Citroen to reveal new saloon-SUV flagship on Monday

3 years ago - 9 April 2021, Autocar
Citroen to reveal new saloon-SUV flagship on Monday
High-riding, saloon-backed C6 successor has been officially previewed for the first time

Citroën will unveil a striking new SUV on Monday 12 April, and a preview video suggests it will be the premium-focused flagship we spotted earlier this year.

Thought to serve as the spiritual successor to the C6 luxury saloon, the new model could adopt a variation of the C5 name and will straddle the boundary between several core segments in an effort to boost appeal.

Only limited details can be seen in the official preview clip (below), but earlier spy shots hinted that the car will ride high, like a conventional SUV, but feature an estate-style roofline and a protruding boot, like a saloon.

Otherwise, we know it will feature the latest evolution of Citroën's dual-vane horizontal front grille, as pioneered by 2016's CXperience concept, slim lights a the front and rear and bespoke styling cues.

Intricate light signatures and liberal use of chrome suggest this new model will arrive with a premium focus that, along with its size, will make it the new range-topping Citroën model.

It is set to use the same EMP2 platform as its more conventionally saloon-shaped Peugeot 508 and DS 9 relatives and thus will likely offer a range of pure-combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains from launch.

Each of those cars is available with a 222bhp PHEV option capable of 31 miles of electric-only range, as well as a choice of pure-petrol motors.

However, it's unlikely that Citroën will offer this model with PSA's top-rung 355bhp, four-wheel-drive PHEV powertrain, so it remains to be seen whether all variants will be front-driven.

Further details will be made official at the car's full unveiling next week, but given CEO Vincent Cobée's desire to see Citroën better compete in the premium class, expect it to command a premium over the C5 Aircross SUV, which starts from £24,355.

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