Citroen has taken the wraps off an all-new offering – the C5 X. Revealed during an online world premiere event, the Citroen C5 X is the brand’s new flagship model and will be positioned above the Citroen C5 Aircross, which was recently launched in India. Some may be confused by what the Citroen C5 X is, and for a good reason – it is a cross between a sedan, a station wagon, and an SUV. At over 4.8 meters in length, the C5 X has a large sedan size but has the silhouette of a station wagon and the height and stance of an SUV.
‘Fluidity’ is the word Citroen uses a lot to describe the C5 X, which it says doesn’t necessarily target vehicles of a certain segment. Instead, it straddles several segments and rivals many cars and SUVs. To be manufactured at the brand’s facility in Chengdu, China, the C5 X is said to be Citroen’s idea of what a ‘touring’ car will look like in the future and is clearly inspired by the experience concept revealed in 2016.
It has the same double chevron element upfront that stretches out to form slender LED daytime running lights, below which you’ll see the triple LED projector headlight units positioned in a triangular housing. Heavy plastic cladding encases the C5 X, which rides on 19-inch wheels as standard. The roof and pillars are blacked out to create a ‘floating roof effect, and standouts at the back include wraparound LED taillights and a ducktail-style spoiler mounted at the windscreen base. All in, the Citroen C5 X looks like an SUV-flavoured station wagon, albeit one that will certainly grab attention.
The Citroen C5 X’s interior features an all-digital instruments display, a 12-inch touchscreen that runs the new-generation Citroen MyDrive Plus infotainment system (with natural voice recognition), wireless smartphone charging, four USB Type-C ports, and an extended color head-up display. Part of the package is a panoramic sunroof and Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seats, which are said to feature a high-density layer and thickened structured foam, all of which come together to enhance comfort on long-distance travels. Additionally, Citroen claims the C5 X has oodles of rear-seat space thanks to its 2,785 mm wheelbase, and a 545-liter boot, with luggage room expanding to 1,640 liters with the rear seats folded down.
What’s also new with the Citroen C5 X is the adjustable Citroen Advanced Comfort active suspension, which brings three suspension modes to choose from. Other features include adaptive cruise control, 360-degree cameras, long-range blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and hands-free tailgate opening.
Citroen refrained from providing powertrain details but said the C5 X would get two petrol engine options and the same plug-in hybrid powertrain as seen in the Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid. The combination is of a 1.6-liter turbo-petrol engine paired with a gearbox-mounted electric motor, which draws power from a 13.5 kWh battery. The combined power output is more than 220 hp, and the C5 X has a pure-electric range of over 50 kilometers, with a top speed limited to 135 kph.
The Citroen C5 X will go on sale in select markets overseas in the second half of 2021 and is expected to cost more than the C5 Aircross. In India, the Citroen C5 X is not expected to be introduced anytime soon. The company is now focusing on rolling out made-in-India, made-for-India models under its C-Cubed program.