Citroen Says Its New C5 Will Reinvent The Sedan Segment

Citroen is making some bold claims for the next-generation C5, going as far as saying it will reinvent the sedan segment.

While many automakers are shifting all of their focus to SUVs and crossovers, the French brand believes that any credible auto manufacturer needs to be present in all main sectors of the automotive market. However, in a world where SUVs are currently the vehicles which consumers lust after, a change is definitely needed.

“The classic saloon is nearly dead in Europe,” Citroen’s product director Xavier Peugeot said. “We need to reinvent it and make it as modern and attractive as the SUV segment. We’ll see SUV design ‘codes’ expand to other segments. We try to motivate our designers. If your saloon is classical or traditional, I’m afraid you are in trouble,” he told Top Gear.

One key way which Citroen will overhaul the sedan is with a punchy design that takes inspiration from the head-turning CXperience concept.

“We don’t want to be a niche manufacturer. But we don’t want to be an SUV player only. To be credible you have to do small cars, large cars and SUVs,” Citroen boss Linda Jackson said while acknowledging the declining demand for sedans.

According to Xavier Peugeot, the sedan of the future could make autonomy its selling point, while SUVs remain the popular choice as a traditional family car.