The Citroën C5 X is already a reality, but does it have any rival on the market?

The automotive sector and its players are changing, something reflected in the evolution of some segments in an effort not to be forgotten. A clear example of this is that of saloons, a type of car that has been cannibalised by SUVs and finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Citroën, a staunch defender of this segment, has wanted to get ahead of the times to come with what is known as the Citroën C5 X, a vehicle that brings with it a most curious and interesting marriage of concepts.

The house of the double chevrons has championed saloons practically since its beginnings, and proof of this is the Citroën C5, a name born to bring to life the successor to the iconic Xantia. Over time, Citroën succumbed to SUVs with the C5 Aircross, a model that now sheds its “number plate” to make room for the C5 X.

Citroën, as shrewd as few brands, has decided to play the card of a different and innovative brand to create the vehicle that concerns us today. The French firm has had to resort to a new strategy to save saloons from the times to come. To do so, it has blended crossover, saloon and a certain dose of estate to create the Citroën C5 X, which leads us to wonder whether it really has any rival on the market or whether it will create one.

This fusion of concepts is precisely what makes Citroën’s bet so special. Special in the sense of unique and exclusive, since it has been the first to dare to chart the path to salvation for saloons, a segment that has no choice but to submit to a “SUVisation” in order to stay in the spotlight of the market.

So, does the C5 X have any rival? By concept, no, it stands alone, in no man’s land and ready to play by its own rules. But, as has happened at many other moments in automotive history, it is only a matter of time — of course depending greatly on how much influence the French bet has on the market — before we see other manufacturers replicate this move with their own style and philosophy.

So from here, Highmotor takes the opportunity to congratulate Citroën for staying true to the idea of being different and for betting on new things, and we wish it luck in this new adventure it has given to saloons. Frankly, we believe that not even they themselves know how to pigeonhole the new C5 X, but it will only be a matter of time before a niche emerges around it, ready to complicate things for it. Time will tell.