Citroën C5 returns as dramatic estate-crossover C5 X

After a four-year break, Citroën's once flagship model is back as a high-riding estate.

Citroën has revived the C5 name after four years, but as a sedan combined with an estate and crossover.

Citroën has lived up to the reports of last year in that it has officially revealed the revived the C5, albeit not as a sedan or estate previous generations were offered in.

Back after a four-year hiatus, the C5 now comes with an “X” attached to its name, but while the suffix ordinarily denotes an SUV, Citroën has taken the term “crossover” a step further by combining the name with crossover cues in creating a high-riding estate.

Citroën C5 X rear view.

Taking inspiration from the CXperience Concept shown at the Paris Motor Show five years ago, the C5 X boasts the same frontal design at the C4 while the shooting brake styled rear and sloping roofline combines elements from not only the previous DS4, but to some extent, the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake and even the Genesis GV80.

Measuring 4 805 mm in overall length with the wheelbase stretching 2 785 mm, the C5 X stands 1 485 mm tall and 1 865 mm wide with boot space rated at 545-litres or 1 640-litres with the rear seats folded flat.

Riding on 19-inch alloy wheels in addition to being the first model equipped with the adaptation of the famed Hydropneumatic suspension, now known as Citroën Advanced Comfort active suspension, the C5 X also ushers in a new interior and assortment of tech claimed to “help make driving simpler and less stressful”.

Central to this is a new colour Heads-Up Display, a twelve-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless smartphone charger and up to four USB inputs. Safety has also been taken care of in the fitting of Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Detection, 360 degree surround-view camera system , Lane Keeping Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert which translates into the C5 X being capable of level 2 autonomous driving.

Citroën C5 X interior.

Up front, the engine line-up will comprise petrol and plug-in hybrid units with the only one mentioned being the E-Tense that combines the 1.6 PureTech turbo-petrol with an 81 kW electric motor for a combined system output of 165 kW and all-electric range of 50 km.

Going on sale across Europe from later this year, the C5 X is not expected to return to South Africa in its new guise any time soon.