PARIS -- Citroen is returning to the midsize segment after an absence of two years with the CX 5, a car that the brand says combines the best attributes of a sedan, a station wagon and an SUV.
The C5 X, the brand’s new flagship model, will be shown to the public next week at the Shanghai auto show in China, where it will be built in a Stellantis-Dongfeng joint venture plant in Chengdu and exported to Europe.
It will go on sale in Europe in the second half of this year. Citroen has not released prices.
The C5 X rides on the same EMP2 architecture as the Peugeot 508 L, a China-only version of the midsize fastback with an extended wheelbase to give more room for rear-seat passengers.
Like the 508 and another sibling model, the DS 9 (also assembled in China), the C5 X will be offered with an optional plug-in hybrid powertrain, as well as gasoline and diesel models for Europe.
The C5 X’s styling cues include an extended, sloping rear roof line with two small spoilers, similar to that of the recently launched Citroen C4 compact, which also has some crossover appeal. SUV-like elements include black plastic wheel arch trim and bumpers that hint at skid plates. Tall and narrow tires ride on 19-inch wheels to provide an elevated driving position.
“It’s aimed at people who are used to a higher driving position and ease of entry and exit but don’t want SUV styling,” Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee said. “It has the space and functionality of a station wagon.”
Cobee said the C5 X would appeal to buyers of midsize sedans and station wagons, as well as compact SUVs.
Other automakers have used a similar hybrid silhouette in the past, including Lexus, with the IS300 SportCross, and Fiat, with the Croma, both in the 2000s.
Citroen last competed in the segment with the C5, in sedan and station wagon versions, which was dropped from its lineup in 2019. Since then the flagship has been the compact C5 Aircross SUV.
