Citroen redefines the saloon with a super comfy flagship C5 X

Published on 30 March, 2022

FIRST things first — is the new Citroen C5 X a saloon, an estate or a mix between SUV and MPV?

The simple answer is that the new flagship model is a bit of all of the above.

Like the ingredients of a luscious cake, this French fancy has huge dollops of elegance, practicality, versatility and of course a pinch of robustness to give it a go-anywhere, do-anything feel.

Overview

FIRST things first — is the new Citroen C5 X a saloon, an estate or a mix between SUV and MPV?

The simple answer is that the new flagship model is a bit of all of the above.

Like the ingredients of a luscious cake, this French fancy has huge dollops of elegance, practicality, versatility and of course a pinch of robustness to give it a go-anywhere, do-anything feel.

It’s also a piece of design art, with the now signature, super slim, X-shaped LED lights (taken from the new C4) dominating the nose – drawing your eye to the double chevrons into the main headlamps and lower apron.

Huge double creases in the bonnet perfectly compliment the crisp shoulder lines that flow into bulging wheel arches, and the floating black roof gives it a sleek, coupe-like silhouette.

Twin spoilers at the rear – roof and tailgate – shorten the look of the massive boot lid, while the wraparound clusters and Citroen emblazoned across the centre gives it a real sporty, almost Porsche-like look.

Standing at 4,805mm long, 1,865mm wide and 1,485mm this is a substantial size of a car and with a wheelbase of 2,785mm it means the interior space is vast – particularly in the rear for taller passengers.

The boot is massive too and thanks to a powered tailgate, the 545-litre luggage space is easily accessible and increases to 1,640l when the seats are folded down.

There is also an additional 30 litres of cabin storage available thanks to clever and well positioned pockets and compartments.

Top-end models come with sumptuous quilted leather seats setting a benchmark for comfort.

Even on standard models the pews come with an additional 15mm of memory foam and textured surface foam for postural comfort.

The cockpit is a state-of-the-art digital affair with two high-res interfaces — one a seven-inch instrument cluster backed up by a Head Up Display spanning 21 inches across the windscreen.

The other dominates the centre dash with a 12-inch infotainment unit with voice recognition system, customisable smartphone widget-based display, 4 USB Type C sockets and wireless smartphone charging that also enables Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection.

It is also loaded with the latest safety technology including Highway Driver Assist, which combines adaptive cruise control with a stop and go feature and lane keeping assist to provide level two semi-autonomous driving.

The C5 X is available in three trims — Feel Pack, Flair and Flair Pack — and with a choice of three engines including a PureTech 1.2-litre 130 and 1.6-litre 180bhp, both matched to an eight-speed EAT automatic transmission, and a Plug-in Hybrid boasting 225bhp.

The PHEV version can drive up to 55km in full electric mode up to a speed of 135 kph.

All come with Progressive Hydraulic Cushion (PHC) suspension, which is designed to recreate the iconic magic carpet effect.

We tested the entry-level petrol and the plug-in on roads around Barcelona. While you all basked in balmy sunshine, the rain never let up for 48 hours giving Irish-like conditions. Both preformed admirably in the wet and excelled on windier B-roads around the mountains.

That’s at cruising speeds of course, drop the hammer and act the hooligan and you’ll see a different side where understeer is abundant.

That said, it devoured mile after mile in supreme comfort and if I had a 50,000km a year commute, this would be on my driveway.

Prices will be announced in the coming weeks.