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By
ALISTAIR KENNEDY
8 September 2008
Citroen has released the latest version of its flagship C5 model
with svelte new styling and without the option of a petrol engine.
While
the ugly duckling/beautiful swan analogy is a trifle harsh
there’s no doubt that the first C5 did attract a fair bit of
criticism for its uninspiring appearance. Not that this would ever
have bothered the typical Citroen owner, never the slaves of
automotive convention and always proud of the ‘Vive Le
Difference’ character of their favourite marque.
There
will be much less debate on the appearance of the new C5, because
the Citroen’s stylists have worked wonders to create a most
attractive and appealing car. The rather bland grille of the first
C5 has been replaced by a double-chevron bar that spans the
bonnet, merging into new wide, wrap-around headlamps.
In
profile C5 has a coupe-like swooping roofline that meets a new
concave rear window, so designed to provide a larger boot opening.
Indeed it allows the C5 to become a sedan for the first time, the
previous model, although marketed as such, was actually a
hatchback.
There’s
plenty of rear legroom and reasonable headroom given the style of
the roof. The high, rising waistline does reduce the size of the
rear windows and so may not appeal to young rear-seat passengers.
As
well as the sedan, the new C5 also comes as a five-door wagon, the
latter now called Tourer rather than Estate as previously.
Unfortunately the Tourer wasn’t available at the C5 launch,
however we’ll report fully on it at a later date.
In
a sign of the times the C5 is now only offered with diesel
engines. There are two from which to choose: a four-cylinder
2.0-litre single turbo that’s been carried over from the
previous model and a new 2.7-litre twin-turbo. While the decision
to drop the petrol engines might seem a bit of a gamble, previous
C5 owners had given strong indications of their preference with 85
per cent of recent sales of the outgoing model being diesels.
Petrol engines are sold in overseas markets, and can be imported
to special orders if required.
As
before the 2.0-litre four has maximum power of 100 kilowatts at
4000 rpm and 320 Newton metres of torque at 2000 revs. The new V6
twin-turbo has 150 kW at 4000 rpm and 440 Nm at 1900.
Like
most modern diesels the only audible clue that they aren’t
petrol engines is from outside the car at start-up and even then
it’s not that noticeable.
Transmission
in all models is six-speed automatic.
We
were able to sample both engines during the new C5’s launch on a
400-kilometre drive from Sydney to the Hunter Valley. The big
French car felt like it could purr along all day on the open road,
but with the major advantage that a long trip will have far fewer
service station stops with combined city/country fuel consumption
ranging from 7.1 litres per 100 kilometres from a 2.0-litre C5
sedan to 8.5 L/100 km from a 2.7-litre wagon.
Being
a cruiser, the C5 is less comfortable on winding roads and we
found the steering a little dull and flat at times. The smaller
engine struggled a little on hills although the V6 had no such
problems.
The
C5 now comes with the fixed-hub steering wheel that we’ve so
admired in other Citroen models. The steering wheel hub
remains stationary whilst the steering wheel revolves around it.
Because the fixed hub houses the driver airbag it means that it
will come at the same angle every time rather than at an angle
dictated by the steering wheel. It also allows the airbag to be
torso-shaped thus providing extra protection.
The
fixed steering-wheel hub also carries a lot of controls for the
audio system, trip computer, cruise control with inbuilt speed
limiter, and some ventilation items. Again these are always in the
same position rather than rotating with the steering wheel.
Two
Citroen C5 variants are offered: Comfort and Exclusive. Both are
available with the 2.0-litre engine with the V6 coming only in
Exclusive mode. Equipment levels are high with safety features
that include multiple airbags (seven in Comfort, nine in
Exclusive), ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and
brake assist, stability and traction control, adaptive directional
headlights, door mirrors that automatically fold when the car is
locked and rear parking sensors. Exclusive models also get tyre
pressure sensors and front park assist.
Other
features include leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever,
cruise control, automatic parking brake, dual-zone climate control
air conditioning, MP3-compatible CD player, leather trimmed
power-adjustable front seats, automatic headlights and front and
rear foglights. All Tourer models come with aluminium roof rails
with the Tourer Exclusive also getting a power tailgate.
Options
include Bluetooth capacity, the Citroen NaviDrive system that
includes satellite navigation and a 10 gigabyte hard drive,
sunroof (panoramic in the Tourer) and a lane departure warning
system.
With
its stylish new looks, economical engines and luxury features the
big Citroen flagship should have moved closer to the top of the
shopping list of anyone looking for an affordable prestige car.
Especially one that’s just that little bit different from the
rest.
The
complete Citroen C5 range, with prices (excluding on-road costs),
is:
HDi Comfort 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: $49,990
HDi Exclusive 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-door sedan: $54,990
V6 HDi Comfort 2.7-litre twin-turbo diesel four-door sedan:
$62,990
HDi Comfort Tourer 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $52,740
HDi Exclusive Tourer 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon:
$57,740
V6 HDi Comfort Tourer 2.7-litre twin-turbo diesel five-door wagon:
$65,740
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Marque Publishing Company
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