New Citroen c5x

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Discussion

SuperPav

1,074 posts

124 months

Monday 12th April 2021
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Looking at it I’m really not sure what it’s trying to be. Quite odd. So I guess being a Citroen, that’s a compliment!

donkmeister

7,998 posts

99 months

Saturday 17th April 2021
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It has the wrong suspension.


Yes they say it has "hydraulic suspension" but only in that it has hydraulic dampers (like every other coil-sprung car on the market). From what I can see, all they've done is fit secondary dampers to absorb bigger bumps.

Stupid Citroen trying to run a profitable business instead of catering to car nuts who actually think oleopneumatics are a defining feature of post-war Citroens... Grrrr.

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Sunday 20th February 2022
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UK configurator is now up

https://www.citroen.co.uk/models/c5-x/configurator...

It starts at £26k for a low-powered non-hybrid version. I suspect that 130BHP is not going to be enough unless you really don't care about speed (and this car is about comfort rather than speed). But IMHO that is really good value for money considering what you get.

180BHP version is about £30k. Plug-in hybrid version is £36k.

I really like it. These days it's hard to make something really different because of regulations and because development costs are so high that niche cars can't be profitable unless they are high end. So I do admire Citroen for being brave.

Some say that this shape - a mash-up of saloon, estate, SUV and coupe - is destined to be the next big thing after SUVs. I wonder whether that will happen. It appears to be a cross between a Subaru Outback and a Porsche Panamera estate. I personally love it, but then again I also loved the Renault Vel Satis boxedin


FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Thursday 10th March 2022
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I like it and will be heading to the showroom in April when the first examples are due to appear.

Agree that the 130 engine might have to work a bit hard, the 110 3 pot auto in our C3 gives reasonable pull, but only 20ps more with just over 1400kg to move as opposed to the 1090 of the C3 suggests the 1.6 engine might be better.

Autocar pontificate that not many 1.6 will sell as the plug in is, in their opinion, only a little more expensive. 6k only a little bit more? Not sure about that. On the other hand think the petrol ones will be difficult case to make for company car market due to emission levels vs the PHEV.

They drove both the 130 and the PHEV and definitely referred the 130, but did admit that the engine and gearbox have to thrum a bit to get things moving.

Strangely when I looked last time at mfr site far cheaper to PCP than PCH. Maybe that was a misprice.

As for looks, need to see it in front of me, eg really liked photos of the latest Hyundai Tucson, in the metal, not so much.

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Saturday 12th March 2022
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I'll be taking a look too. The 130BHP ICE version seems like really good value.

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Sunday 13th March 2022
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Now that various road tests are coming through on YouTube it's interesting that a fair few testers are rationalising this alleged mash up of saloon / SUV / estate into favouring that it's an estate with a slightly higher ride height.

Still looking promising. Going to play with the configuration with one eye on the standard spec list for the various trim levels.

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Sunday 13th March 2022
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FiF said:
Now that various road tests are coming through on YouTube it's interesting that a fair few testers are rationalising this alleged mash up of saloon / SUV / estate into favouring that it's an estate with a slightly higher ride height.

Still looking promising. Going to play with the configuration with one eye on the standard spec list for the various trim levels.
Are you thinking about PHEV or pure petrol?

The reviews so far have been surprisingly good IMHO. Even Autocar - with their notoriously lazy cliches about big French cars - had good things to say.

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Sunday 13th March 2022
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Still torn to be perfectly honest but...

The problem with PHEV, and EV too, from my perspective is that it would be a private vehicle, so issue of reduced BIK just does not apply.

Weigh in the significantly increased cost and weight disfavours the PHEV. Plus just watched the CarGurus test, at least partly, and tester was saying the 1.6 engine was a bit gruff. I know the 3pot 1.2 runs very sweetly, but as above is it a bit underpowered.

On the other hand most of my daily miles are in a diesel LR 4x4 and with a dog in the back so generally drive quite gently. Although having said that the rate many folks potter about even driving what is for me gently and sedately still get held up.

So that favours the 130 ICE.

Yet on the other hand could see that 90% of my journeys around and about would be on pure electric. 90% made up figure but not far off I reckon, and the way fuel prices are going. Yet back to the first point significantly increased purchase cost. Need to do sums.

Sorry not being much help am I?

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Sunday 13th March 2022
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One more thing, quite a few people have commented that the PHEV doesn't deal well with handling the mix of regenerative and friction braking making it awkward to drive smoothly.

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Monday 14th March 2022
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Just in.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/citroen/citroen-c...

Once you've got past the lazy big Citroen tropes, including the story about the XM with the insoluble problem with wet carpets, which turned out to be a faulty windscreen wiper sensor opening the sunroof when it was parked in the rain, closing it when the rain stopped.

OK Andrew English you've had your fun, now get on with it.

