New flagship Citroen saloon confirmed for production

Citroën will launch a new large saloon to replace the C5 and C6, which will stand out from rivals by bringing "something different" to the class norm, CEO Linda Jackson has confirmed.

The new car, hinted at by the C-xperience concept revealed at the 2016 Paris motor show, will launch in 2019 or 2020, Autocar understands.

"What it won't be is a new C5," said Jackson. "But there will be a new large saloon, because having one in the line up is a crucial part of being a big manufacturer; to be credible you need a range across small, medium and large cars, including SUVs. Do that well, and you cover the requirements of volume and profit to succeed in this business across fleet and private sales."

Jackson confirmed that much of the business case for the car was built around demand in China. While the market there has pivoted from being saloon-led to SUV-led, large saloons still command a significant number of sales and provide strong profit margins. Last year, Citroen sales in China fell 47.3% as a result of the shift to SUVs and the growing competition from local car makers, a problem Jackson has sought to address by launching the C5 Aircross there.

"For all the change, China is still our second largest market, and saloons are still a significant part of that market," said Jackson.

Confirming that the C-xperience hinted at the saloon, Jackson added: "Like all concept cars, it was made to test reaction, and the car will evolve. But - and I know I'm biased - I loved it. It will inspire the production car and it gave a view of a luxury flagship without any of the traditional cues of chrome, leather or lacquered wood.

"It had an air of the slightly avante garde that will make it to production. It can also be the showcase for our ideal of redefining comfort, in terms of the interior and the ride and handling balance using our new Advanced Comfort suspension."

Citroën Cxperience concept previews Advanced Comfort tech 

When it was revealed, the C-xperience was originally touted as a non-specific concept looking at future design directions the firm could take. The DS 5 was the largest car in Citroën’s portfolio prior to its separation from the luxury brand, although a version of the C6 is still sold in China.

At 4.85 metres long, the C-xperience is a similar length to the last C6. Its low height (1.37m), long wheelbase (3.0m) and swooping roofline may have been designed more for dramatic effect, but they were also interpreted as a sign of the Citroën design team’s determination to continue the left-field design strategy kick-started with the C4 Cactus in 2014. By comparison, a Ford Mondeo is 4.87m long and 1.5m tall and has a wheelbase of 2.8m.

However, Citroën insiders hope that it can stand out from established class leaders such as the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat by invoking a more grown-up version of the design flair that has proved so successful on the C4 Cactus, C3, C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross.