Citroen C5 muscles up

Citroen has never been known as a purveyor of power. In fact, luxury division, DS, has explicitly said it's not going to join a power war with the likes of Mercedes-Benz et al.

Nevertheless, the French car-maker is cognisant of the need to appeal to power-hungry Australians with more choice, so a Walkinshaw-tuned DS3 hot hatch will add firepower later in the year and right now the company is offering the beefed-up C5 Finale limited-edition as a send-off for its venerable 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine, which now pumps out 150kW and 450Nm.

Priced at $59,990 drive-away, just 30 C5 Finales will be offered here, delivering a sportier image via larger 19-inch 'Adriatic' alloy wheels, metallic exterior paint and chrome dual exhaust outlets.

According to Citroen, the C5 Finale is one of the quickest iterations of its flagship vehicle yet, accelerating to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds, which is "almost two seconds" quicker than the regular 2.0-litre diesel C5 sedan. Meanwhile, fuel consumption remains low, with a claimed average of 5.9L/100km.

Other features designed to sweeten the deal include the addition of a premium eight-speaker 350-Watt stereo and a reversing camera to make parking easier.

As well as the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, another C5 Finale feature that will soon be retired by Citroen is the C5's trademark hydropneumatic suspension, which adjusts the ride height of the vehicle at the press of a button.

Some other neat features of the muscled-up Citroen C5 include a sunroof, heated driver's seat with massage function, satellite-navigation, rear window shades and all the usual convenience items like Bluetooth streaming and electric windows and mirrors.

Sales of Citroen vehicles account for a tiny part of Australia's annual million-plus new-car market. Although Citroen sales are up 16.7 per cent, from 479 to 559 thus far in 2015, that total accounts for just 0.1 per cent of the overall market.

Cross town rival Renault is faring much better, with 4287 sales so far this year. Dig deeper to C5 sales in Australia and they've slumped in 2015, down from 70 the year prior to 52 now.

Citroen Australia's national sales manager, Shaun Mackle, was upbeat about the C5 Finale, which has the potential to bolster the marque's meagre sales.

"While C5 will still feature the proven 2.0-litre diesel engines in the future these 30 Finale vehicles are set to become something of a collector's item for Citroen and automotive enthusiasts," he said.

"This drivetrain compliments the C5's ability to cover long distances with ease and in utmost comfort, we are certain that they will not last long."

Meanwhile, the regular C5 Exclusive HDi sedan is currently available for $47,990 drive-away, including a free reversing camera (saving $3400, says Citroen), while the C5 Exclusive Tourer costs $48,690 plus on-road costs – both powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine.

The C5, as with all Citroens sold here, comes with a six-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

While the C5 will continue in its current state for the time being – only the 2.2-litre diesel engine is being retired – Citroen's DS premium brand will launch an updated DS 5 very late this year.