Exec summary, quite likes it and as with so many cars, including the Porsche 911 btw, the best car and best value is the cheapest in the range, the 1.2l 130 3 pot. Drove both 130 and PHEV over same routes. PHEV did 25 miles before engine started vs 31 claimed, after which 38.2 mpg, which is ignoring the electric miles in the calculation. Over same route 130 did 47mpg. Happy with comfort and space levels inside, had a bit of a tussle with the satnav voice instructions and turning off the lane keeping twaddle, but found it quite composed over rough surfaces, but the extra weight of the plug in showed, and again the messy interaction of regenerative and friction braking makes the cheapest ICE the one to go for it seems.

Claims best colours are grey or the deep-green grey, but the white is just nasty. The standard metallic blue didn't look too bad in the photos to my eyes.

Quite likes it, nearest competitors, Mondeo Estate (now out of production) or Superb Estate. Imo Passat has got to be one too but then there is that awful VW group touch screen malarkey.

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Monday 14th March 2022
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I am thinking 130 ICE. The PHEV is surely going to be nice, but I don't have any easy way to charge it and TBH I'm not particularly interested in doing it. Plus it's much more expensive. For a private owner I don't think it makes a lot of sense. The 130 ICE feels like the best value in the range. Yes it's only 130 BHP but this car is designed to waft in comfort, not to win at Le Mans.

IMHO the best colour is "Amazonite Grey" which reminds me of the colour of my old DS5. Although I agree that "Magnetic Blue" also looks interesting. I need to see them in real life...

My spec of choice would be a 130 ICE version, Shine Plus spec (to get the keyless entry) in Amazonite Grey. That weighs in at just over 30 grand before discounts. IMHO that's pretty solid value.


FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Monday 14th March 2022
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Almost snap, current favourite.

130 Shine Plus, Amazonite Grey, Black Roof (maybe, edit, now definitely, daughter just reminded me why we went black roof on C3, exterior on A, B and C pillars is gloss black, black roof ties in nicely, £350 option unlike std on C3).
(What do you think about pano roof? Looks a bit dark especially in the rear. Not worth the cost probably.)

Incidentally our C3 is Platinum Grey, Black Roof. Looks mint when washed, but couple of days and filthy again with the amount of crap dropped on the lanes.

BTW just been doing fuel sums 130 vs PHEV, saves almost 100 pcm assuming current fuel and electricity prices. Needs more work, back of beer mat calc. (Another edit, must be losing my touch, saving 3600 quid over 3 years vs an extra 9k? Plus only 10 quid difference on ved. LoL)

Yorkshire mode- How much? Would need to be a stellar deal from sales.

Edited by FiF on Tuesday 15th March 09:44

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Tuesday 15th March 2022
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FiF said:
(What do you think about pano roof? Looks a bit dark especially in the rear. Not worth the cost probably.)
Is a pano roof available? I did not see any options listed for any of the models - just the 3 trim levels and 3 engines.

Maybe I'm using the configurator wrong...

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Tuesday 15th March 2022
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AmitG said:
Is a pano roof available? I did not see any options listed for any of the models - just the 3 trim levels and 3 engines.

Maybe I'm using the configurator wrong...
Yes , only available on Shine Plus as a £1,300 option. Too expensive I think.


FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Friday 8th April 2022
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Dealers still saying no info on availability in showrooms, hoping for late May, no pipeline stock, nothing.


AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Friday 8th April 2022
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FiF said:
Dealers still saying no info on availability in showrooms, hoping for late May, no pipeline stock, nothing.
Is that late May even for demonstrators/showroom cars?

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Friday 8th April 2022
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AmitG said:
FiF said:
Dealers still saying no info on availability in showrooms, hoping for late May, no pipeline stock, nothing.
Is that late May even for demonstrators/showroom cars?
Yep, even then it's a guess. Was told around time of earlier post they'd be in showrooms in April, so mailed today. Answer back was essentially a big fat don't know when, hoping late May, but no certainty. It's a wait and we'll let you know.

FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Friday 22nd April 2022
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Update, latest info is cars in showroom late July, delivery 3-6 months from order dependent upon spec.

Discounts being offered up to 7+% so nothing particularly spectacular.
Also claiming that order book is already filling up.

AmitG

3,272 posts

159 months

Saturday 23rd April 2022
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If they are discounting, that suggests to me that the order book is not filling up...

My Jazz is due for servicing in July and there is a Citroen dealer owned by the same family just up the road. Hopefully I get a chance to take a look.

This is one of the few affordable cars that actually interests me right now. It's something original, in what is IMHO a sea of dross.


FiF

43,960 posts

250 months

Saturday 23rd April 2022
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Agree about the discounting, although there's sometimes a special discounted launch special model from manufacturers that gets a good discount, eg latest Ford Kuga. I just mentioned it while also thinking it's usual sales type hollyhocks.

But how long since this was released over in China? First batch shipped in July 2021.

Edited to say carwow claiming average discount 2.4k, best to me was 2381.
Shine Plus, 130 petrol, blue, black roof.

Edited by FiF on Saturday 23 April 09:37