Launched in 1989 with electronic hydropneumatic suspension, the XM won the 1990 European Car of the Year title but never matched its predecessors in sales.
Launched in 1989 as the flagship that replaced the CX, the XM used electronically managed Hydractive suspension, which the company promoted heavily. Sales never reached expectations, and the C6 replaced the car in 2005. Its shape and engineering kept it in discussion long after production ended.
The Citroen XM was an executive car built from 1989 to 2000, and it was the first production car to use electronically controlled hydropneumatic suspension. It took the 1990 European Car of the Year title, but it never matched the sales of the CX and DS that came before it.
What was the Citroen XM?
The XM was launched on 23 May 1989 as the company's flagship saloon, replacing the CX. It went on sale in France at once, and right-hand drive versions arrived in the UK from October 1989. The CX Break and Familiale remained in production until spring 1991, when the XM Estate was introduced.
The car was styled by Bertone, building on an earlier concept by Marcello Gandini for the BX. Its angular shape featured a long, low bonnet, a wide glass area and a kick-up in the belt line, which gave it an unusual profile for an executive saloon of its day.
Under the skin, the XM shared its floorpan with the Peugeot 605. The two cars had similar teething problems and a similar fate in the market, which left Citroen with a flagship that struggled to justify its engineering.
The XM was offered as a Berline saloon and as a Break estate, and each body carried its own wheel and mirror detailing. Even the cheaper models looked much the same as the more expensive ones, which kept the range visually simple.
Interior design followed the same practical logic as the exterior. Controls were arranged for easy reach, and the seats were supportive over long distances, which suited the car's role as a long-distance executive transport.
A flagship that won Europe's car of the year on engineering alone, then found that the market wanted comfort from a different kind of car.
Why did the XM struggle in the market?
Sales never reached the level Citroen had hoped for. The company expected 160,000 cars a year, equal to 450 a day, but it never achieved that figure. The launch also came shortly before a severe recession, which hit car sales across the world.
Part of the problem lay in price. The least expensive XM was nearly 50 per cent more expensive at launch than the equivalent CX, and export markets felt the difference most. Sales in the UK were strong at first, but by early 1993 the car was being described as an underachiever, with about 3,500 units a year.
Market sentiment also changed. Buyers of executive cars were turning towards prestige German marques, and the XM's styling divided opinion. Its ride comfort was excellent, but customers were placing more value on speed and handling than on the soft ride that Citroen had always championed.
Buyers were drawn to German prestige, and the XM's pricing did not match the value those rivals offered. Citroen's brand had always carried a reputation for comfort, and the XM tried to combine that heritage with a more prestigious image.
Citroen had hoped the XM would grow its presence in executive sales, but the rest of the market moved on faster than the car could adapt.
How did the XM win European Car of the Year?
That 1990 European Car of the Year went to the XM, which gained almost twice as many votes as the second-placed Mercedes-Benz SL. It went on to collect 14 more major awards within a year of its launch, which showed that critics recognised the engineering even as the market hesitated.
The car's technology was new when the prize was announced. Its electronically managed suspension, partly galvanised bodywork and optional 3.0 L V6 gave it a clear identity among executive cars.
Those honours did not translate into the volume sales that a flagship needed. The XM was underdeveloped at launch, and early reliability problems meant that the praise from reviewers was not always matched by owner experience on the road.
Even today the award is cited as proof that the XM was a technically ambitious car. Enthusiasts argue that its shortcomings were a question of execution rather than concept.
How was the XM styled?
The XM's angular body was a development of Marcello Gandini's BX concept, and Citroen's design chief Art Blakeslee described it as a modern and dynamic shape. Designer Daniel Abramson explained that the lowered belt line was a deliberate styling statement, not a functional one.
The car had a very long, low bonnet, a generous amount of glass and an aggressive look that the company described as almost sinister. Rear passengers sat higher than those in front, so that the view out was better, and some models had an extra interior rear window to improve comfort with the large tailgate open.
The standard five-door Berline was joined by a Break estate, and in France specialist firm Tissier converted many of the estates into ambulances and delivery vehicles. In 2013 Car magazine listed the XM among Bertone's seven most significant designs.
The styling still divides opinion, but few people deny that the XM stood out on the road. Its long bonnet and kicked-up belt line gave it a silhouette that owed little to the three-box sedans of the period.
How did the Hydractive suspension work in the XM?
The Hydractive system used grapefruit-sized metal spheres filled with nitrogen, which acted as both springs and dampers. Electronic sensors on the steering, brakes, suspension, throttle and transmission fed information to the on-board computers, which adjusted the ride continuously. The result was a ride that could stay soft on smooth roads yet firm up when the car needed control.
