Citroën C5 Aircross Named Carwow’s ‘Family Values’ Winner at 2026 Car of the Year Awards

New Citroën C5 Aircross has been named winner of the ‘Family Values’ category at the prestigious Carwow Car of the Year Awards 2026 – taking the title for the second time in two years. Alongside this impressive win, the Citroën C3 was also awarded a Highly Commended recognition in the ‘Urban Living’ category.

The Carwow Car of the Year Awards is an annual showcase and celebration of the very best the automotive industry offers motorists. Carwow’s panel of experts use their decades of car-testing experience to put hundreds of vehicles through their paces, looking at everything from performance to practicality and affordability.

New Citroën C5 Aircross took top honours as winner in the Family Values category, recognised by Carwow judges for delivering comfort, style, and high specification all at a competitive and accessible price. This win marks the second time the Citroën C5 Aircross has won the Carwow Family Values award, taking the accolade in 2024. 

Mat Watson, Chief Content Officer, Carwow said: “I’ve long been a fan of the Citroën C5 Aircross - the old car topped this category back in the 2024 awards, and the all-new model follows in its footsteps with a well-deserved win. The recipe is simple - the C5 Aircross is big, comfy, stylish and great value. I love how its pillowy suspension conjures up the feeling of Citroëns of old, yet it’s bang up-to-date with the latest tech and even looks cool and futuristic.”

The New C5 Aircross offers a comfortable travel experience for the family, thanks to its generous interior space, immense room in the second row and boot capacity that remains the same regardless of the powertrain. Designed to meet all needs, the New C5 Aircross offers a choice of several electrified powertrains including a hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, and two fully electric variants offering up to 421 miles (WLTP) of range on a single charge.

Further underscoring the family value of the new C5 Aircross is the fact the all-electric ë-C5 Aircross is the first vehicle of its type to be awarded the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) by the UK Government, with prices string from £32,935 MRRP once the ECG is applied.

Meanwhile, the driver and passengers enjoy a true high-tech environment, with progressive hydraulic cushion suspension, Advanced Comfort seats and a modernised dashboard featuring a large, intuitive and ergonomic ‘Cascade’ touchscreen. 

New Citroën C3 receives Highly Recommended award

Further accolades were presented to Citroën with the new C3 being awarded a Highly Commended title in the ‘Urban Living’ category. The Carwow jury praised the new C3 for offering an ideal package for city driving – from its convenient compact size to its fun and efficient performance delivered from its 1.2-litre three-cylinder 100hp turbo with exciting six-speed manual transmission.

Quick, stylish, and easy to drive, the new C3 also comes in a 110hp hybrid version, pairing the 1.2-litre turbo engine with a self-charging 48V electric motor pure electric driving at low speeds – ideal for traffic. Extensive driving technologies are featured to aid drivers on busy city roads such as advanced safety technologies video-based active safety brake, Active Lane Departure Warning System, speed limit detection and recommendation, driver attention alert. 

Mat Watson, Chief Content Officer, Carwow said: “The all-electric Citroën ë-C3 was highly commended in the Smart Spender category last year, but it’s the new petrol-powered model we think is ideal for the urban jungle. Available as a pure petrol with a manual gearbox or a nippy hybrid-powered automatic, its dinky dimensions and high-up driving position mean it’s great for tight city streets. It won’t cost you much either – to buy, or to fuel.”

Greg Taylor, Managing Director, Citroën UK, said: “It is a great honour for Citroën to have not one, but two vehicles recognised at Carwow’s Car of the Year awards. The C5 Aircross winning Carwow’s Family Values award for the second time represents Citroën’s continued commitment to delivering practical and accessible vehicles built for the modern needs of a family and are exciting to live with every day.”

“We are also extremely proud to receive a Highly Commended award for the new C3 in the Urban Living category where Carwow’s experts share our customers view that this compact car delivers best-in-class comfort, high levels of standard specification, and excellent value that’s perfectly at home in city driving.”

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