In 2021, Citroën presented its latest top-of-the-range car, the C5 X, which replaced the second generation of the C5, which had been discontinued four years earlier. Citroën thus made its return to a failing D segment where the few manufacturers still present were German, but the brand arrived with an astonishing proposition, combining the codes of sedans and estates to offer a unique body, all tinged with SUV.
Made in China, where it is mainly sold, the C5 X has struggled to achieve decent sales figures as this segment has been forgotten by customers in favour of C-segment SUVs. However, it has undeniable qualities, such as unparalleled comfort thanks to its controlled suspension and generous space in all seats, but it pays a high price for a range focused on plug-in hybrids and for its often-criticised production in China.
Faced with these sales figures, which the brand considers sufficient but far too low to make such an investment profitable, Thierry Koskas, Citroën's CEO, has already indicated that the C5 X will not be renewed at the end of its commercial career. Similarly, the brand's large saloon will not be restyled, even though it will be the only one in the range to retain the old logo in 2025. However, Citroën did consider offering a restyled version of the C5 X, and mock-ups were made, but in the face of Stellantis' difficulties they were abandoned, leaving the large saloon with the chevrons to its funereal and sad fate.
However, I can offer you the version that the brand's teams had in mind for the restyling of the C5 X, which, as you can see, incorporates a number of elements that appeared on the restyled C4, namely a slightly redesigned bonnet to integrate the brand's new logo and much more refined headlights, linked by a thin black grille that visually widens the car. Similarly, the large Citroën saloon had to adopt Citroën's new lighting signature, which, like the C4's, uses horizontal LED bars to make it appear wider than it actually is.
In conclusion, the career of the C5 X has not been an easy one. Citroën has had the courage to return to the large saloon segment, knowing full well that it is a complicated one, dominated by the German premium brands. The brand with the chevrons was one of the only generalists to return there, but the market is cruel and sales of the C5 X, if they are considered satisfactory for the brand, are very low and do not allow any operation to be profitable. So there will be no replacement for the C5 X or a redesigned version, even if it had been considered, but would it have been enough to increase sales? We will never know.
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