Citroen promises 'splendid' new midsize car as C5 successor

PARIS -- Citroen executives say the brand's plan for a midsize car to replace the C5 remains on track.

The C5 was sold as a sedan and a station wagon. It has been out of production since 2018.

Citroen Product and Strategy Director Laurence Hansen said in a video posted on social media that the C5 replacement is being developed, although she offered few details.

"Trust us, the car exists and it is splendid," she said in the video. "It's a really important car for us."

Citroen has said repeatedly that the C5 would be replaced and that the brand would not abandon the midsize segment.

Europe's midsize segment has lost sales to crossovers and SUVs in recent years, declining by 14 percent in 2019 to 403,922 units.

Midsize sedans are popular in China, but Chinese sales of all Citroen's models have fallen sharply, to just 55,000 vehicles in 2019 from 114,000 in 2018.

Citroen sales in Europe have been revived with two SUVs, the small C3 Aircross and the compact C5 Aircross, fueling speculation that a new midsize sedan would not appear.

A new midsize Citroen sedan would most likely be built on PSA Group's EMP2 architecture, which underpins the Peugeot 508 and DS 9 midsize sedans, as well as midsize SUVs and crossovers. The platform can accommodate plug-in hybrids.

The coronavirus crisis has canceled auto shows and events, but Citroen executives are keeping in touch with fans and journalists through videos on Facebook and other social media channels.

Citroen's new CEO, Vincent Cobee, offered details about the coming replacement for the C4 Cactus compact hatchback, including confirming that it would have a full-electric variant. The car will be shown on June 30 in an online event.

On his social media segment, design director Pierre Leclerq said Citroen would show a "conceptual and revolutionary" concept later this year, around the time of the Paris auto show, which has canceled floor displays because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Citroen's recent concept vehicles have included the CXperience large sedan from 2016; the Ami One microcar and the19-19 SUV, both last year. The Ami One will go into production as an electric quadricycle this year.

In addition to the Ami One and the C4, Citroen's product plans for this year also include a compact sedan for the Chinese market, the C3 L.