Diesel engines are not being offered with Citroen’s latest flagship vehicle – the C5 X crossover – but will instead only be sold with a turbocharged petrol and a petrol-electric plug-in powertrain.
Prices for the new C5 X start at £26,490 for ‘Sense Plus’ versions, rising to £27,990 for ‘Shine’ and £29,980 for table-topping ‘Shine Plus’ with the first customer deliveries are expected in late Spring.
Citroen says the car – which is aimed at the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 – is “a celebration of its past”, with design cues from iconic nameplates such as the DS, CX and XM present.
Although defined as a crossover, hints of SUVs, estates and saloons in its silhouette suggest the luxury vehicle straddles a number of segments. That is no coincidence, either, as a quarter of buyers look set to move away from estate cars, around one fifth from saloon car ownership and 15% from small SUVs.
Initially, there is a 1.2-litre and a 1.6-litre petrol engins producing 128bhp and 178bhp respectively, and a 222bhp plug-in hybrid system. The hybrid comes equipped with a 12.4kWh battery pack that can cover up to 34-miles on a full charge, while the 109bhp electric motor delivers maximum power in ‘Sport’ mode. An ‘e-Save’ function also allows drivers to reserve electric for city centre or urban area drives.
All versions of the C5 X adopt the company’s reconfigured double chevron badge, sweptback LED DRLs and sculpted clamshell bonnet. 19-inch alloys are common across the model line-up as well, with these wrapped in low rolling resistance tyres to increase fuel efficiency over longer journeys.
Petrol models adopt Citroen’s ‘Advanced Comfort Suspension’ and Plug-in Hybrid variants the ‘Advanced Comfort Active Suspension’ set-up. The latter combines the hydraulic stops found on the passive system with adaptive damping. Citroen says both deliver improved comfort on rough and uneven surfaces and “a ‘magic carpet’-like feeling when out on the open road”.
Measuring 4.8m long, 1.5m high and 2m wide, it’s available in one of six metallic and pearlescent colours. These include ‘Perla Nera Black’ and ‘Platinum Grey’, ‘Magnetic Blue’ and ‘Pearl White’.
Space-wise, rear passenger room is said to be significantly better than the previous generation C5, with the C5 X featuring 6cm more leg room. Boot volume totals 545-litres for petrol examples and 485-litres for plug-in derivatives. This grows to 1,640-litre and 1,580-litres respectively when the rear seats are folded down. The cabin also features no fewer than 8 storage compartments.
As for equipment levels, ‘Sense Plus’ have 19-inch ‘Aero-X’ alloys, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors and a parking camera. Inside, an ‘Urban Grey’ upholstery is joined by part leather-effect seats. Infotainment comes in the form of a 10-inch central touchscreen that incorporates 3D sat-nav in addition to wireless smartphone mirroring functionality and a Hi-Fi speaker system.
‘Shine’ models add satin chrome trim on the rear bumper, while the interior features a heated steering wheel, leather-effect seats and backlighting for the door handles, front foot wells and driver instrument panel.
The touchscreen on these cars is upgraded to a 12-inch unit. Drivers also benefit from extended head-up display technology and wireless smartphone charging. Radar Controlled Active Safety Brake is also standard.
A ‘Hype Black’ ambience featuring black ‘Paloma’ leather with a perforated chevron design on the seats are standard on ‘Shine Plus’ models, with the driver and front passenger seats electrically operated and heated.
A motorised tailgate for added convenience, plus extended blind spot detection and a 360-degree reversing camera, are also included in the OTRP.
