Citroen's leftfield take on the family estate car mixes classic comfort vibes with crossover modernity
The big, family-friendly Citroen saloon-cum-estate seems to be an automotive institution that market forces simply can't kill. Examples like the last Citroen C5 and Citroen C6 - and before those cars even the likes of the XM and Xantia - have consistently run against the grain of prevailing premium-brand fashion in so many ways, prioritising comfort and quirkiness when all around were celebrating sportiness and athleticism. Rarely have they hit the big time in terms of sales success.And yet it doesn't seem to stop them. The more different they are, the better these cars appeal as statements of iconoclastic independence from the norm - which is exactly what sets apart the latest one, the Citroen C5 X. As buyers continue to flock to SUVs, then, this successor for the regular C5 has set out on an even more alternative path. There is more to it than the extra letter in the model name. First, if you look closely at its dimensions, you will see that contrary to what the name suggests, it’s not a direct rival for the Skoda Superb, Volkswagen Passat and Peugeot 508, or the now-discontinued Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Insignia. The new Citroën is a bit smaller than those, but bigger than the estate versions of the Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot 308, thus carving out a niche for itself.It’s also significant that the automotive group that has produced it, Stellantis, isn't averse to offering certain models in Europe because they are producing them for another market anyway. Europeans may have gone off cars like the C5, but the Chinese keep buying them, so the risk in putting it on sale over here is limited, even if it doesn’t sell in huge numbers. This most French of family cars, then, hails from a production line in China.Even if it hasn’t always executed it perfectly, Citroën does seem to have found a new direction for its new cars of late, which are mildly quirky and abandon any notion of aggressiveness and sportiness, and instead major on outright comfort. If that approach suits any type of car, it should be a large saloon or estate just like this.Range at a glanceCitroën is keeping the range relatively simple with just three powertrain options and four trim levels. A 1.2-litre 'Puretech' petrol is now the only pure petrol option, with a 48-volt, 134bhp petrol-electric hybrid offered immediately above.The plug-in hybrid option uses a 1.6-litre petrol turbo engine and an 80kW electric motor, and offers a claimed 39 miles of electric range.
