Body style: Hatchback
Segment: Large
Production years: 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982
Citroen was in a bad financial situation at the beginning of the '70s, and despite having successful products, its accounting was in the red zone.
With only a few models in its lineup and significant debts, Citroen went bankrupt in 1974. Michelin, the tire manufacturer, owned one-third of the carmaker's stakes and sold them to Peugeot, who stepped in to save the struggling brand. But other parts of the business made them go bankrupt, not the car business. The new model, which received the CX name, was the living proof for that.
It was long, sleek, and very aerodynamic for a sedan. While other cars from those times looked like boxes on wheels, the CX looked like a spacecraft. Its raked and curved windshield featured one wiper. The designer Robert Opron studied the vehicle's shape in the wind tunnel, while most other coachbuilders just tried to stick an engine, a cabin, and a trunk between the front and rear bumpers. Even the door handles were modern, not to mention the rectangular headlights with a narrower inner side.
Inside, the revolutionary design continued with a one-spoke steering wheel. Citroen engineers considered that the driver had to decide when to start and stop the turn signals and mounted their switch on the left side of the instrument cluster, not on a stalk from the steering column. Another improvement was for the instrument cluster, where Citroen wrote the values on a cylinder and placed a lens in front of it.
CX had one weak spot: the engine. Due to the French tax rules, it was forced to install low-powered and small displacement engines. Not even the most powerful version, which provided 128 hp, was able to crack the 120 mph (193 kph) barrier. But the car provided the most comfortable ride on the market thanks to its unique hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system.
ENGINE SPECS - 2.0L 4MT FWD (106 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 1985 cm3 |
Power: | 78 KW @ 5500 RPM 106 HP @ 5500 RPM 105 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 120 lb-ft @ 3250 RPM 163 Nm @ 3250 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 18 gallons (68.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 109.4 mph (176 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11.7 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 4-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185SR14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 183.9 in (4671 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 53.5 in (1359 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.9/53.5 in (1,471/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 111.8 in (2840 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.1 cuFT (456 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.43 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2777.8 lbs (1260 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3858.1 lbs (1750 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 25 mpg US (9.4 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.4L 5MT FWD (115 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2347 cm3 |
Power: | 83 KW @ 5500 RPM 113 HP @ 5500 RPM 111 BHP @ 5500 RPM |
Torque: | 130 lb-ft @ 2750 RPM 176 Nm @ 2750 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 18 gallons (68.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 112.5 mph (181 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 11 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185SR14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 183.9 in (4671 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 53.5 in (1359 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.9/53.5 in (1,471/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 111.8 in (2840 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.1 cuFT (456 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.43 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2866 lbs (1300 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3946.3 lbs (1790 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 21 mpg US (11.2 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.4L 5MT FWD (128 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2347 cm3 |
Power: | 92 KW @ 4800 RPM 125 HP @ 4800 RPM 123 BHP @ 4800 RPM |
Torque: | 142 lb-ft @ 3600 RPM 193 Nm @ 3600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 18 gallons (68.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 118.7 mph (191 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 10.3 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185SR14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 183.9 in (4671 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 53.5 in (1359 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.9/53.5 in (1,471/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 111.8 in (2840 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.1 cuFT (456 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.43 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3031.4 lbs (1375 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4078.6 lbs (1850 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 21.2 mpg US (11.1 L/100Km) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.5L D 5MT FWD (75 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | L4 |
Displacement: | 2500 cm3 |
Power: | 54 KW @ 4250 RPM 73 HP @ 4250 RPM 72 BHP @ 4250 RPM |
Torque: | 108 lb-ft @ 2000 RPM 147 Nm @ 2000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Indirect Injection |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 18 gallons (68.1 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 96.9 mph (156 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 17.1 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Front Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 185SR14 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 183.9 in (4671 mm) |
Width: | 68.9 in (1750 mm) |
Height: | 53.5 in (1359 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 57.9/53.5 in (1,471/1,359 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 111.8 in (2840 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 16.1 cuFT (456 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.43 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 2932.1 lbs (1330 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 3968.3 lbs (1800 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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Combined: | 30.5 mpg US (7.7 L/100Km) |