Should you buy one?

Yes. The Citroen C5 X is designed to be a serene, comfortable, stylish family car that’s perfect for travelling long distances and, in that, the company has succeeded. The good news is that, as well as offering all the ride quality you’d expect from a large Citroen, it’s well priced and good value, offering generous levels of standard kit, and some punchy financing thanks to good expected resale values.

Citroen concluded that it couldn’t simply build another saloon or hatchback in the mould of its rivals, as sales in this market sector are fading away unless you’re a premium carmaker. With SUVs now taking around 50% of European sales, the CO2 emissions of new cars have been growing when regulators want them to shrink. The problem is that buyers don’t seem to be seeing it that way, and the C5 X isn’t exactly flying out of the showroom, with buyers electing to choose the C5 Aircross instead.

This is a shame. The C5 X appeals to the individuality of Citroen enthusiasts, even if lower-priced models don’t quite hit the dynamic spot demanded by the car industry’s most discerning fans. As Adam Binnie concluded at the end of his six-month extended review of the C5 X PHEV: ‘Unconventional but not to the point where it became annoying, and softly sprung without the resulting compromises in handling, it’s a really good left-field choice for a family car and one I’d certainly have no hesitation in recommending.’

What we like

That’s very easy – it’s different and it’s interesting. And it sticks to Citroen’s commitment to comfort – the seats and ride quality are very good. There’s also more than enough room front and rear to take care of all but the largest families, it’s striking to look at, and an individualistic choice in a market filling up with me-too SUVs.

What we don’t like

Drivers more used to stiffly-sprung cars might find its roly-poly nature takes some getting used to. And the 130hp version – as good value as it is – lacks the performance of the more expensive plug-in hybrid option.