Up 30% in august: the Citroën C5 X carries the brand in China, raising questions about its future

While the European automotive market is still struggling to return to its pre-pandemic levels, its Chinese counterpart is displaying vibrant health. In August 2025, the latter posted another remarkable performance with 14.5% growth, confirming its momentum as the world's driving force. In this ultra-competitive environment, Citroën is managing to stand out with encouraging results. This provides me with the perfect opportunity to offer a detailed analysis of our beloved brand's sales in this highly strategic market.

A promising august, carried by an impressive C5 X

Before diving into the numbers, it's important to clarify that we are discussing "wholesale figures." This refers to vehicles shipped from the manufacturer to its dealership network, rather than final customer registrations. However, it serves as an excellent indicator of dealer demand and a brand's commercial momentum. In this context, Citroën recorded 1,968 shipments in August 2025, a very strong increase of 12.9% compared to the previous year, allowing it to outperform brands like Skoda.

This performance is particularly noteworthy as it relies almost entirely on one model: the C5 X. With 1,774 units delivered, a surge of 30.8%, our flagship tourer single-handedly accounted for over 90% of Citroën's total sales for the month. This places it at the 235th spot in the overall market ranking, just behind established models like the Volkswagen Lamando and the prestigious Volvo S90. This dazzling success unfortunately contrasts with the situation for the C5 Aircross, which saw its shipments fall by 49.9% to just 194 units. Meanwhile, sister brand Peugeot had a challenging month with 840 units, a 47.1% decline. It is also interesting to note the incredible success of Leapmotor, in which Stellantis is a strategic shareholder. Leapmotor sold 51,162 vehicles (+82.7%), confirming the relevance of this investment for the group's electric strategy in China.

A remarkable performance in a transforming market

Taking a broader view of the year-to-date results reveals a more nuanced picture, yet one that further highlights the exceptional performance of the C5 X. In the first eight months of 2025, the Chinese market grew by 13%, exceeding 18 million units. Over this period, Citroën shows a slight decline of 5.2% with 12,520 vehicles, while Peugeot experienced a steeper drop of 27.9%. However, when we isolate the C5 X's figures, we see continued growth of 8.6% since January, totaling 11,154 units. It is truly the brand's engine of growth in this market.

What makes this achievement even more impressive is the market context. In China, the energy transition is well underway: electrified vehicles (both BEVs and PHEVs) accounted for 49.6% of sales in August. This means that nearly one out of every two new cars sold is electrified. Yet, the C5 X is offered there exclusively with internal combustion engines. To achieve such growth under these circumstances is a remarkable feat. It demonstrates that its unique design, supreme comfort, and innovative concept—a blend of sedan, wagon, and SUV—continue to attract a customer base that finds no equivalent, even amidst a plethora of electric models.

Of course, I must remain grounded. Stellantis's overall market share in China is still modest, and Citroën's sales volumes are limited. However, the growth dynamic seen in August, driven entirely by the C5 X, is a positive signal that should not be overlooked. This sustained success in China, the world's largest auto market, proves that the model possesses strong intrinsic qualities that allow it to stand out in the most competitive environment imaginable.

This situation raises a crucial question. While the C5 X's future in Europe appears sealed, with no successor officially announced, could its excellent performance in China change the equation? The fact that it is managing to grow without any electrified options in a market that craves them is an accomplishment that, I hope, will not go unnoticed at Stellantis headquarters. Perhaps these strong sales results, achieved under such unique market conditions, could prompt the group and Citroën to re-evaluate their strategy for the future of this truly unique vehicle. At the very least, it stands as a fine example of the resilience and seductive power of French audacity.