Citroen BX Price Guide

The Citroën BX was the family car that finally made hydropneumatic suspension accessible to mainstream buyers. It’s a practical hatchback with the self-levelling, ride-adjustable system, designed by Bertone, that outsold virtually everything in its class in France through the 1980s. The BX GTi with its 130bhp injected engine remains one of the most undervalued hot hatches of the era.

The Car

Designed by Bertone’s Gandini and launched in 1982, the BX used hydropneumatic suspension with four adjustable spheres, plastic body panels on the doors and tailgate (which do not rust), and a range of engines from the 1.1-litre to the 1.9-litre GTi. The 16v GTi used the XU9J4 1,905cc engine producing 160bhp – making it the fastest front-wheel-drive car in Europe at launch in 1987. The 1.9 TD diesel was the practical family choice. The BX estate is particularly practical.

What Goes Wrong

Hydraulic spheres need regular checking and recharging. The plastic door panels resist rust, obviously, but the steel body beneath them corrodes so check the sills and lower body behind the plastic. The BX GTi’s 16v engine can suffer head gasket failure if overheated. Gearboxes on high-mileage cars can become noisy. Electrical issues are common on older examples.

Buying

The GTi 16v is now a genuine classic rising in value. The 1.9 TD estate is the practical choice. The Citroën Car Club BX section provides technical support. Any BX in solid structural condition is worth preserving.