You can never be quite sure what you will get from Citroen, but it will always be
interesting.
Citroen’s C5 X, not to be confused with the Mazda CX-5, is an odd one, a cross
between an SUV and a station wagon, with a fastback profile thrown in. Guess that
makes it a double-cross?
Some design features have been drawn from the Citroen CXperience Concept
displayed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.
Citroen says CX 5 meets the needs of customers who want a large, modern, functional
alternative to sedans, wagons and SUVs.
In other words, it’s targeted at buyers who fancy something a little different — Citroen
buyers notably.
Competitors? Think Outback, Passat Alltrack, Audi Allroad and Volvo Cross Country.
It’s certainly big enough, but does not offer all-wheel drive.
STYLING
The newcomer rides on 19-inch alloys shod with skinny 205/55 series rubber with an
SUV-like 194mm of ground clearance that makes entry and exit relatively easy, as well
as providing a desirable, elevated driving position.
The SUV look is accentuated by matte black protective trim for the wheel arches,
bumpers and lower sill sections.
Other touches include a black roof, aerodynamic roof bars, body-coloured door handles
and black heated and power-fold mirrors.
Viewed from a distance, C5 X stands tall and skinny, almost as though it is on stilts as
the tyres fail to fill out the guards. Always a mistake.
There’s just the one fully-loaded model, the five-seat Citroën C5 X Shine, priced from
$57,670 plus on-road costs.
If you want any colour apart from Magnetic Blue it’s another $690. There are three
greys and a black from which to choose, while premium metallic Pearl White adds
$1050.
Standard equipment includes two-zone climate air with rear outlets and ‘Advanced
Comfort’ seats trimmed in a combination of leather and synthetic fibre, we’re told for
better durability.
With hydraulic cushions, they are designed to deliver living room levels of comfort with
special seat padding that acts in the same way as a mattress topper.
The driver’s seat, which features memory settings, gains eight-way power adjustment
including fore and aft movement, backrest, seat height, tilt and lumbar adjustments.
The front passenger seat features six-way power adjustment including fore and aft
movement, backrest, lumbar and height adjustments for added ergonomic comfort.
Both front seats are heated and so is the steering wheel. There’s also auto high beam,
auto lights and wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry and push-button
start, front and rear parking sensors, a sunroof, foot-friendly power tailgate and walk
away/walk up automatic locking.
C5 X comes with a 5-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, 5-year roadside assistance
and 5-year fixed price servicing.
The latter totals $2818 for 60 months or 100,000km.
INFOTAINMENT
Centrepiece of the C5 X infotainment system is a 12.0-inch touchscreen with voice
control that can be activated with the words “Hello CITROËN”.
The system features Bluetooth, satellite navigation, AM/FM and DAB digital radio and
wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto plus an eight-speaker no name
audio.
The navigation system provides speed limit recognition as well as speed camera
warnings which used to be a big ‘no, no’ in French cars — at least those driven in
France.
It also comes with a free three-year subscription to online services such as car parking
availability, fuel prices and location and TomTom map and speedcam updates.
Screen mirroring means users can customise key functions as their preferred shortcuts
as well as set their own user profile and preferred screen ambience.
As well, four USB-C sockets (two front and two rear), there’s two, 12-volt power outlets
(one in the front console and the other in the boot) plus a wireless smartphone charging
pad.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The PureTech 180 turbocharged 1.6-litre, four-cylinder unit delivers 133kW of power at
5500 rpm and 250Nm of torque at 1650 rpm. It’s paired with an eight-speed
conventional automatic that drives the front wheels, with paddle shifters and auto
engine stop-start to minimise fuel use.
SAFETY
C5 X comes with a maximum five-star safety rating.
Dual front, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting curtain airbags are standard,
but it misses out on a centre airbag to prevent occupant-to-occupant interaction.
Autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User and Junction
Assist) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure
warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and a speed assist system (SAS)
are standard equipment.
There’s also head-up display, adaptive cruise control with complete stop and go and a
360-degree bird’s-eye-view camera.
Top tethers and Isofix mounting points are provided for child seats on the outer rear
seats.
DRIVING
Our test vehicle is powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
C5 X is also offered with a more powerful hybrid overseas, but not here just yet.
Citroen is saying later in the year, but it’s bound to be more expensive (it doesn’t need
that).
With a 52-litre tank, fuel consumption is rated at 6.0L/100km, it takes premium 95
unleaded and produces 137g/km of CO2.
