This year is already proving to be the year of revivals; recently, we reported the revival of the Honda Insight and the Jaguar XK, and now it’s the Citroën twins – the C4 and C5. The C4 was a successful model that ran for 14 years. The C5, on the other hand, was the larger sedan version of the C4, which also had a decent run. The good news is that both these cars are now making a comeback, according to the brand’s CEO.

Can we ‘C’ the twins succeed?

The PSA Group witnessed a little shake-up, with thousands of Vauxhall-Opel dealerships shutting down. To recapture the lost market share, it was up to the other brands to get those numbers for the PSA group; and what better than reviving two fairly successful models that haven’t been gone for long.

Citroën was without a solid hatchback on the market. Hence the brand decided to capitalize on the goodwill of the C4 rather than building a new hatch. “The C4 is particularly important in Europe, and we need something in that segment, so there will be a replacement”, said Citroën’s CEO, Linda Jackson. The C4 succeeded the Citroën Xsara and did fairly well. The company went on to launch the C4’s ‘alter-ego’ models, in the form of the C-Quatre, the C-Triomphe, the C4L and the C4 Cactus. While the other models were not that successful, the C4 Cactus is still doing well. However, this minivan cannot be considered as a replacement of the C4 hatch, and that’s the reason for planning a new generation of the hatchback. The C4 will take on the Volkswagen Golf, the Ford Focus, the Renault Megane, etc.

The C5 is another car which is making a comeback. The D-segment model was said to be “especially important for China, but will also be carried elsewhere in the world,” according to the CEO. It should be launched along with the new C4. The C5 will complement its cousin from Peugeot, the 508. The 508 was showcased earlier this year in Geneva. The C5 will go against the likes of the Chevrolet Malibu, the Volkswagen Passat, and the Kia Optima to name a few.

Our Take

The C4 is mechanically same as the Peugeot 308, so, it should not cost the company a bomb to build the new C4. The 308 is begging for a new generation as well, as it has been the same for around five years now. Perhaps, we could have both these brands launching the same car in different avatars around the same time.

The C5, on the other hand, was a large family car but felt like a grown-up C4. While it served the purpose and survived for long, the sedan was discontinued just last year. Given that the C5 can still be spotted on the roads, it is the perfect opportunity for Citroën to give the car a fresh look and feel, and rebuild on the C5’s existing reputation. The C5 could be built on the Peugeot 508’s underpinning, thus making it cost effective and competitively priced in the market at the same time. Benefits of having multiple brands under one umbrella, I say.

Both the cars are expected to arrive in 2020. With that said, can we expect electrified versions of the C4 and C5? The other PSA-owned brand, DS, will sell only electrified cars from 2025; so, will the other brands follow its footsteps? Let us know your thoughts on this recent ‘revival trend’ by automakers in the comments section below.

References

Read our full review on the 2007 Citroen C5.

Read our full review on the 2011 Citroen C4.

Read more Citroen news.