FRENCH CURIOUSITY (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_citroenc5x_2022

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 56

If Citroen is to return to its traditionalist roots, it needs a big, plush comfort-orientated quirky flagship model. Which is exactly what we got with this car, the unusual but potentially rather pleasing C5 X sold briefly here between 2021 and 2025. It's an unusual confection, but the right kind of customer might rather like it.

Modelsword count: 5

5dr hatch (petrol 1.2, PHEV)

Historyword count: 350

What if you can't decide between hatch, saloon, estate or SUV for your next family car? Back in 2021, Citroen didn't think you needed to and for proof, offered this, the C5 X. Citroen has a long and distinguished history in larger models, from the Traction Avant and the DS of the '50's and '60s, to the CX of the '70s, the XM of the '90's and, more recently, the equally quirky early 21st century C6. Unfortunately, few of these cars sold profitably and even fewer lasted reliably - but at least they were memorable. By 2021, brand owners the Stellantis Group had no interest in nostalgia, or in continuing to build large Citroens no one wanted, so it was surprising to see the introduction of this C5 X. It owed its existence to a couple of things. First there was the fact that China, where this car was assembled, was - and is - a market still keen on larger mainstream brand models of this sort, so Citroen didn't have to depend on badge-obsessed Europeans for this contender's profitability. The second factor that got this model the green light was the multi-genre design approach we referenced earlier. Depending on your perspective, you might see it as either a luxury liftback hatch, an estate or some kind of Crossover. Or perhaps something else entirely. An unusual combination certainly, but an approach that by 2021 had been tried before, perhaps most notably with BMW's unsuccessful 3, 5 and 6 series Gran Turismo models. Here, it was delivered once more on a car sharing a badge with a Passat-sector Citroen model deleted a few years previously for slow sales (the C5). From a brand with no history of success against the German premium makers who dominate the luxury car segment. You've got to cheer for the underdog haven't you? And we rather like this one, a car with an 'X' suffix referencing its market position positioning 'at the crossroads of customers' needs', according to Citroen. All good in principle but it didn't work and the C5X was taken off sale in 2025.

What You Getword count: 656

Well it looks a bit different doesn't it? Depending on your perspective and what angle you view it from, this is either a Crossover, a big estate or a luxury large hatch. The looks and the interior were inspired by the CXexperience concept car of 2016, but all the engineering underneath was based on the usual Stellantis Group EMP2 chassis underpinnings. From the side, that pleasantly confusing design brief melds into something you might find quite appealing. There's the stretched 4.8-metre profile of a sports estate; and the bigger 19-inch wheels with black-clad arches that you'd find together with a higher ride height and a contrast-coloured roof on a modern lifestyle SUV. Yet at the same time, there's the coupe-style sloping rear roof and high waist line of a luxury liftback hatch. All quite up-market; you certainly wouldn't guess that the windscreen and the front door glass are shared with a humbler Peugeot 308. Inside up-front, the brand tried (with some success) to make things a little different. For a start, the seating position is surprisingly commanding, set 10cms higher than it would be in a conventional D-segment saloon or estate. Whether it's all truly 'Citroen-esque' is another question. The plump seats, the unusual three-spoke wheel and the 7-inch binnacle display's digital speedo graphics try to be. But ultimately, there are just too many shared Stellantis Group parts - primarily the 12-inch centre screen and much of the switchgear - to make this spacious-feeling cabin a true quality match for premium brand models. It's not without appeal though: the smart light wood-style central trimming strip that widens into the doors, the pleasing soft-touch textures of the dash top and the grey-chevron-stitched faux-leather door panels all please. The seats we mentioned, as usual with a modern Citroen of this size, are of the 'Advanced Comfort' kind, which means that they feature particularly broad bases, foam that's 15mm thicker than usual for extra support, plus extra quilted padding to create an inviting visual signature that doesn't disappoint once you squish yourself into place. There's loads of cabin storage space too. The relatively lengthy 2,785mm wheelbase delivers a comfortable amount of rear seat space. That swept-back roof line doesn't compromise entry too much, but perhaps inevitably, once you're inside, it does affect headroom, though only for six-footers. Lanky folk won't want for leg space though. The knee room you get back here is a match for the Skoda Octavia, which means that it's very impressive indeed. We'd hoped that the rear of this car might replicate the vibe of the old Citroen C6, which could be had with lovely TGV high speed train-style individual rear seats with electric sliding and reclining mechanisms. Or at least, failing that, the sliding and reclining rear seat arrangement from the closely-related C5 Aircross SUV. In the event, the C5 X's conventionally fixed rear bench serves up neither, so it won't suit French ministerial types wanting to relax in the rear with a copy of Paris Match as they're whisked down the Champs Elysee. The load compartment resembles that of an estate car, thanks to its apparently vast size and four luggage runners embedded into the floor. Citroen says that this space would take a refrigerator, though it'd have to be a very specifically-sized one because closer inspection reveals that the luggage area, though usefully square, is somewhat shallow. Plus on the top-spec variant, it's accessed by an impractically stainless steel-trimmed lip, which will quickly scuff and scratch. The actual space you get depends on the kind of powertrain you choose. With the conventional engine, there's 545-litres available, a figure which falls to 485-litres with the Plug-in Hybrid version. Flattening the rear seatback is done via cargo sidewall catches, though the back rests don't fold down anywhere near flat. The space freed up though - 1,640-litres with the conventional version or 1,580-litres with the Hybrid, should be sufficient for the needs of most owners.

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