Citroën XM History

Launched on 23 May 1989, the XM was the last of Citroën's great hydropneumatic flagships in the DS/CX tradition. Styled by Bertone under the direction of Citroën designer Art Blakeslee, the XM introduced the brand's Hydractive electronically controlled suspension — the world's first electronically governed hydropneumatic system — which could switch between comfort and sport damping modes in milliseconds. The XM was voted 1990 European Car of the Year for its technological and design innovation.

It was offered as a five-door liftback saloon and a five-door estate (Break), with four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a V6 option shared with the Peugeot 605. A thorough facelift in 1994 updated the interior and brought the Hydractive 3 system. Despite its accolades, the XM sold only 333,405 units in 11 years — far fewer than the CX — as buyers increasingly preferred conventional executive saloons from German rivals.