The Citroën XM is an executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1989 to 2000. Voted 1990 European Car of the Year for its contributions in terms of design and technological innovation, it was the first production automobile in the world to be equipped with electronically controlled hydropneumatic suspension.
With a minor facelift in 1994, XM production reached 333,405 over the course of 11 years.
History Launched on 23 May 1989, the XM was the company's flagship saloon, replacing the Citroën CX. It went on sale in its native France immediately afterwards, and was available in right-hand drive on the UK market from October 1989. The CX Break and Familiale remained in production until the spring of 1991, when the XM Estate launched.
The XM did not enjoy the commercial success of its predecessors, the CX and the DS, which each raised the bar of automotive performance for other manufacturers. By the second half of the 1990s, sales were in sharp decline, and Citroën ended production in 2000. Total sales of the XM reached 333,405 in 11 years, of which 31,035 were of the Heuliez-built Breaks (estates). The XM's replacement, the Citroën C6, was launched at the end of 2005.
In 2021, the company ceded use of the name to BMW for their BMW XM SUV.
Design advances The XM had electronic management of its suspension; a partially galvanised body shell and the option of a 3.0 L V6 engine.
The rear passengers were seated higher than those in the front in order to afford a good view.The Daily Express World Car Guide 1998, page 30 To improve rear passenger comfort when the large rear hatch was opened, some models had an additional, interior rear window. The XM shared a floorpan with the Peugeot 605, and the two models fared similarly in both teething problems and market acceptance.
Competition The XM was intended to compete against prestige vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz W124, Audi 100 and BMW's 5 Series in a sector that accounted for 14.2% of the European market. It also competed with cars from mainstream brands including the Ford Scorpio and Opel Omega. Citroën was quoted as saying that the car was supposed to "take what Citroën means and make it acceptable".Autocar, 24 May 1989, page 38. The car's initial reception was positive. Some six months after its launch, the XM won the prestigious European Car of the Year award for 1990 (gaining almost twice as many votes as the second, the Mercedes-Benz SL) and went on to win a further 14 major awards within a year of its launch.
The anticipated annual sales of 450 cars a day in the first full year of production, or 160,000 units a year, never materialized.Car Styling, July 1989, page 7. Sales never reached this ambitious level (higher than even its popular predecessor) for a variety of reasons. Like the CX, the XM did not have the worldwide distribution of competitors from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. Also, it was launched only a year before a major global recession began, impacting negatively on car sales across the world; a notable example being the UK, where more than 2.3 million new cars were registered in 1989, but that figure fell to less than 1.6 million in 1991 (a drop of more than 30% in just two years). In Japan the XM was sold through Mazda's Eunos dealership chain, part of an effort to minimize the appearance of Japan's automobile market being closed to imports. It was also offered by Citroën's traditional importer Seibu Motor, who kept selling the XM by themselves after the Eunos brand was discontinued in 1996.
The market for executive cars made by volume manufacturers (Ford, Opel, etc.) was on the verge of decline as customers opted for offerings from more prestigious marques, a trend which saw Ford pull out of this market sector in 1998 and Opel/Vauxhall in 2003. Customers were placing a higher priority on speed and handling rather than ride comfort which was Citroën's specialty. The XM was underdeveloped at launch which resulted in reliability problems; the vehicle as designed was inconsistent in its abilities. The XM's styling was also controversial and alienated those who desired a more conventional three box sedan. The XM's sister car, the Peugeot 605, also proved a weak seller. Most subjective of all was the matter of the XM not living up to the expectations created by its forerunner the Citroën CX, despite that car having been launched in an era of national markets, of different demands and standards, an era when there was more scope for large advances in engineering and design than were possible in 1989.
Export markets experienced lower sales from the outset, partly due to the XM's pricing. The least expensive XM was nearly 50% more expensive at the time of launch than the corresponding CX. Whilst strong at first home market sales also declined, after the mechanical issues of the first few model years became known.
By early 1993, the XM was viewed as an "underachiever".[Autocar, 24 Feb, page 54]. Initial sales in the UK were at 3,500 units a year, making it Citroën's weakest seller. The 2.0-litre petrol engined variants were viewed as being the least competitive. As a result, Citroën restructured the range such that all but the base model petrols were fitted with low-inertia Garret turbochargers to add an extra . This made the cars more powerful than more expensive competitors such as the Rover 820, Vauxhall Carlton and Ford Granada 2.0 GLX.
After a run of 11 years, production ended in June 2000. By 1998, Citroën had confirmed that it would soon be discontinuing the XM and replacing it with an all-new model. At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, it unveiled the C6 Lignage concept car, which was scheduled for launch in 2001. In the event, the XM's successor - the Citroën C6 - did not go on sale until late 2005 and was even less successful.
Resale value XM suffered from poor resale value, which affected sales of new cars.
