You can’t help but notice the beauty when you cast your gaze upon the Citroën C5 X. According to the Citroën website it has ‘a unique combination of the elegance of a sedan, the dynamism of a wagon and the elevated driving position of an SUV’ which makes it more like a sculpture than a mode of transport.
As a brand in Australia, Citroën hasn’t found itself in the list of top sellers which puzzles me after spending a week in the C5 X because it’s a beautiful car.
If you were buying a novated lease car purely on looks, the entire Citroën range should be on your shopping list because the designers have chosen to draw on the emotional appeal of sensual lines rather than sitting on the fence leaning towards conservatism.
The Citroën C5 X was launched in Australia late in 2022 in one variant that comes with a generous level of specification with a 2024 driveway price just under $63,000. Competing in the unpopular large car segment, it hasn’t found many buyers that share my emotional attraction with only 68 deliveries in 2023.
Considering it won ‘Best Large Car’ in the 2023 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards, which is voted by a esteemed global panel of female motoring journalists, hopefully its fortunes will change in 2024 despite facing an onslaught of EVs trying to capture the novated lease buyer.
Exterior design
It would be a travesty to limit a description of the exterior design to my limited vocabulary. So here’s how Citroën describes it.
Just as C5 X takes its styling cues from contemporary sedans, wagons and SUVs, it also takes its inspiration from Citroëns past and imagined, blending influences from classics models like the Traction Avant, DS, CX and XM with ideas from the CXperience and 19_19 concept cars.
C5 X introduces a range of new design features. Chevron badging on the radiator grille flows outward to the 3D LED daylight running lights, for example, emphasising the bonnet’s clamshell design.
At the same time fluid and aerodynamic lines, a high waistline and distinctive kick-up over the rear wheels highlight the car’s dynamism.
C5 X’s profile shows that aerodynamic efficiency was a priority, ensuring the styling is instantly eye-catching: assertive, robust, distinctive – a fastback body style paying full attention to aerodynamics.
As well as giving Citroën C5 X a unique visual identity, the powerful styling draws inspiration from the aviation industry, optimising aerodynamics with a slippery 0.291 drag co-efficient, helping reduce fuel consumption.
The exterior fluidity emphasises both the long, low bonnet line rising into the high belt line and the powerful rear wheel arch shape.
Combined with an extended roof line they give the car a distinctive appearance highlighting the car’s cutting-edge design.
The prominent wheel arches enhance the vehicle’s character and are amply filled with 19-inch diameter Aero X alloy wheels and wide 205/55 tyres. The precise design of the flattened outer edges of the wheel arch flares ensures air flows cleanly along the body sides.
Airflow is also promoted by a wheel design using aerodynamic inserts to create a turbine effect, guiding the airflow and lowering aerodynamic drag.
The elongated roofline ends in a purposeful floating spoiler and the car’s overall character is enhanced by chrome trim above the rear quarter-panel windows, visually extending the upper chrome window mouldings.
C5 X’s black contrasting bi-tone roof, supported by slender A, B, C and D-pillars, is enhanced by a generous glass area, giving the impression of a floating roofline and further accentuating the car’s stylish appearance.
What’s it like to drive?
Lovely! It was really surprising how the 1.6 litre PureTech turbo charged petrol engine propelled this large car with ease. Though it’s very much a European engine which takes some adjustment to your driving expectations in traffic and congested areas. As a small capacity high performance turbo Euro6 compliant engine, it has a different feel compared to the large Aussie six cylinder or Japanese/Korean four cylinder donk.
The only annoying element was the stop/start feature. There was a lag which caused a few scary moments at intersections so I was turning it off most days.
Ride quality and handling was also excellent thanks to the Citroën Advanced Comfort™ Suspension engineered to create Citroën’s legendary ‘magic carpet ride’ quality. This was noticeable on the horrendous Sydney roads because it significantly reduced the shocks from potholes, speed bumps and other poor-quality road surfaces.
Citroën says the suspension design works together with the Advanced Comfort™ seats. I’m not qualified enough in suspension engineering to confirm this claim, however I noticed a level of comfort and support not found in similarly prices cars, and the lack of fatigue after more than an hour in the saddle.
Once inside the Citroën C5 X you are cocooned in a luxurious interior of soft touch surfaces which is generously proportioned with a real impression of warmth and comfort, combining tranquillity and spaciousness.
The layout of the controls and instrument cluster seamlessly integrate within the overall design. The centre infotainment screen is blended into the controls by using a wider and slimmer design than you’d find in Korean or Japanese cars.
It has dials for the climate controls which is my preferred option rather using a touch screen to adjust the fan and temperature. It was the last days of summer during my test drive and the mercury was well past 30 degrees which challenged the European air conditioning as it tried to maintain a stable cabin environment.
In the rear there’s an almost flat floor making the centre rear seat functional for three teenagers when combined with the large car dimensions. And being a wagon there’s a generous boot space which is a surprise from the outside considering the styling hides its station wagon DNA.
Would I buy one?
When discussing the Citroën C5 X in the Fleet News Group office to determine a final verdict, someone said ‘that’s a lot of French car for the money’, which makes it great value for a novated lease.
The exciting news is a PHEV version is coming later this year which will qualify it for the FBT Exemption under the Electric Car Discount Bill if delivered prior to 31st March 2025 (under current legislation).
There’s a question mark over the resale if you only hold it for three to four years, but the average car ownership for most buyers is seven years which reduces the risk.
If you think about the size of the car and all the features you’re getting; the safety; the exterior design; the interior comfort; it maybe a car for the intelligent novated lease buyer who can appreciate the beauty and value.
