BMW 528i vs Citroen C5 X

What's the difference?

Andrew Chesterton road tests and reviews the new BMW 5 Series 520d, 530i, 530d and 540i sedans with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch in Victoria.

When we're all living under the cruel rule of our robot overlords, the few remaining human historians will track the genesis of our downfall to the technology explosion that occurred in 2017's new-car market. 

Never before have car companies focused so hard on producing cars that can't just be driven, but that can drive themselves, negotiating corners, unexpected obstacles and changing traffic conditions without ever needing to consult the human actually sitting behind the steering wheel.

And BMW's all-new 5 Series sedan takes yet another a step forward, eliminating the need for said human to even be sitting in the car. Owners can instead move their 5 Series in and out of tight parking spaces simply by pressing a button on their key.

The Active Key function is admittedly a $1,600 cost option, but it proves the techno-focus applied to the seventh-generation of BMW's executive express, which will land in Australian dealerships this month. Every car is also fitted with what the German brand calls its personal co-pilot; a series of nifty cameras and radars that allow the car to be driven completely autonomously for spells of 30 seconds.

But the question is, has all this new technology come at the cost of regular, old-school driver enjoyment?

The all-new Citroen C5 X is different. It takes just one look at the car to realise that.

It’s partly an SUV, has more than a hint of wagon to it, and it’s nothing like the old Citroen C5s of years gone by. That’s no bad thing - because this is the sort of Citroen that people who have never even heard of the brand will likely pay attention to

The brand has shaken off its ‘quirky and French’ vibes for a more ‘modern European’ look, and let me tell you - this is a very interesting car. Read on to find out all the stuff you want to know, plus the things you need to know.