Citroën C5 X, the first major failure imported from China

In 2021, Citroën announced the arrival on the Old Continent of a D-segment sedan with which it wanted to make a name for itself in the European market, in a segment clearly dominated by the German premium cars Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. This model was the C5 X, a kind of sedan crossover halfway between a station wagon body or wagon and a coupe-style SUV or all-terrain vehicle, a 4.8-metre long and 1.48-metre high model with a sufficiently marked personality.

The C5 X has been manufactured for the past few years at the Chengdu plant in China, in the interior of the Asian giant, the result of a collaboration agreement between the Stellantis group and the local manufacturer Dongfeng, with the idea of satisfying domestic demand in China and attempting to storm the European market, with optimistic sales figures. In its favor were a hybrid engine with an Eco label or a plug-in hybrid with a zero label, a high perceived quality in its interiors and a good assortment of standard extras that positioned it as a worthy competitor in the European sedan segment.

The Citroën C5 X was a risky bet and had the approval of the group's then CEO, the Portuguese Carlos Tavares, but the high price of the final model—between 35,000 and 50,000 euros—and the fact that it was a vehicle manufactured in China from a general brand. In fact, for less than the cost of a C5 X with plug-in hybrid mechanics, buyers could purchase a Skoda Octavia RS, or for the same price buy a BMW 3 Series or a Mercedes C-Class with equal or greater power. Of course, always with combustion engines, but manufactured in Europe and with the seal of quality that is assumed of a German premium model.

Just over 4,000 cars sold in Europe

Given these factors, it's easy to understand the reasons for the commercial failure of the Citroën C5 X, a vehicle made specifically for China that had little chance of competing in Europe. As an example, it's enough to recall that Citroën sold only 4,296 units of the C5 X in Europe throughout 2024, while BMW sold more than 90,000 units of the 3 Series in the same year across the Old Continent.

Citroën's commercial setback has been such that the French brand has decided to abandon the D-segment of sedans and three-box sedans, leaving the Stellantis group's sole responsibility in this market segment to the new Peugeot 508, another of Tavares' risky bets, but one that is holding up well for now on Wednesdays. Citroën will now focus on utility vehicles and urban SUVs in the B and C segments, such as the new C3, C3 Aircross, and C4.