2000 Citroen XM

Citroën XM (Hatch/Estate), 1989-2000

The Citroën XM was in production from 1989 until 2000. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, front wheel drive hatchback and estate range seating five adults.

Launched to replace the CX, the Citroën XM shared its floorpan and its running gear with the Peugeot 605 - itself developed to replace Peugeot's 604. Between the two models, PSA now had one platform for its large saloons as it left the 1980s in place of the three - counting the Talbot Tagora - with which it entered the decade. With engines ranging from 2.0 four to 3.0 V6, the XM was intended as an alternative to cars like Ford's Granada and Vauxhall's Carlton and Senator ranges. Its trump card was its high pressure hydraulic interconnected suspension system - now computer controlled and called Hydractive. Most popular were the diesels, which combined reasonable performance with impressive economy for their market sector. Less impressive was the performance of the 2.0 - the carburetted model was soon dropped, and a light pressure turbo introduced to bridge the gap between 2.0i and V6. Performance enthusiasts could enjoy the limited production 200bhp 24v version of the V6, though most V6s were 12 valve.

For 1991, Citroën introduced a voluminous estate variant. A facelift in 1994 toned down some of the more eccentric elements of its appearance in favour of a more conventional look inspired by the smaller Xantia. There was also a new 24v V6 to replace the older 12v unit and a 2.5 litre diesel borrowed from Iveco, neither of which made it into UK 605s. When Citroën discontinued the XM in 2000, it announced that both Xantia and XM would jointly be replaced by the new C5 model. Five years later Citroën launched the C6, which marque enthusiasts consider to be the XM's true replacement.

If you can live without Citroën suspension then consider the Peugeot 605, it's fundamentally the same car with the exception of more conventional springing. If you must have the suspension, then the smaller Xantia makes for a compelling alternative that is sprightlier in the bends, but more conventional in its design. If nothing but a big Citroën will do, the CX and the later C6 make admirable XM alternatives. Estate buyers - if you need that cavernous boot, have you considered a Ford Scorpio estate instead?