Citroen’s Continental cruiser

(Published August 2008, Picture by me)

The advertising of Citroen’s new C5 proclaims it the German car that’s actually French. The insinuation is that the C5 has left behind the fragile build quality of older French cars for something far more solid, dependable and Teutonic.
It is no surprise then that the rear of this new family saloon bears an uncanny resemblance to the BMW 3 series. However, if you’ve only ever seen the C5 from behind then you’ve missed the best bits.
This new saloon is a handsome car with genuine flair in its lines. The wedge profile creates a powerful stance while the curving sculpted bonnet harks back to the designs which first won Citroen worldwide acclaim, particularly the DS and SM.
Citroen did not have to try hard to create a better looking car than the previous awkward and bulbous C5, but, having regained their eye for design with cars like the C4 and C6, the new car is the best looking Citroen of the modern era.
Of course, from behind the steering wheel you can’t see that design, so Citroen has plenty of other things to distract you. The first is the fixed-hub steering wheel.
While the wheel rim rotates, the centre of the wheel stays static. It is something of a novelty the first time you drive the C5, but the more you think of it the more sense it makes.
By locating buttons for the cruise control, stereo and horns on the centre hub, they are always in the same position and thus you don’t accidentally mute the stereo when all you wanted to do was skip tracks on the CD.
The C5 is a cosy car to sit in. Although you sit quite high, the roof is sleek and you feel cocooned by the dashboard. The seats are quite supportive and the footwell has room for a footrest beside the clutch pedal. The C5 is quite a wide car and there is plenty of shoulder room for the front seat passengers.
Those in the rear fare a bit worse however. The C5 is not the biggest car in its class and cannot match some rivals on rear legroom, but provided the front seats are not pushed fully back there is still enough room for the average sized adult to feel comfortable on a long trip.
The boot is large and well shaped and the seats can be folded down 60/40 to make more room.
Top-of-the-range Citroen C5 models will come with the company’s renowned hydropneumatic suspension, but this Dynamique model is equipped with more conventional steel springs.
The hydropneumatic system is renowned for delivering a smooth, cushioning ride and Citroen have set the steel sprung cars up to deliver similarly pliant ride comfort.
The car tackles broken roads and speed bumps with aplomb, but the downside is it rolls a bit more in corners and takes a while longer to regain its composure. This is not a sporting car, but then not everyone wants a saloon to handle like a sportscar.
All French cars are renowned for their diesel engines and the C5 delivers a choice of four. The car tested here is equipped with the 1.6 litre 110 horsepower turbodiesel.
For a bit more poke there is a 2 litre or a 2.2 litre, which deliver 138 and 173 horsepower respectively. Topping the range is a 208 horsepower 2.7 litre V6 turbodiesel.
The 1.6 is a lively performer which manages to haul the hefty weight of the C5 with little fuss. The typical diesel sound is evident at idle, but at 100kph the car is a relaxed and quiet cruiser.
The big advantage of the 1.6 is that it delivers less than 150 g/km of CO2 which places it into the E290 tax band. It also means that come July 1, this car will actually come down in price under the new CO2-linked VRT rates.
The new C5 range starts with the 1.8 litre Ambiance petrol. The 1.6 Dynamique tested here will weigh in at E30,600 OTR come July 1, a reduction of over E1,400 on the previous price.