French car maker Citroen has made an art form out of doing things differently.

Some of the resulting vehicles have been at once stunningly innovative and decidedly quirky, as evidenced by such legendary Citroens as the DS, XM and CX, to name just three.

These days, Citroen is part of the giant Stellantis automotive manufacturing and marketing conglomerate, which encompasses 16 different brands ranging from Abarth and Alfa Romeo to Jeep, Maserati, Peugeot and RAM.

Despite having a sizeable presence in Europe and some other global markets, Citroen is a relatively small brand here in Australia with year-to-date sales at July of 135 vehicles, just six units more than the vastly more expensive and exclusive Ferrari.

Despite this, the French brand has been busily updating its range, including with, what company executives describe as a “one-of-a-kind car”, the innovative new C5 X.

Pitched into the once-dominant large car segment, the C5 X is now Citroen’s flagship model locally, but also seemingly out of step with buyer sentiment, given the dramatic decline in large car sales following the end of the locally manufactured Falcon, Commodore and Aurion.

A case of French resistance, perhaps?

By way of a nod to current moves to electrified powertrains, a plug-in hybrid version of the C5 X is expected in the back half of 2023.

Though even that seems to defy trends with PHEVs now losing market share to EVs.

For now, though, it’s a case of one highly specified grade, the C5 X Shine, powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, with a list price of $57,670.

In a market segment mostly comprising luxury brands with price tags starting around $90,000 and rapidly heading into nose-bleed territory, the C5 X’s price is certainly attractive.

It’s also competitive, with the only other non-luxury brand still active in the segment, Skoda and its spacious Superb wagon and sedan.

With Kia having recently stopped taking orders for its sporty Stinger sedan, you could say the relatively affordable Citroen and Skoda are the last of their kind.

Citroen’s marketing material breathlessly describes the C5 X as an original design that employs a completely different styling philosophy to deliver a unique avant-garde body shape.

Featuring a long bonnet and raked windscreen, the design is said to combine sedan elegance with a wagon-like boot and the elevated stance and driving position of an SUV.

Exterior styling enhancements include distinctive V-shaped LED lighting front and rear, and the brand’s trademark chevrons on the grille flowing out to 3D LED daytime running lights.

Designers have also incorporated subtle touches of chrome and black detailing to good effect, including on the black bi-tone roof, gloss black power-operated and heated exterior mirrors and matte black protective trims around the wheel arches, bumpers, and sills.

A sunroof and 19-inch two-tone diamond-cut alloys wheels add extra flourish to the C5 X’s undeniable visual appeal.

Sitting as it does on a 2,785mm wheelbase, with a body that’s 4,805mm long, 1,865mm wide, and 1,490mm high, the C5 X has plenty of visual appeal. But despite its hefty physical dimensions, the Citroen is impressively aerodynamically efficient, with a drag co-efficient of just 0.291, which aids fuel efficiency.

Those large car exterior proportions pay dividends inside the generously proportioned cabin, where rear-seat occupants benefit from good head, leg, and foot space, while the full-length sunroof also adds a pleasingly light and airy feel to the interior.

There are 12 different oddment spaces totalling 28 litres capacity, while the generously proportioned cargo area features a flat floor and 545 litres of load space.

Flat folding the split-rear-seats liberates 1,640 litres of space, while the powered tailgate offers the convenience of a hands-free function.

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A space-saver spare is stowed under the boot floor.

Attention to detail, quality materials and good fit and finish add an agreeable ambience to the cabin, with the brand’s chevron design motif subtly incorporated in various places, such as in the soft Paloma Nappa leather seat trims, the stitch detailing on the seat backrests and door trims, and in the 3D ‘grain’ on the wood-effect dash trims.

Other design features include a flat e-Toggle gear selector mounted on the console, gloss black and satin chrome highlights, and an ambient lighting system with adjustable intensity.

The C5 X’s Advanced Comfort Seats offer impressive comfort and support, thanks to the use of high-density structural foam, with special seat padding that acts in the same way as a mattress topper.

The driver’s seat has two memory settings and eight-way power adjustability including cushion tilt and four-way lumbar adjustment.

The front passenger’s seat gets six-way power adjustability (including lumbar), and both front seats are heated, as is the steering wheel.

Perhaps it was an issue specific to our test car, but the cooling performance of the dual-zone climate control appeared to be a touch below par on a moderately warm Brisbane day.

