Turn to the right direction. Citroën C5X can “iron” the retarders flat
However, a large part of customers was not impressed by this originality. For example, Citroën dealers in our country mainly sold Berlingo. However, now the situation is starting to change for this famous French brand. The first swallow was a new “cé four” well adapted for family needs, now I got to test the larger C5X for the first time. It was a piece in the highest equipment as a tiplu plug-in hybrid drive unit. It therefore enables driving on both petrol and electricity, or both engines can work together.
Look at the specific tested specimen in the annotated photo gallery.
The letter at the end of the designation means that it is not quite a new generation car, which used to be synonymous with comfort while driving for many “long-distance” drivers. However, even though Citroën itself claims that it is a crossover with the ability to appeal to those interested in limousines, sportier SUVs and station wagons, for me personally it is simply a sports station wagon. After all, the height of the body below the level of one and a half meters directly prohibits me from using the term SUV.
But those who like the look of would-be off-road cars can be satisfied with the black plastic trim on the fenders or the lining of the thresholds and the lower parts of the bumpers made of the same material. In addition, the car can also project on lighter non-muddy terrain. Thanks to the color, almost twenty centimeters.
This time, the exterior designers kept it pretty short. Their playfulness was manifested more or less only in the shapes of the headlights at the front and at the back. They “untied” even less in the interior, which will undoubtedly be appreciated by a large number of customers.
Citroën C5 Aircross got rid of extravagance. The ride is also provided by the ground clearance
Thanks to this, the dashboard is straight and therefore not tilted in the driver’s compartment towards him. This means that the passenger also has a good view of the central multimedia display and the center console does not reduce the knee space in front of his seat.
Moderately modern
Important functions are controlled in the classic way in the C5X. I especially liked the large controls on the climate control panel, the preserved button for increasing and decreasing the radio by the display, two physical buttons for quick access to the menu on the central screen or the ability to switch driving modes on the central console.
There is also a display instead of an instrument panel, which is quite small. but the current speed is better on the head-up display, which the car was also equipped with.
I liked the front seats. They are soft, as befits and belongs to a Citroën, but at the same time they also have a relatively solid side guide. Citroën used to forget this with some cars.
Although the space in the rear seats is not record-breaking, even above-average people can fit quite well here. Likewise, the volume of the luggage compartment is at the level of middle-class cars. It’s just that some hooks or nets for “cleaning up” the transported cargo would definitely be useful. I found a hole for skis in the middle of the rear backrest, but it is more for cross-country skis than downhill gear. Small things cannot be stored under the floor in the case of a plug-in hybrid, because here the place has already been “occupied” by the high-voltage battery.
Speaking of this component… Purely on electricity it is possible in an urban environment, as I verified again in the streets of the capital, something between 30-40 kilometers is possible on one charge.
Driving comfort will delight
I then went on a longer route with zero percent energy in the battery. Nevertheless, of course, even in hybrid mode, this relatively large and powerful car can drive quite economically. The on-board computer showed a consumption of 6.7 liters and less than 1 kWh of electricity on the route, of which roughly a third was the highway and the rest was first- to third-class roads as well as roads in towns and villages. But the fact is that this hybrid tends to use up all the electricity that is obtained by recuperation during deceleration at the next possible opportunity. But who wants to, can learn some of that energy reserve for possible entry into some “green zone”.
Fortunately, the Citroën C5 X is a crossover to a reasonable extent. It drives pleasantly with the 1.6 engine
The power units definitely have enough power to ensure safe overtaking even for a very short section with a dashed line. However, the best thing about this version of the C5X was the suspension. While in other cars installed retarders bother me, in this Citroën I almost enjoyed them. In fact, it is not even necessary to slow down in front of them. When overcoming them, you only hear a soft “ducduc” and the car continues its beautiful ride without any sign of uncertainty.
It’s all due to the use of Citroën-patented shock absorbers with hydraulic stops and an active suspension system. The wear of each wheel can be adjusted in real time thanks to the sensing of many data. For example, about lateral or longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle, load, body roll speed, brake pressure and many others.
the ride is almost like a flying carpet. the resulting impression is much better than in the earlier C5 model with hydropneumatic suspension. He also knew how to smooth out inequalities. However, when a corner came quickly, it was difficult for the driver to turn the swinging car in the desired direction. That’s not happening now. The car is stabilized at lightning speed and you can safely drive through corners on uneven roads in a sporty style.
Unfortunately, this suspension solution is only reserved for this plug-in hybrid version. Variants powered only by a petrol 1200 or 1600 only have to make do with the aforementioned shock absorbers with hydraulic stops without active suspension.
Pros:
very comfortable ride
retaining important physical controls
solidly large luggage compartment
Cons:
Short range purely on electricity
less interior variability
the absence of all-wheel drive
Basic technical data and price:
Body: Five-seater five-door station wagon
Engines/Consumption: Petrol turbocharged three-cylinder 1.2 /132 hp – 6.0 liters, petrol turbocharged four-cylinder 1.6 / 180 hp – 6.5 liters, plug-in hybrid system 225 hp – 1.3 liters
Transmissions: eight-speed automatic
External dimensions: 4805x1859x1485 mm
wheelbase: 2785 mm
Luggage space: 485/545-1580/1640 liters
max. speed: 210 – 233 km/h
Acceleration 7.8-10.4 s
Prices: from 880,000 CZK