Details of Cars

Citroën C5 X: a crossover that wants to be an estate

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Citroën C5 X in China
A Citroën C5 X in China. Photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Citroën C5 X is a mid-size crossover SUV produced since June 2021. The name had been used before on the Citroën C5, and the X here stands for crossover: the car is styled as a station wagon with raised ground clearance.

Citroën C5 X at a glance

Citroën C5 X key facts
Maker Citroën, France
Production since June 2021
Type mid-size crossover SUV
Idea a combination of SUV, saloon and estate
Platform EMP2 V3, shared with the Peugeot 408
Design basis the 2016 CXperience concept
Engines two petrol and one plug-in hybrid
Plug-in battery 12.4 kWh, 63 km (39 miles) of electric range
PHEV modes Electric, Hybrid, Comfort and Sport
China name Dongfeng Citroën Versailles C5 X

Based on one source (English Wikipedia).

History of the Citroën C5 X

An estate, an SUV and a saloon at once

The C5 X is intended as a combination of SUV, saloon and estate, and is aimed both at buyers who want a sport utility vehicle and at those who want an estate car. It follows the design of the 2016 CXperience concept, though it is about 50 mm shorter, 13 mm taller and 130 mm less wide than the show car. Underneath it uses the EMP2 V3 platform shared with the similar Peugeot 408.

Citroën C5 X in China, rear
The C5 X from another angle. Photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Petrol and plug-in hybrid

The range offers two petrol engines and one plug-in hybrid, the most powerful of them, with a battery of 12.4 kWh. The plug-in version has four driving modes — Electric, Hybrid, Comfort and Sport — and 63 km (39 miles) of fully electric driving, using technology shared with the Peugeot 508. In China the car is marketed as the Dongfeng Citroën Versailles C5 X, reviving a name once used for the Ford Versailles.

A short life in Britain

In May 2025 the C5 X was discontinued in the United Kingdom and Ireland and right-hand-drive production ended in the same month, leaving the C5 Aircross as the flagship in those markets, although sales continued in other European countries. Citroën CEO Thierry Koskas explained that the brand was not very present in the segment: “as soon as you go into the D-segment, you compete with premium brands, and the sales of generalist brands are small”. In 2023 the car had won the Best Large Car award at the 13th Women’s World Car of the Year.

Design and features

  • Estate-like crossover: a wagon silhouette with raised ground clearance.
  • Plug-in hybrid: 12.4 kWh of battery and 63 km of electric range.
  • Four PHEV modes: Electric, Hybrid, Comfort and Sport.
  • EMP2 V3 platform: shared with the Peugeot 408.
  • CXperience influence: the 2016 concept in a slightly smaller package.

Citroën C5 X versions

  • C5 X petrol: two engine options.
  • C5 X plug-in hybrid: the most powerful version.
  • Dongfeng Citroën Versailles C5 X: the Chinese market name.

The C5 X took over the name of the C5 saloon, and it is the largest car in a range that includes the C4. More cars are in the Citroën collection.

Sources

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