Ahead of the driver is Citroen’s most advanced e-HUD extended head-up display, a full-colour unit that places information such as speed, navigation, driving assist systems and phone calls in the driver’s field of view.

Also provided is a 7-inch colour digital instrument cluster and an ultra-wide 12-inch high-definition touchscreen infotainment system.

The latter provides access to a wide range of functions including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Bluetooth streaming.

A “Hello Citroen” voice recognition system provides hands-free control of climate, audio, navigation, and phone systems, while other standard features include wireless smartphone charging, twin USB-C ports front and rear, DAB+ radio, and an eight-speaker sound system.

C5 X buyers also get access to a Connected Services internet connection which provides internet-enabled map searches and map updates, along with ‘live’ information on things like car park availability, fuel outlets and pricing, traffic routing, speed camera locations and accident zones.

The feature is accompanied by a myCitroen app and a complimentary three-year-from-new subscription, with one and three-year extensions available for purchase.

The C5 X’s host of safety and driver assistance technologies includes rear cross-traffic alert, long-range blind spot monitoring, active lane positioning assist, and intelligent cruise control with speed adaptation.

Other driver assistance and safety features include dusk-sensing LED headlights, auto high-beam assist, LED front fog lights with static corner lighting, rain-sensing wipers, six airbags, AEB with low light pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, multiple collision braking, driver attention alert, active lane keep assist, extended traffic sign recognition, speed limiter, pedestrian protection active bonnet, front and rear park sensors, and 360-degree multi-view camera system.

The combination led to independent safety testing authority ANCAP awarding the C5 X Shine a five-star safety rating in 2022.

Powertrain choices are limited to a single PureTech 180 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, driving the front wheels via an eight-speed EAT8 automatic transmission.

It’s essentially the same combination used in the marginally lighter C5 Aircross Sport SUV, with outputs of 133kW and 250Nm.

The 1.6-litre engine tends to a little lag when asked to step off the line with some urgency, but once underway feels sufficiently peppy and responsive, with a willing mid-range courtesy of maximum torque from 1,650rpm.

Eco, Normal and Sport drive modes are available at the flick of a switch on the console, with Sport sharpening up engine and transmission responses notably.

The manufacturer claims the C5 X despatches the 0-100km/h sprint in a respectable 8.1 seconds, which is almost identical to the C5 Aircross.

Official combined consumption of the required 95 RON premium fuel is a frugal 6.0L/100km but during our week of testing in a varied combination of driving environments we saw a higher 10.0L/100km.

A more conservative driving style will no doubt yield greater efficiency but getting close to that official figure might still be challenging.

In keeping with one of Citroen’s long-established pillars, the C5 X delivers a supple and comfortable ride thanks to its Advanced Comfort Suspension, which does an impressive job of smoothing out bumps, potholes and other road irregularities.

In addition to normal springs and dampers, the system employs Progressive Hydraulic Cushions – effectively hydraulic stops, one for compression and one for rebound – to help eliminate harshness and moderate suspension movement. 

Road holding through twists and turns is confident and secure, though faster changes of direction elicit some body roll.

The handling is competent and befitting of a vehicle that’s intended more as a tourer than a dedicated sports offering.

The C5 X’s steering is also agreeably light and decently accurate.

The C5 X comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as five years of roadside assistance.

There’s also a five-year service price promise program, with the first five services scheduled at 12-month/15,000km intervals tallying $2,818.

The company has also introduced pre-paid service plans that offer further savings, with a three-year plan costing $1,200 and a five-year plan $2,000.

Current automotive tastes and trends suggest Citroen won’t be starting a revolution with the C5 X. But this affordable large car nonetheless has plenty to recommend it, including healthy equipment levels, a roomy interior, supple ride quality, attractive styling, and quality finishes.

Add in a certain je ne sais quoi, and Citroen’s latest offering will no doubt shine brightly for the brand’s loyal follower, while potentially garnering some wider market attention.

Key stats

• MLP: $57,670
• ENGINE: 1.6-litre PureTech turbo-petrol four-cylinder
• ANCAP CRASH RATING: 5 stars (2022)
• FUEL CONSUMPTION (combined cycle): 6.0L/100km (137g/km CO₂)
• FOR: Supple ride, peppy engine performance, spacious interior with wagon versatility, latest gen infotainment, stylish looks, price and equipment.
• AGAINST: Requires premium fuel, space saver spare, not as fuel efficient as official numbers suggest.