[3] The car was available on the left-hand drive continental markets from its launch on 2 October 1986,[4] as a three-door hatchback with 1.0, 1.1 and 1.4 L TU-series belt driven OHC engines.

The right-hand drive version for the UK market was launched in August 1987, initially only as a three-door hatchback, with a five-door version joining the range a year later, effectively replacing the five-door Citroën Visa, which was discontinued that year.

[5] The very earliest cars had an issue with gear shifters falling off; this was rectified by the time the AX reached export markets.

[6] It was initially backed by a memorable television advertising campaign filmed in China, starring actress Janet Mas and an elderly gentleman, whose character was simply known as Mr. Wong.

[6] This was due to the extensive use of plastic panels in non-load bearing areas and varying the thicknesses of steel in the bodyshell to be the minimum needed to take required loads.

[7] The production version was much more conservative than the original 'one box' design prototype, that was closer to the Eco 2000 styling after negative reactions in focus groups.

In 1989, a naturally aspirated diesel AX, using the 1360 cm3 all aluminium alloy TUD engine, managed a figure of 2.7 litres per 100 kilometres (100 mpg‑imp; 87 mpg‑US), totalling over 1,000 miles (1,609 km) from Dover to Barcelona.

The first performance version was the limited-run AX Sport from 1987, with a 1.3 engine and twin carburettors producing 95 PS (70 kW; 94 bhp), wearing iconic white steel wheels (5.5" x 13") which resembled those on its brother, the Peugeot 205 Rallye.

The AX Sport used Solex ADDHE 40 carburettors until late 1988 and was then replaced with Weber DCOM 40s, just like the Peugeot 205 Rallye.

The AX Sport had a shorter inlet manifold than the 205 Rallye, to save room in the smaller engine compartment.

Later, the AX 14 GT, with a single double barrel carburetor 85 PS (63 kW; 84 bhp) 1.4L engine, also found in the Peugeot 205 XS, was introduced.

It was available as a four-seater passenger car, but was sold mainly to administrations, for which it was offered as a two-seater panel van model.

Heuliez presented an estate version called the AX Evasion at the 1988 Mondial de l'Automobile.

A competition version of the Mega Club with a tubeframe chassis raced in the Andros Trophy in the early 1990, but powered by Ford and Honda engines.

A modified version of the Citroën AX electrique utilising Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) by the CEA-Liten, a French government funded research organisation,[17] set a world record in 2011 for a distance of 1,280km driven in an electric vehicle within 24 hours using a relay-style technique of driving and fast charging the car.