The all-new Citroën is an unconventional take on the conventional that puts comfort first The first question was how do we fit the new Citroën C5 X into any of the online menus we have. How do we categorize it? Is it a station wagon, SUV, sedan, crossover, large family sedan, compact executive car or what? And in response: yes, yes. Citroën, a prolific maker of many small cars, has also made some nice big ones in the past, but the frequency of their production is fickle – most of the time, you’d suspect, because while they’re often cool, they don’t nor are they universally popular. And the market for large conventional cars (by which I mean non-premium brands) is shrinking. They call it the D-segment. The one that contains the Volkswagen Passat, Vauxhall Insignia, Ford Mondeo, and historically a dozen other models from mainstream brands, or “a sad, boring, ever-shrinking segment for all intents and purposes,” according to the endearing CEO of Citroën, Vincent Cobée. Nevertheless, Citroën is launching a new car there. It’s a new big car that he hopes is none of that. It is a car created with “a will and a will to be different”. The C5 X, then (pronounced X, not Cross, although they won’t care too much anyway), is a 4.8-meter-long, 1.8-meter fastback/hatchback/station wagon wide (look, whatever) with a raised ride height to give it a crossover/SUV appearance without all the frontal area of an actual SUV. The look without the inefficiency. It sits on the platform that gives us so many Citroën and Peugeot models (the windshield is even the same as on the latest Peugeot 308), which means it has a steel unibody, front-wheel drive and pure gasoline and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. “We could make it four-wheel drive, but we won’t,” says Cobée. and a 1.6-litre petrol with 178bhp, which few will buy, as it’s almost as expensive as the 1.6-litre plug-in hybrid with 225bhp and up to 31 miles of electric-only range. Prices range from £26,490 to £29,980 for the 130 and £35,180 to £38,670 for the hybrid. Batteries are expensive. The suspension is MacPherson strut up front and multi-link in the rear. All models get Citroën’s progressive hydraulic cushions and the hybrids also get electronically controlled dampers, which change depending on the driving mode. not really for making properly configured family cars (“sportiness” 10 points, “fun to drive” 10 points, “Nürburgring” 20 points). But Citroën runs after comfort. “We want to be remembered for the elevation of comfort and to elevate it to the level of ‘care,'” says Cobée. So the large-diameter (19-inch) wheels that help give the C5 X its ride height are shod with 205/55 tires to add absorption to what is apparently a soft-set car. It’s a new approach and, if done right, could be very tempting. First, however, inside. For the most part, I like it here. The driving position is widely adjustable, the seats wide and comfortable and the steering wheel, pleasantly finished, has real buttons. Hooray! Praise too that the heating and fan controls are physical knobs with ingenious temperature knobs – so easy, so quick, so safe to use. There’s a touchscreen, of course, and it’s slightly worrying to hear that its icons and functions are smartphone-inspired, because you’re really not supposed to use them while driving at 70mph. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not so bad: some shortcuts are very short and you can rest your finger on them. The perceived hardware quality is quite good, especially at this price. There are soft-touch surfaces you’d expect and interesting fabric choices with little chevrons in other places. Fit and finish are solid. Rear space is excellent. The roofline means there’s only sound amounts of headroom, but you’d have to be a tall adult to complain, while legroom is genuinely generous. the glass is a little straighter than the body with it open, but it’s still 545 liters with the rear seats in place. Plus, there’s a flat load floor and remote releases for the folding rear seats. We’re told a washing machine will fit in, even with the rear seats up. Having driven both the PHEV and the 130, I prefer the gas-only car. The PHEV is refined, no doubt. As you can imagine, it’s incredibly quiet around town in electric-only mode, and the cabin insulation and bump absorption are spot-on. As with other Citroëns,…
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Source: release-perf-prod-d7-autocar-co-uk.whatcardev.haymarket.com
This notice was published: 2022-03-09 00:01:23
