The first impression was shocking: delivered with an empty battery, the C5 X was immediately connected to a wall box. After 10.6 kWh had flowed, the plug-in hybrid reported that the battery was 100 percent charged and the range was 26 km. This is not quite half of what Citroën promises in the technical data with 63 km in the WLTP, but above all a consequence of the circumstances under which this test took place. He reveals the limits of the concept.
Frost means high consumption values
The C5 X went into service with us under difficult conditions. Temperatures between minus 5 and zero degrees Celsius mean on the one hand a lower storage capacity of the battery and on the other hand increased power consumption for the interior heating. The range and recharged amount of electricity that we have determined here cannot simply be extrapolated for the whole year. With rising temperatures, real consumption values, i.e. including charging losses, can be expected to be well below 40 kWh/100 km. With the same drive train, we got a maximum of 47 km in the Peugeot 308 PHEV at around 12 degrees. Similar values can also be expected in the Citroën C5 X. Under the conditions mentioned, the purely electric drive in the Citroën ended after 30 km, even after pre-air conditioning had taken place.
fuel consumption
Overland we got there without prior charging with a minimum of around 6 liters / 100 km, on the motorway it was more like 7 at the recommended speed. The long-term counter of the on-board computer showed around 6500 km with an average consumption of 7.9 liters / 100 km when handed over to us . This indicates a faster drive than usual in our editorial office and a moderate interest in reloading.
More powerful chargers are rarely worth it
It is therefore not one of the economical drives whose range would be above average. However, the conditions over the year as a whole are not quite as drastic as this test shows. Nothing will change in the charging options, and here Citroën manufacturer Stellantis remains below what other companies offer in plug-in hybrids. A 3.7 kW AC charger and a charging brick with an 8 A fuse are standard in the car. If you have a subsidized wall box at home that distributes its 11 kW over three phases and, above all, wants to charge it there, you can leave it with the standard equipment. Because the more powerful charger, which enables up to 7.4 kW and costs 400 euros extra, only addresses one phase. In the garage at home, it usually ends at 4.6 kW at the latest. This corresponds to 20 amps on one phase.
The more powerful charger was installed in the test car. Under the conditions described, the maximum charging capacity was 5.5 kW, usually around 4 kW. The battery had a chance to warm up about 50 km earlier. That wasn’t enough. However, the C5 X should definitely achieve the specified charging capacity at higher temperatures.
Small surcharge for the fast loader
The charger, which is subject to a surcharge, only accelerates the filling of the storage tank on public charging infrastructure, but then considerably. It also makes sense there, because blocking fees at these charging points are sometimes incurred after 120 minutes. Whether the surcharge is worth it depends on the planned charging strategy. On the other hand, the “fast charger” does not even cost one percent of the vehicle price, most buyers will probably not think about it for long. The fully equipped test car came to a list price of around 53,000 euros. So he stops in that regard where a BMW 320e that we just had in reaction just begins.
If pre-conditioning occurs during the charging phase, battery charging is interrupted for this purpose. If the interior is tempered, reloading continues. Unlike the Corsa-e, in which the battery must be at least 50 percent charged for pre-air conditioning, this works from as little as 20 percent. The electricity then comes from the grid and not from the battery. Please don’t laugh: In the Opel, the traction battery is tapped for this purpose and is not charged any further during the preheating.
High system performance
The Frenchman has a slightly higher system performance than the BMW 320e, but not a more harmonious drive. The BMW is better at concealing the changing of gears – this is annoying and noticeable in plug-in hybrids in E mode whenever the electric motor is located between the combustion engine and the transmission. This is the case in both. In the Citroën, the switching operations are perceptible. The driving performance is objectively far more than sufficient thanks to a system output of 165 kW, subjectively the drive train sometimes seems a bit harder than it actually is. Despite the higher performance, the Citroën does not outperform the similarly heavy BMW – quite the opposite. A Skoda Superb Combi PHEV also looks a bit more alert.
The less powerful impression is also due to the fact that the 1.6-liter four-cylinder can sometimes be heard surprisingly clearly. The rolling noise of the winter tires mounted on the test car penetrated a little too much. Here, all the drivers in the editorial office wished for better isolation.