Quentin Willson predicted in 1990 that the XM's residuals would be better than the outgoing CX"Old Top Gear 1991 – Citroën XM and Audi 100 estates (Bad Quality)". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kx0v5UDjbw. Retrieved 17 December 2011 by the end of the car's life, its resale value was far below average, further denting the car's appeal.CAR Magazine, September 2000
By the mid-1990s, it was apparent that the XM's image meant it was less desirable than German products such as the BMW 5 Series. The view of the XM as commercially unsuccessful is reported by Compucars, the used car website, along with numerous other period commentaries.
Facelift In mid-1994, the XM received a minor faceliftCar, May 1995 p94-104 with revisions including a driver's airbag (ending the single-spoke steering wheel), belt-pretensioners, a redesigned dashboard and upper door casings. The suspension was redesigned to reduce roll, pitch and dive and the design incorporated a passive rear-steering system similar to that on the Citroën Xantia. Power from the turbocharged engines increased to from at 4400 rpm.
In the United Kingdom, demand slowed significantly by the late 1990s.
Styling The angular Bertone design was a development of Marcello Gandini's Citroën BX concept. Citroën's design chief, Art Blakeslee, believed "the XM is a modern and dynamic shape, with unique styling elements such as the very long, low hood, the extensive use of glass and the kick-up in the belt line". Another Citroën designer, Daniel Abramson, explained: "We lowered the belt line to give the shape a stronger image. It is purely a 'design statement' that is not functional and does nothing for the aerodynamics of the vehicle. We wanted a car that looks good from every angle". Abramson is also reported as saying that they "picked three areas to emphasise: 1) A very aggressive look ("Almost sinister"), 2) Lots of glass to create a greenhouse effect, and 3) An aerodynamic accent based on fact (low drag).
In 2013 CarBird, G. (2013) "Bertone at 100" Car, April 2013, page 115. magazine described the XM as one of Bertone's seven most significant designs.
The standard 5-door models were called "Berline". The XM was also available as a "Break" (station wagon) – and in France, Tissier continued a tradition begun with the DS and CX, converting many to be used as ambulances and specialised delivery vehicles including their distinctive twin rear-axle conversions.
When introduced, lower-end and upper-end models looked largely identical. The main difference was in wheel design, while the most expensive models also received colour-coded rear view mirrors.
Second series Although not an official variant XMs produced around 1992/1993 have been termed series 1.5 cars due to the mix of newer technology (developed for the series 2) with the series 1 vehicle type. One example of this being the alterations to the "Hydractive" suspension system on such cars. Early vehicles (series 1) had a system that could be switched from 'Comfort' to 'Sport' mode, this did exactly what you would expect and firmed up the suspension on flicking the switch but this made for a harsh ride which Citroën owners don't like. So Citroën developed "Hydractive 2" suspension (for series 2 vehicles) that although in essence was the same it worked differently, it still had to two states 'hard' and 'soft' but the switching was controlled differently. In general smooth gentle driving the suspension would be in 'soft' mode ("Normal" mode according to Citroën on series 2 vehicles) which utilized all 6 suspension spheres and allowed 'crossflow' of fluid from side to side producing the characteristic wafting ride, but as soon as the suspension ECU sensed a large or sudden change in one of the sensors it would put the suspension into 'hard' mode locking out the extra centre spheres and stopping the 'crossflow' of fluid, this dramatically firmed up the suspension and cut body roll, as soon as the vehicle stabilized the ECU would switch the suspension system back into 'soft' mode. This is the basis of "Hydractive 2", a soft cosseting ride all the time unless the conditions demand otherwise, switching a "Hydractive 2" vehicle into "Sport" mode doesn't just switch out the extra spheres as with "Hydractive 1", it simply just narrows the parameters that cause the suspension to go into 'hard' mode and keeps the suspension in that mode for longer before defaulting back to 'soft' mode. So a series 1.5 vehicle has the styling of a series 1 but with some of the suspension refinements of the series 2 vehicles. There are other detail changes to the actual implementation of the "Hydractive" but unless you are maintaining the vehicle yourself these are unimportant.
There are a number of visible differences between the first series (May 1989 – May 1994) and second series (June 1994 – June 2000) cars, including:
In second generation XMs, the Citroën double-chevron logo was moved to the centre of the grille and became larger. It was located off-centre in the first generation cars. The "XM" badge on the rear had a more stylised font (like that on the Xantia) and it was moved to the right of the tailgate. The second generation cars were fitted with a lower rear spoiler on the tailgate, sitting much closer to the top of the boot. The grey/black panel between the leading edge of the windscreen and the rear edge of the bonnet was colour-coded with the body colour. The original colouring was designed to echo the upward kick in the window line behind the rear door. With body coloured plastic this visual relationship became less clear and the "visual mass" of the front of the car increased somewhat. This effect was clearer on light coloured cars where the contrast between the dark areas and light areas was more pronounced. The door mirrors were modified to improve the view of the passenger side mirror from the driver's seat. Previously it was slightly obscured by the A-pillar. However, the obscuration only affected the field of view above the road horizon which is relatively less important.