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Best Family Petrol Car 2026

Roomy, comfortable and affordable to buy and run, the Citroën C5 Aircross wins our Best Family Petrol Car award for 2026

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The Best Family Petrol Car award represents the very best of family-friendly petrol-powered models launched in the past 12 months.

The number of new petrol models entering the UK market has been gradually shrinking year-on-year, but 2025 saw several new arrivals that caught the attention of buyers interested only in combustion engines.

This category includes a handful of models marketed as ‘hybrids’ by their manufacturers, but they aren’t full-fat hybrids. In truth, they are mild-hybrids – petrol cars with a small battery that slightly boosts fuel efficiency.

Every car included here is powered predominantly by petrol, though some are also available as petrol-electric hybrid or plug-in hybrids too. The eligible cars this year were:

Best new family petrol car: Citroën C5 Aircross

The all-new Citroën C5 Aircross is an ideal family car for the half of all UK households who are not yet ready to make the jump into an EV. 

Powered by a petrol engine with mild-hybrid support, the C5 Aircross delivers strong fuel economy at an affordable price. It’s also comfortable, spacious and comes loaded with kit in a way that makes some rivals look stingy. 

There’s a big focus on comfort, providing a relaxing drive that seems perfectly designed for family road trips. And all this comes at a very competitive price, meaning you can enjoy driving the C5 Aircross even more.

The Car Expert Awards 2026 – all the category winners

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Sean Rees
Sean Rees
Sean is the Deputy Editor at The Car Expert. A enthusiastic fan of motorsport and all things automotive, he is accredited by the Professional Publishers Association, and is now focused on helping those in car-buying need with independent and impartial advice.