Dynamism is not a priority
The chassis also left a not entirely convincing impression. The tuning of the steering, shock absorbers and springs matches the comfortable, albeit practically laterally support-free seats. A clear focus on this side of driving dynamics does not have to be a mistake, quite the opposite. After all, the market is full of cars that appear to be optimized for wagging between cones and neglect the fact that this is rarely asked for in practice. Superficially presented dynamics had no priority in the specification of the C5 X. The result should be more comfort, but the result is not entirely successful.
(Image: Florian Pillau)
The developers tried to imitate the floating driving experience of a hydropneumatic chassis. The C5 X feels a bit rocky, but bumps in the road can be felt. In view of the clear rejection of ambitions in driving dynamics, we would have expected even more filtering here. Even on dry roads, the 205/55 R19 Bridgestone winter tires fitted to the test car had trouble transmitting the power.
infotainment
The French manufacturers have caught up a bit in the past few years in the areas of infotainment and assistance. Voice control is now a much more understanding listener than it was some time ago, and the progress is obvious. The entertainment electronics from Stellantis do not come close to what Mercedes or BMW offer for a lot of additional money in terms of voice control, range of functions or working speed, but everything you absolutely need is there. The system is also included in the vehicle price.
The delicate 7-inch instrument cluster looks a bit sparse and lost. Like the screen in the middle, it can be set up within certain limits according to the driver’s wishes. So he can push some frequently used functions higher up in the menu hierarchy, which is a good idea in principle. The choice of options is limited, but the approach of a high-level customization in the menu is only to be welcomed.
(Image: Florian Pillau)
Wireless cell phone integration
The factory navigation system is optically slim, other providers have a more elaborately drawn, prettier map. Stellantis obtains online traffic data from TomTom, which usually comes second in the race with Google Maps in this respect. This is also noticeable because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are always at hand, so to speak – the integration is wireless. This can be used very conveniently, especially in combination with the inductive charging cradle.
Stellantis has to rework the app, which is available in almost identical form for numerous models of the group. The connection is temporarily shaky even in areas with good cell phone coverage, which is extremely annoying in some situations. Because, for example, an unplanned pre-air conditioning can only be started via the app. There is also no way to regulate the temperature remotely. In a Corsa-e, an overall poor range of app functions may somehow still be grumblingly acceptable, but in a modern car for more than 50,000 euros, this is an indictment.
assistants
The assistants also worked pleasantly unobtrusively in the test car. The recognition of traffic signs, distance cruise control and lane departure warning operate so error-free and discreetly in the background that they actually relieve and not annoy. Here, too, the French have caught up significantly in recent years. The large, easy-to-read head-up display can be adjusted with the mirror adjuster in the door panel – a simple and clever solution. A map can be shown on the display both from the Stellantis navigation system and from Google Maps. However, directions from Android Auto partially cover other information – an update will probably fix that at some point. The fact that the pushbuttons in the steering column levers sometimes do not react the first time will probably not change anything.
Conclusion
What remains is the image of an idiosyncratic sedan that is properly processed and powerfully motorized, offers plenty of space on comfortable seats and relieves the driver with error-free assistants. All these points should by no means be underestimated and can individually decide the Citroën C5 X. The renunciation of dynamic ambitions should, however, lead to even more comfort in the chassis design, and improvements in noise insulation are too easy to imagine. The infotainment system does not meet high demands, but at least it does not cost an extra charge.
Although Citroën does not price the C5 X quite as ambitiously as Volvo, BMW or Mercedes in this class, the overall driving experience also lags behind these candidates. There is hardly any direct competition in the form of a similarly large PHEV sedan. Peugeot has recently been delivering the 408 PHEV, the VW Passat GTE is no longer freely configurable. Companies such as Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Opel, Renault or Ford do not or no longer play in this segment. BMW and Mercedes are in a completely different league financially. For a broader range, the customer has to switch to the SUV camp.
The costs for the transfer were borne by the manufacturer, those for driving energy by the publisher.
