healthy 404kW and 770Nm it has no trouble getting such a big car moving.

Bentley claims the Continental GT S will run 0-100km/h in just 4.1 seconds, which is very rapid and particularly impressive when you realise this car weighs 2335kg.

The C5 Aircross Sport has a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a maximum power output of 133kW and 250Nm of torque. It’s not super grunty but there’s plenty here to keep you up to speed on the open road.

It is a front-wheel drive and has an eight-speed auto transmission but the gear changes can feel a bit jerky at lower speeds.

If you’re looking for a fuel efficient car or are worried about the price of premium unleaded at your local service station, the Continental GT is not for you.

In an entirely unsurprising way, this two-tonne, twin-turbo V8 luxury car is not a fuel-sipping proposition.

Even the official combined urban/highway cycle is 12.5 litres per 100km, which is thirsty.

But if you’re spending most of your time around town, rather than driving to your country weekender, you’ll probably be looking at returns in the mid to high teens, based on our experience.

We saw an average of 16.7L/100km on the car’s long-term trip computer that included more than 1400km of driving.

Fortunately it has a 90-litre tank, which translates to a theoretical driving range of 720km - as long as you can hit the official claim.

Ah, this is where it earns back some points!

I was very impressed by the efficiency of this because the official combined cycle fuel figure is 5.7L/100km and my real-world usage came to 6.2L! That’s fantastic for this sized SUV and for a turbo.

With a fuel tank of 53L and based on the combined fuel figure, you should be able to get a driving range of around 930km, which is good for those families who like to do road trips.

There’s a duality to the driving experience of the Continental GT, as it manages to blend its obvious luxury focus with a genuinely dynamic edge that makes it a true grand tourer.

The combination of the powerful engine and air suspension means it possesses a laid back personality and effortless nature around town.

The engine delivers its performance with ease, moving this big car rapidly whenever you put your foot down, so you can jump into gaps in traffic or make a brisk getaway from the lights.

It soaks up all the bumps and imperfections on the road with minimal fuss, too, despite our test car riding on 22-inch wheels, so you feel cosseted inside the plush cabin.

However, if you find yourself on the open road, the Continental GT S is equally at home.

Dial up the ‘Sport’ drive mode and the engine feels more responsive, the steering is more direct and the suspension is more taut but still compliant.

It makes this a really fun car to drive on a fast, sweeping rural road, where you can let the engine stretch its legs.

Because of its size it’s not as enjoyable on a twisty road with lots of changes of direction, though.

But for enjoying an opulent daily commute or a weekend drive in the countryside the Continental GT S is a great companion.

Despite its city-friendly size, the C5 Aircross Sport is just as happy cruising on the open-road as it is in an urban environment.

The ride is smooth enough once you get up to a steady speed but the suspension can feel harsh on a bumpy road.

Also, the auto stop-start function can make it feel sluggish to respond, so I disabled this on most trips.

There is plenty of power so you'll feel confident overtaking or getting up to speed on the open road. However, you have to be a little more aggressive with the accelerator when you’re hitting hills.

The steering can, at times, feel vague when you’re at lower speeds but is otherwise responsive.

The cabin space is quiet and nice to be in on the highway and you’ll be able to chat with your passengers with ease.

What I like most about this though is the visibility – the windows are large and I feel like I have a clear view most of the time, which isn’t always the case in an SUV.

Parking this is a cinch with entry to tight car parks helped by a 10.7m turning circle!

However, the 180-degree view camera isn’t great and near hopeless at night time. A clearer image would be welcome but front and rear parking sensors ease the annoyance.

The updated safety list is most welcomed, especially on a family SUV.

The C5 Aircross Sport has the following as standard - daytime running lights, forward collision alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent seat belt reminders, traffic sign recognition, 180-degree view reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and adaptive cruise control with stop and go function.

Special mention for the new fatigue detection alert. When it triggers it doesn’t stop sounding until both of the driver's hands are detected on the steering wheel.

The autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection is operational from 10 – 80km/h (5.0 -140km/h for car detection), however the pedestrian and cyclist functions are only detectable in the day time. It’s usual to see it operational at night, as well.

Despite the new safety items, it still only has six airbags, which includes curtain airbags covering both rows but that’s pretty low for a family car nowadays.  

It was awarded four from a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2019 but didn’t have all of the new items at the time of testing.  

Another surprising feature of the Bentley range is the company’s three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which feels surprisingly short in this day and age - especially for a brand that takes pride in its carefully built cars.

There is a 10-year warranty available as an optional extra, but it feels like that should be standard if the company is willing to stand by its products anyway and owners are paying such a premium for their cars upfront. 

The good news is all Bentley models are covered by a five-year servicing plan (intervals are 12 months/16,000km) which is included in the cost of the car.

As you should expect from such a premium brand, the local dealer will arrange to collect and return the car when servicing is required, and a loan car can be arranged if required.

The on-going costs are super-reasonable on the C5 Aircross Sport, with a five-year/unlimited km warranty included.

You can also choose to pre-purchase a three- or five-year capped-priced servicing plan, both significantly cheaper than the pay-as-you-go option. 

On the three-year plan, services are $1100 or an annual average of $366.

It’s a flat $2000 for the five-year plan, (averaging just $400 per service), which is very competitive for the class.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Aircross also comes with a five-year roadside assistance plan that is offered through Digicall Assist, for added peace-of-mind.