The first series used a switch that moved between Comfort and Sport settings, and the firmer mode could feel harsh. Series 2 cars adopted Hydractive 2, which used all six spheres in its normal soft mode and locked out the extra centre spheres when the ECU detected a sudden change, creating a firmer ride only when needed.
Later cars also gained an anti-sink system, which stopped the car settling down after it had been parked. A dual-output pump, sometimes called a 6+2 pump, removed the hissing sound that earlier cars made when manoeuvring.
Owners who understood the system could keep it running well, but the sensitivity of the electronics meant that faults were not always easy to diagnose. That complexity was a major reason the XM gained a reputation for difficult ownership.
Why did the XM have reliability problems?
The XM's reliability problems were concentrated in its electrical connectors. Cost-cutting had been necessary because the parent company was in financial difficulty during the design period, and poor connections could stop the car and need a trained mechanic to trace.
The headlights were another weak point. Valeo designed the lamps to be smaller and brighter, but a plastic optical element yellowed with age and reduced dipped-beam output. Series 2 cars had improved light units, although right-hand drive versions never received them because of slow UK sales.
The Hydractive system itself could be unreliable in early versions. Corroding earth points caused intermittent faults, and later cars had screw terminals bolted through the bodywork to solve the problem.
Reliability problems dented the car's reputation at a critical moment, and buyers who had paid a premium price were understandably wary of a complex car.
Citroen's engineers had aimed to make the XM quiet and comfortable on the motorway, and many owners judged it a success in that respect. The problems lay mostly with electrics and connectors rather than with the core engines.
Did the XM reach the United States?
CXA brought the XM to America, having already federalised several hundred CX25 GTi and Prestige models for Citroen loyalists. The XM was shown at the 1991 New York show, and the company sold Pallas, Vitesse and later Exclusive versions with prices that rose far above the European cars.
The cost of meeting US rules pushed the price above $50,000, which was 40 per cent more than the CX Prestige. Only a few examples were sold, and tougher pollution standards ended imports in 1997. Parts had to be sent from Europe, which made ownership difficult.
Imports ended well before the XM's production run did, leaving the American market with little representation from the model's later years.
The US story shows how a niche car could be undone by regulation and cost. Elsewhere the car had a different route to market: in Japan it was sold through Mazda's Eunos dealership chain, which was later closed, and its sales then passed to another importer.
What are the Citroen XM specifications?
The table covers the main dimensions, weights and engine details. Each row names the body style or engine that it applies to, so the estate and the saloon figures are kept apart. Metric values come first, and imperial figures follow in brackets where they were published.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launch | 23 May 1989; production to June 2000 |
| Total sales | 333,405 in 11 years, including 31,035 Breaks |
| Length | 4,709 mm (185.4 in) Berline; 4,950 mm (194.9 in) Break |
| Width and height | 1,793 mm (70.6 in) wide; 1,392 mm (54.8 in) high on most Berlines |
| Wheelbase | 2,850 mm (112.2 in) |
| Weight | 1,310 kg (2,888 lb) for the 2.0i Berline; 1,655 kg (3,649 lb) for the 1998 V6 Break |
| Fuel tank | 80 L (21 US gal; 18 imp gal) |
| Turbo output | 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) after the 1994 facelift, up from 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) |
| Automatic gearbox | ZF 4HP18; later V6 used 4HP20 |
| Suspension | Hydractive, with metal spheres filled with nitrogen |
What was the Multimedia XM?
The Multimedia XM was a 1998 showcase car shown at the Paris show. It carried a Magneti Marelli route planner, a voice synthesiser and a touchscreen computer for rear passengers running Windows 98. 50 units went to dealers as demonstrators before the computers were removed from customer cars.
The car was a clear attempt to show how computers and cars might combine. It was painted in Pearlescent Hell Red and used more wood trim than a standard XM, with tray tables that let rear passengers use a keyboard and mouse. The idea was to show what a passenger could do during a long journey.
When these cars were sold to customers, the computer and fax machine were removed to avoid warranty claims, so few cars kept their full equipment.
Frequently asked questions
When did the XM replace the CX?
The XM arrived in May 1989 and replaced the CX as the flagship saloon. The CX Break and Familiale stayed on sale until the spring of 1991.
Who took over the XM name?
In 2021 Citroen ceded the name to BMW, which used it for the XM SUV. The Citroen XM's own successor was the C6, launched at the end of 2005.
How many XMs were sold?
Total sales reached 333,405 over 11 years, of which 31,035 were the Heuliez-built Breaks. That figure is well below the company's original expectations for the car.
Was the XM available with a V6?
Yes. The 3.0 V6 was offered as the top engine, and in later years it was paired with the 4HP20 automatic gearbox.
