Citroen is back in the medium/large car market in Australia, but this time it’s trying something a little different.
The 2023 Citroen C5 X is a high-riding, front-wheel drive wagon that’s said to combine the best aspects of a sedan, a wagon and an SUV. It’s on sale now.
It’s powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder with 133kW of power and 250Nm of torque, however a plug-in hybrid model is due in the second half of 2023.
The plug-in hybrid C5 X mates the standard 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an 81kW electric motor and a 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery, for a total system output of 165kW and a claimed electric range of 50km on the WLTP standard.
The PHEV also builds on the petrol car’s suspension with Advanced Comfort active suspension, which electronically adjusts the ride depending on the drive mode you select.
The C5 X debuts Citroen’s new Connected Services, free for three years from the start date of the vehicle’s warranty and available with one- or three-year subscriptions beyond that.
This suite includes live information on available carpark spaces, fuel prices, and traffic, and supports voice recognition for all navigation searches and vehicle functions.
The C5 X serves as the brand’s new flagship, slotting in above the C5 Aircross. However, that more traditional crossover SUV will arrive here in updated form before the end of this year, with pricing yet to be revealed.
Though it technically sits in VFACTS’ Large Car segment alongside the Kia Stinger and Skoda Superb, the C5 X is the belated replacement for the C5 sedan and wagon discontinued in Australia in 2016.
This model continued to be produced in China until 2021, slotting in underneath a conservative C6 sedan that replaced the quirky C6 that exited production in 2016.
China is the sole production source of the C5 X, with vehicles rolling out of the Dongfeng-PSA plant in Chengdu that was opened in 2016 – this includes Australia.
Pricing
- 2023 Citroen C5 X Shine: $57,670
Price excludes on-road costs.
Drivetrains
The 2023 Citroen C5 X is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 133kW of power and 250Nm of torque.
It’s mated with an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. The C5 X is front-wheel drive.
Citroen claims a 0-100km/h time of 8.1 seconds.
Efficiency
The 2023 Citroen C5 X uses 6.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle.
It has a 52L fuel tank and requires 95 RON premium unleaded fuel.
Dimensions
The 2023 Citroen C5 X measures 4805mm long, 1490mm tall and 1865mm wide (2062mm including the mirrors). It rides a 2785mm wheelbase.
There’s 545L of boot space, expanding to 1640L with the rear seats folded.
Unbraked towing capacity is 750kg while braked towing capacity is 1600kg.
The C5 X has a tare weight of 1439kg.
Servicing and Warranty
The Citroen C5 X is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing.
Servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first, with the first five services capped at $444, $722, $444, $743 and $465, respectively.
Safety
The Citroen C5 X has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
It comes standard with the following safety equipment:
- AEB
- Pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane Positioning Assist (lane centring)
- Traffic sign recognition
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go, intelligent speed adaptation
- Multi-collision braking
- Active bonnet
- Driver attention alert
- Front, front-side and curtain airbags
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Surround-view camera
Standard Equipment
The C5 X Shine comes standard with the following equipment:
- 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless phone charger
- Head-up display
- Eight-speaker sound system
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- Steering reach and height adjustment
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Heated steering wheel
- Dual-zone climate control
- Electric parking brake
- Aluminium pedals
- Frameless auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Paloma leather upholstery
- Heated front seats
- Eight-way power driver’s seat with memory
- Six-way power passenger’s seat
- Keyless entry and start
- Hands-free power tailgate
- Sunroof
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Space-saver spare
- Black roof
- Automatic LED headlights
- Automatic high-beam
- LED fog lights with static cornering lights
- Rain-sensing wipers
Colours
Magnetic Blue metallic is the standard paint colour, with Pearl White premium metallic a $1050 option and the following metallic finishes a $690 option:
- Steel Grey
- Platinum Grey
- Nera Black
- Amazonite Grey
MORE: Everything Citroen C5 X
