Should you buy one?

Yes. The Citroen C5 X is designed to be a serene, comfortable, stylish family car that’s perfect for travelling long distances, and in that, the company has succeeded. The good news is that as well as offering all the ride quality you’d expect from a large Citroen, it’s well priced and good value, offering generous levels of standard kit, and some punchy financing thanks to good expected resale values.

Citroen has concluded that it couldn’t simply build another saloon or hatchback in the mould of its rivals, as sales in this market sector are fading away unless you’re a premium carmaker. With SUVs now taking 40% of European sales, the CO2 emissions of new cars have been growing when regulators want them to shrink. Citroen hopes the C5 X offers a genuine alternative, between the traditional saloon/estate and the SUV. And we think it has succeeded.

The C5 X should appeal to the individuality of Citroen enthusiasts, even if lower-priced models don’t quite hit the dynamic spot demanded by the car industry’s most discerning fans.

What we like

That’s very easy – it’s different and it’s interesting. And it sticks to Citroen’s commitment to comfort – seating and ride are very good, and there’s also more than enough room front and rear to take care of all but the largest families. It’s also striking to look at, and an individualistic choice in a market filling up with me-too SUVs.

What we don’t like

Drivers more used to stiffly-sprung cars might find its roly-poly nature takes some getting used to, and the 130hp version – as good value as it is – lacks the performance of the more expensive plug-in hybrid option.