Citroen’s new range-topper gets a swoopy fastback shape and a range of petrol and hybrid engines
- Giant 21-inch head-up display
- Petrol and plug-in hybrid power
- Available to order now, starting from £27,790
The new Citroen C5 X is available to order now, with prices starting from £27,790. The brand’s new flagship model is available in three trim levels, with a choice of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Deliveries of the new car are slated to begin in late July 2022.
According to Citroen, the C5 X blends the characteristics of a luxury saloon, SUV and an estate car into its bold design. It sits on the same EMP-2 platform as the C5 Aircross, but the two cars have markedly different looks. The brand say’s the C5 X will offer ‘ultimate comfort with a lounge-like interior’.
2022 Citroen C5 X: prices and trim levels
The C5 X is available in three trim levels at launch with a choice of six colours. Entry-level Sense Plus models start from £27,790, and feature 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, Advanced Comfort seats, cloth and part-leather effect upholstery, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, sat-nav, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety features include front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.
In the middle of the range, Shine models have satin chrome effect trim on the rear bumper, while inside, black leather trimmed seats are combined with grey interior trim accents. It also gets a variety of upgraded technology too, with a larger 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, a head-up display and a wireless smartphone charging pad. Radar controlled autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is also standard. Prices for the Shine trim start from £29,290.
Range-topping Shine Plus spec cars pile on the equipment further still with tinted rear windows, black interior trim accents, electrically adjustable and heated front seats and perforated black leather upholstery. Acoustically insulated front and rear windows are also fitted to reduce road noise, while an electric tailgate aids convenience. The standard safety equipment is also more comprehensive, with the addition of blind spot monitoring and a 360-degree reversing camera. The Shine Plus trim starts from £31,280.
Design and practicality
The C5 X’s styling is inspired by the C-Xperience concept car shown at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. We’ve seen touches from that car introduced on a number of recent models, namely the facelifted C3 and C3 Aircross, as well as the brand-new Citroen C4. The C4 is a rival to conventional family hatchbacks like the Ford Focus but has a taller stance.
The most prominent external styling details are found towards the front of the car. Its wide bonnet, with a distinctive hump in the centre, features prominent double chevrons in the centre that ripple outwards towards a new V-shaped light signature with slim LED daylight running lights sitting above the main headlights.
The C5 X sits on narrow wheels, which fully fill the arches, trimmed with subtle SUV-style cladding. There’s no sign of any C4 Cactus-style air bumps but the side of the car does feature gentle creases at the bottom of the doors.
Looking to the rear, the bumper is clad in black plastic and there are two not-so-subtle spoilers; one at the top and the other at the bottom of the rear windscreen. Following the theme at the front, LED lights form a V-shaped arrangement, while both the double chevron and the Citroen badge sit on the boot lid. The overall result is a very modern, classy-looking crossover.
The C5 X majors on interior space and functionality. The crossover is slightly longer than a 508 SW. and while it has a slightly shorter wheelbase, it does feature a larger, 545-litre boot for petrol models and 485 litres for PHEV versions. When the rear seats are folded, this reveals a spacious 1,640-litre load area, which is reduced to 1,580 litres in the PHEV. Citroen also claims that the C5 X has ‘a passenger compartment worthy of a lounge area’ with ‘unparalleled roominess’.
Interior and technology
Heading inside, you’ll be sitting on Advanced Comfort seats that feature special padding – much like a mattress topper. An Advanced Comfort active suspension set-up appears on the plug-in hybrid car, which means the driver can choose from three modes to adjust overall ride comfort.
The C5 X will also be fitted with an all-new 12-inch HD infotainment touchscreen. However, like the new C4, the heating and ventilation controls are separated, sitting slightly lower down to ensure an uncluttered dashboard. There’s also the option of an advanced and notably large 21-inch head-up display.
The crossover will also come equipped with all the usual gadgets to promote passenger wellbeing and safety. Voice recognition and adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assistance are among the convenience features, alongside wireless smartphone charging and mirroring on the infotainment screen.
Engines
At launch, buyers can spec a C5 X with a choice of two petrol engines or as a plug-in hybrid. All models are equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Citroen’s 1.2-litre PureTech petrol engine is the only regular powertrain available. It comes in two power outputs, ranging from 128bhp to 178bhp. While full details of fuel economy are yet to be revealed, the brand has confirmed that CO2 emissions for this engine range from 136 to 148g/km.
At the top of the line-up is the CX 5 plug-in hybrid, which combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine and an electric motor to produce 222bhp. It's fitted with a 12.4kWh battery and can manage up to 34 miles running on electric power. Claimed CO2 emissions start from 30g/km, giving it a low BiK banding for company car drivers. Fuel economy figures are yet to be confirmed, but as this powertrain is shared with the Citroen C5 Aircross which can return more than 200mpg, it's likely the official numbers for the C5 X Hybrid will be similar.
To keep the battery topped up, the PHEV is fitted with 7.4kW charging capability and a Mode 3 charging cable with a Type 2 connector. While exact details of charging times have not been revealed, we’d expect a full charge to take two to three hours when using a home wallbox. Other standard features include three driving modes, Electric, Hybrid and Sport, and regenerative braking to help channel energy back into the battery on the move.
The C5 X Hybrid is also fitted with remote temperature pre-conditioning, which allows owners to cool or heat the car via a smartphone before setting off on a journey.
Citroen is now producing electric commercial vehicles on the same platform as the cars mentioned above, so it is possible that the C5 X will come with the option of a pure-electric powertrain in the future.
Keyword: New Citroen C5 X is now on sale from £27,790