Telegraph Feature on XM

[casalingua]

I noticed this as well. In isolation it looks long and imposing. Park it in a row of ordinary modern cars and it seems to be 10% scaled down. We were parked near an Astra (the second last iteration) and the XM seemed to be a rather dainty little thing. In purely objective terms, I wouldn´t be surprised if an Astra is bigger in every dimension. Have you seen the new Mazda 6? It´s simply enormous. However, I think the XM still has an advantage when it comes to internal space. The interior is still spacious and relaxed compared to similar sized cars today. That is to say that the increase in external dimensions in modern cars doesn´t guarantee a lot of space inside.
In 1989 though the XM was only truly dwarfed by the S-class which even then was simply vast and even now, thanks to its slab sides, still looks huge.

[Rommel]

Very true. I was in a Vauxhall Insignia estate recently- massive outside, yet inside it felt smaller than the XM, especially in the rear. The ride quality made me thankful for what I have!

[russ92xmsed]

Sit in a DS5. They are tiny in comparison to the XM. If your claustrophobic, then give it a miss. I personally like the interior, but it really is snug.

The one reason why the XM interior space is so good, is the wheel base. It is very large, nearly 3m I think. And you generally have smaller wheels.
Modern cars are deceptive mainly because of the safety and technical equipment they now have to house. So it's no surprise they are quite snug inside.

[Rommel]

I think that the next stage in car design should look at how to make cars smaller again whilst retaining/improving the safety aspects. The bloat just doesn't look good.

[CitroJim]

I quite agree Rohan, and then perhaps they can think about making them look good and stylish rather than the ugly, aggressive, butch, fussy and over-styled eyesores we have today...

The art of styling seems to be dead.

I'm looking forward to the end of what I believe is called the 'crossover SUV' (whatever that means?) fad as well. If someone wants a vehicle like this then why don't they be honest about it and buy a Land Rover?

[casalingua]

"I quite agree Rohan, and then perhaps they can think about making them look good and stylish rather than the ugly, aggressive, butch, fussy and over-styled eyesores we have today... " I quite agree. I tried a DS5 and was not impressed with the interior. It was rather claustrophobic. The XM is very spacious indeed. About the Signum, it seemed very roomy to me when I sat in one a few months back. I loved the rear legroom too.

[russ92xmsed]

I think Jim, the automotive industry is trying to invent new niches in the market. Merc one time was hell bent on it. So it might get worse! A lot of it is because buyers don't want the norm. Why have an estate if you can have a trendy fake 4x4. I would rather the estate. Inact some estates look better than the saloon variants.

I think also what is now starting to happen, is a miniaturisation effect. There is more attention in making things smaller and more efficient all round. BMW is really developing carbon fibre and making it mainstream. So more and more cars could end up with super strong but light weight and more complex shaped styling. The I thing is there latest example. Putty it looks like hell!

One thing I do agree on. Where has the elegance gone? So much ugly aggressive shapes. Nothing out there is pleasing to the eye. It cannot be that hard to design and manufacture a simple, clean, perfectly proportioned elegant car.
Actually Renault I think has the capability, the Laguna Coupe nearly got there....but it likes to turn out Clio's the size of Magane's instead.

[marc61]

Elegance....park an XM next to a C6 and look at them for a few hours, the XM is more elegant. Park a CX next to an XM, the CX wins. Park a DS next to a CX, the DS wins. Look at every panel on a DS, it's elegant as an individual item, it was drawn by engineering designers who had a complete joined up design concept. Citroen has been dumbing down elegance for at least 20 years now to help get more mainstream buyers and to keep manufacturing costs down. Now where has that got them, sold a load of cars, gained a load of customers who have no understanding of the original Citroen design, and they cant even sustain a top end car in the range or keep hydropneumatic suspension. Now where are Peugeot-Citroen heading, do they know? If they want to do elegance all they need to do is look to the past, look a long way back and stop bowing down to the tin god of cost effectiveness that's got them nowhere! Rant over!

Marc

[robert_e_smart]

I hate to remind you guys, but car companies exist to make money, not cars. We; enthusiasts; don't make car companies money. They sell the cars that new car buyers want, so that they can make money.

[Charles M]

Well, Citroen has hardly been a model of money-making whatever it has made.

I would agree with you on the looks but for one think Marc - park an SM next to the lot of them and I know what wins!