“This kind of car was not a success for us” – Why the Citroen C5 X is dying, and why I’m sad about it

Citroen has a long history of building weird cars with a focus on comfort. The DS looked completely bonkers and had a suspension system so soft and pillowy that Rolls Royce bought it to use in its luxury cars. Then there was the CX, which was even more comfortable but had all of its switchgear mounted in the wrong places – just to be different.

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The C6 of the 2000s followed a similar theme, but then we didn’t see another strange Citroen for around 15 years. That was until the C5 X launched back in 2022, a car which seemingly marked a return to form for the quirky French brand.

The Citroen C5 X is a difficult car to classify. It’s part SUV and part estate car with a bit of hatchback sprinkled in for good measure. It’s like the designers looked at what everyone else was doing, before going off and doing something else. Whatever you call it, I think it looks fabulous.

But in 2025, just three years after the C5 X hit the streets, its days are numbered. Production of right hand drive cars is just weeks away from ending, and there are no plans from Citroen to replace it. The new C5 Aircross will be taking its place as the flagship model, so what went wrong with this unique family car?

Well the main reason is a lack of sales. A wise colleague once told me that there are cars which motoring journalists like, and there are those which people actually buy. The C5 X falls firmly into the former camp.

It’s a big, comfy executive car which was meant to tempt people away from premium German models like the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but after chatting to some folks from Citroen this approach doesn’t seem to have gone well.

Citroen’s Product Strategy Officer Caroline Malleus told Carwow: “This kind of car was not a success for us. We now see that the people [shopping] in this segment are looking for more luxurious and premium brands, so this is not a targeted segment [for us] anymore.”

The final nail was put in the C5 X’s coffin by CEO Thierry Koskas, who told us: “I don’t feel that Citroen has much to do in [this segment] for a very simple reason.

“The C5 X isn’t doing too badly in the countries where we do sell it, but it’s such a tight segment because you go [against] the premium brands.

“The new C5 Aircross is probably the best car we have ever made. It’s packed with technology, it’s super comfortable and the roominess is absolutely outstanding. I don’t need something bigger, and I’m not sure I know how to sell something bigger.”

The Citroen C5 X will soldier on in some countries across Europe for the time being, but its days are numbered. I had a poke around the new C5 Aircross which will indirectly replace it, and it’s a lovely SUV. I’m just not sure it’s “Citroen” enough to fill the C5 X’s tyres.

I spent a day with the Citroen C5 X so I could get one last drive in before it leaves UK showrooms, and it reminded me just how good this car is. Unlike every other SUV on the market which seems to feel the need to try and be sporty, this does the exact opposite.

You get the sense that the word “sporty” was banned in the design room, because the C5 X feels like you’re floating down the road in your favourite armchair. I’ve driven much more expensive premium cars which were less comfortable than this.

The interior is pretty nice as well, with loads of wood trim and soft-touch plastics helping it to feel more premium. The seats are great too – they don’t grip you in place like the bucket-y items you get in something like a BMW, but they don’t really need to because nothing about the way this car drives makes you want to chuck it at a corner at full pelt.

I can feel my blood pressure lowering with every mile driven in the C5 X, that is until I put my foot down to join a dual carriageway. The 1.6-litre hybrid engine does like to make a fuss if you call upon it for some power, and the 1.2-litre petrol is no better.

It always baffled me that this motorway cruiser was never offered with a beefy diesel engine, and I think the range of powerplants contributed to this car’s ultimate demise. Who wants to buy a luxury car with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine under the bonnet?

Engines aside though, I’ll miss the Citroen C5 X. I’m sure the new C5 Aircross will be just as comfortable and even more spacious, but it looks a little too generic to really fit the weird Citroen brief. Who knows, maybe in another 15 years we’ll get another bonkers car from this quirky French brand.

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