Overview

Is it a car? Is it an SUV? No, it’s the Citroen C5 X, the French firm’s interesting range topper. As you’d expect from the brand that’s so wedded to building the best family cars, the current desire to make everything sporty has been ignored with comfort being this car’s number one priority. It’s worked, too, becoming one of the best hybrid estates on offer and the Best Large Family Car for 2023 in our annual Parkers car awards.

Naturally for a Citroen it’s a less conventional choice than the competition, mixing estate, hatchback and SUV to make something that allegedly combines the best of all worlds. It’s a real shake-up for the big Citroen formula, no bad thing given the dismal sales of the previous C6 and DS5.

That means direct rivals are few and far between. Close in concept, if not price, is the Volvo V60 Cross Country and the now-discontinued Audi A4 Allroad, Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, Skoda Octavia Scout and Subaru Outback, albeit without those car’s standard fit four-wheel drive. We’d therefore suggest regular estates such as the SEAT Leon and Skoda Superb along with SUVs including the Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan are closer rivals in reality.

It’s certainly a striking-looking thing. Like the smaller Citroen C4, it gets X-shaped lamp graphics feeding into the double chevron grille up front. The approach is mirrored at the rear, but it looks less cluttered than on C4, due to the C5 X’s bigger rump crowned by a pair of aero-aiding spoilers. In short, if you want a big family Citroen to stand out from the crowd, just like its predecessors, then the C5 X is for you.

The C5 X is available in Sense Plus, Shine and Shine Plus trims, with the entry level model coming with 19-inch wheels and LED headlights and a part-leather interior. For infotainment, it gets a 10.0-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, and front and rear parking sensors, with a crisp and clear picture from its high-definition reversing camera.

Shine models get black Paloma leather and a heated steering wheel, as well as upgraded interior mood lighting. It also gets a larger 12.0-inch infotainment screen as well as wireless smartphone charging and radar-controlled active safety braking. The adaptive cruise control system available on this model works well, with a lane-keep assist system that isn’t too intrusive.

Top of the range Shine Plus gets heated driver and front passenger seats, acoustically insulated front and rear windows, a power-assisted tailgate and blind spot detection with a 360-degree parking camera set-up.

So it’s packed with kit, is comfortable and roomy, but is it worth recommending? Over the next few pages we’ll be thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the Citroen C5 X and rating them in our verdict. Our scores will take into account the driving experience, how pleasant the interior is, the practicality on offer and what it’ll cost you to run.