Following on from the C5 Aircross and C4, the C5 X saloon will be fitted with the new Stellantis non-rechargeable hybrid engine from this month of July. This new 136 bhp simple hybrid engine is an addition to the current range and does not replace the Puretech 130, which remains the entry-level version.
From 1st July, the Citroën C5X will therefore be fitted with the 136 bhp 1.2-litre simple hybrid engine (MHEV) that has been available on the Citroën range for several months. This new engine uses 40% new parts, replaces the belt with a timing chain and is coupled to an automatic transmission developed in a joint venture between Stellantis and Punch Powertrain. Above all, a small electric motor with a peak power of 21 hp allows short trips to be made 100% electrically, thanks to a small battery that has the peculiarity of being linked to a very powerful regenerative braking system that recharges it quickly, giving the feeling of driving a 100% electric car.
Thanks to the aerodynamic performance of the C5X, which already allows excellent consumption in pure thermal and PHEV mode, the new simple hybrid engine allows the large Citroën to be completely exempt from the ecological penalty, unlike the 1.2 Turbo version of 130, which suffers between 650 and 740 € in penalties. With an additional cost of just €1,500, the C5X MHEV proves to be a much more relevant choice than the pure thermal version thanks to the fuel savings achieved, which should be particularly strong thanks to the efficient aerodynamics of the C5X. This new MHEV engine is priced from €40,650 for the You version, €43,250 for the Plus version and is not available in the Max trim, a high-end trim available only with the 225 hp Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) engine.
In conclusion, the addition of this new 136 bhp MHEV hybrid engine to the C5X's engine range should have a positive impact on sales of the large saloon, which finally has a single hybrid option, an option that has accounted for more than 29.2% of sales in Europe since the beginning of the year. In addition, in this large saloon segment, a simple hybrid offer is an advantage for business sales, which should have a positive impact on the C5X. Finally, the efficient aerodynamics of the large Citroën allow it to escape any ecological penalty, which quickly and easily compensates for the slight extra cost of €1,500.
Here are the C5X prices for France as of 1st July:
Seems as Stelantis is more focused to hit some tax/regulation threshold/minimum, than to produce a good value car. The only value that I see here is possibly more smooth start and stop driving experience as PureTech & EAT8 has very unlinear acceleration when starting from zero.
Other values are probably eaten by more expensive maintanance as complexity of the drive system is higher.
If building HEV - Toyota RAV4 has made some standards 10 years ago - match them or be better. HEV should be replacement for diesel, on both strainght and economy sides.
If making PHEV - ~50km range makes sense only to some people (daily comuters), for others is completly meaningless. Try to make something new, maybe like…