Top speed is 230km/h top speed and does the dash to 100km/h in 8.1 seconds.
At 4805mm in length, C5 X is fairly long. In fact, we located it in the carpark because
the back was poking out.
It’s 1865mm wide and sits 1490mm high, with a 2785mm wheelbase, all of which
promises plenty of interior space.
C5 X sits on what is known as the EMP2 platform which it shares with Peugeot
(d’accord) as well as Fiat, Toyota and Opel/Vauxhall.
It’s the same platform that underpins the similarly named but slightly smaller C5
Aircross SUV (a vehicle we like a lot).
Airflow is also promoted by a wheel design that uses aerodynamic inserts to create a
turbine effect, guiding airflow and lowering wind drag.
While the windscreen, front and rear side glass is acoustically laminated to provide
better insulation from external noise and with privacy tinting for the side windows.
The cabin is spacious, with comfy seats, plenty of rear legroom and a large boot area
that has metal luggage runners, with a space saver spare hidden under the floor. But
the elevated rear seat and receding roofline make getting in and out of the back
unnecessarily difficult, especially getting into the car.
The digital instrument cluster offers different configurations but all are minimalist, with a
very large 12.0-inch touchscreen and head-up display projected on the windscreen in
front of the driver.
It takes a bit of trial and error to work out what operates what, but we could simply not
find the adjustment for the height of the head-up display.
The drawcard Citroen Advanced Comfort Suspension comprises Mac struts at front and
a multi-link system at the rear that is supplemented by hydraulic cushions. Whereas
conventional suspension comprises a shock absorber, spring and mechanical stop, the
new system adds hydraulic stops at either end – one for rebound, the other for
compression.
It works in two stages: in light conditions the hydraulic cushions don’t come into play
but under heavy load the cushions slow suspension travel instead of bringing it to an
abrupt stop, absorbing and dissipating energy to reduce rebound. That’s the theory
anyway.
The suspension works in tandem with the Advanced Comfort Seats, to supposedly
deliver a “magic carpet” ride. Our initial impression was of a soft, pillowy ride more akin
to the infamous American drive experience.
We had however just got out of a full-on sports car with firm ride and sharp handling.
As the week progressed, the ride in C5 X began to feel better and admittedly more
comfortable.
Banging along one of our favourite stretches of back road, pot-holed from recent rain, it
did to a large extent smooth out the ride as promised. At the same time handling
remained predictable, but there was some bounce as the suspension unloaded with the
rise and fall of the road.
With just 250Nm of torque, we weren’t expecting fireworks in the performance
department.
C5 X can be a bit slow out of the gates, particularly with some passengers aboard.
Once it’s up and running it’s more than adequate, with plenty of oomph available for
overtaking and long grinding hills – although one needs to wind it up.
The gear selector is small and the same as that offered by Peugeot, operated by a tug
of the finger. There are three drive modes: Sport, Normal and Eco.
Throttle response is a little jerky while the brakes can be a bit abrupt too. Other than
that, it’s all fairly middle of the road, or perhaps just right for the family which is
obviously the primary objective.
We were getting 6.4L/100km after more than 900km which is close to the
manufacturer’s claim.
SUMMING UP
What does Citroen have to do to get noticed?
Cars such as the C5 X help. It’s competitively priced and has a long equipment list, and
the ‘Comfort’ suspension provides a point of difference.
But let’s face it, Citroen is on a hiding to nothing, under pressure from both ends of the
market, caught between mainstream competitors and Chinese hopefuls which will win
on price every time.
RATINGS:
Looks: 7.5/10
Performance: 7/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 8/10
Practicality: 8/10
Comfort: 7.5/10
Tech: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 7.8/10
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
Citroen C5 X Shine: $57,670
Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your
local Citroen dealer for drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (Citroen C5 X Shine, 1.6-litre turbocharged 4-cyl petrol engine, 8-
spd automatic, FWD wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.6 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders inline, turbocharged
Maximum Power: 133 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 250 Nm @ 1650 rpm
Fuel Type: Premium 95 unleaded
Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.0 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 137 g/km
DRIVELINE:
8-spd automatic, front-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4805 mm
Wheelbase: 2785 mm
Width: 1865 mm
Height: 1490 mm
Turning Circle: N/A
Kerb Mass: 1467 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 52 litres
BRAKES:
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Solid disc
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Five years / unlimited kilometres
