Deliveries for the £27,790 segment-straddling Citroen C5 X flagship will begin this week, which launches with a choice of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
Riding high but eschewing traditional SUV design cues for a saloon-aping silhouette and the claimed “versatility and practicality of a station wagon”, the C5 X majors on long-distance refinement and is expected to tempt buyers away from more conventional models in other segments. Some 25% of buyers are expected to switch from an estate car, while 21% will come from saloon models and 15% from small SUVs.
It is offered with a choice of either 1.2- or 1.6-litre petrol engines producing 128bhp and 178bhp respectively, or a plug-in hybrid system – familiar from that used by the Citroën C5 Aircross – which produces 222bhp.
The C5 X Hybrid, available from £36,470, is equipped with a 12.4kWh battery pack good for a claimed 34 miles in EV mode. The 109bhp electric motor can also be used in tandem with the petrol unit for maximum output in Sport mode.
The entry-level Sense Plus trim – available with the lower-powered petrol engine or the PHEV – brings 19in alloy wheels, LED headlights, part-leather-effect Advanced Comfort seats and a 10in infotainment touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring, 3D navigation and a reversing camera.
Mid-rung Shine trim comes in at £29,290, adding satin chrome trim, a unique interior colour scheme, a heated steering wheel, a larger 12in infotainment touchscreen and a head-up display.
The range-topping Shine Plus trim bumps the price up to £31,280 for its electrically adjustable and heated front seats, sound-deadening windows, motorised boot lid, blind spot detection and 360deg parking camera.
Citroën has bumped prices by between £1300 and £1500 (depending on trim level) since orders opened in January.
The model’s ‘X’ suffix refers to its market positioning at “the crossroad of customers’ needs”, according to Citroën, and it offers the raised ride height of an SUV, the extended rear cabin of an estate car and the “elegance” of a saloon.
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Interesting car but depressing to read the all too familiar report that the list price has been hiked before it's even been seen on the road.
Reminds me mostly of the DS5, though the overhangs are a bit excessive on this one.
How many 3 series GT customers will trade theirs for it? Market could soon get crowded if new crown joins the Europe too. Perhaps a buoyant market for these tough looking cars may tempt Honda to persuade Sony to produce the Vision saloon as new Vigor to succeed the discontinued Accord Crosstour.