Citroen C5 2008 Review

Citroën C5 Saloon and Tourer

What we liked
>> Styling and equipment levels
>> Cosseting ride
>> 2.7-litre powertrain

Not so much
>> $50K starting price
>> 2.0HDI is working hard to shift bulk
>> Steering is woeful

Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 2.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
Citroën has taken a step towards the mainstream with its latest midsizer, the C5. Dubbed by the British, the car the iconic French brand built to take on the Germans (got that?), the car is undeniably handsome in an almost conventional manner.

Launched this month Down Under in an abbreviated all-diesel, all-auto range, the C5's job locally is not as focussed on the Teutonic brands. Rather, it is tasked to bring new blood of all colours to the French marque. In fact, local Citroën importer Ateco Automotive claims it's aiming at a 60 per cent conquest rate for the new car.

To this end it's targeting buyers of everything from Audi to Saab and includes the VW Passat and Lexus' IS250 in its competitive set. If Ateco achieves its ambitious target of around 100 units per month, the car will be far and away the most successful 'large' car the brand has launched Down Under.

The last-generation C5 offered hatch and wagon variants. In its move upmarket, Citroën has chosen to pursue a Saloon (sedan) and Tourer (wagon) strategy with the new C5. As noted above, in both cases the cars feature strikingly modern and fresh styling. The ungainly proportions and quirky lines of the last C5 are well gone.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
The new C5 range heads fair into Audi, BMW and Benz territory with pricing that starts at $49,990 for the 2.0 HDi Comfort sedan, and runs through to the $65,740 2.7 HDi Exclusive Tourer.

As suggested by the above bracketing, there are two engine sizes offered (2.0 and 2.7-litre turbodiesels) and two levels of trim -- Comfort and Exclusive. Both the Saloon and the Tourer can be had with either engine, though the 2.7-litre cars are offered in Exclusive trim only.

The 2.0 HDi Comfort Tourer is priced from $52,740, with the 2.0 HDi Exclusive sedan and wagon $54,990 and $57,740 respectively. The most expensive sedan in the range is the 2.7 HDi Exclusive at a smidge under $63K.

There are no petrol C5s offered Down Under. According to Citroën, around 85 per cent of previous C5 sales (around 4000 C5s have been sold Down Under since the model's release in 2001) were turbodiesel. The remaining petrol share was dominated by the 3.0-litre V6 variant. The availability of the 2.7-litre twin-turbo HDi and its performance in the new C5 prompted the all-diesel line-up, says Citroën's Australian connections.

With pricing stretching into the mid-to-high $60K area, Ateco has not scrimped with the C5's equipment lists.

Even the 'base' model Comfort variants include eight-way electric front seats with heating and driver's seat massager (yes, in the base model!), self-levelling Hydractive 3+ suspension with Sport mode, automatic electric parking brake, Adaptive Front-lighting System, climate control air, cruise and speed limiter and rear park sensors. Alloy wheels are also standard (17-inch).

Safety equipment is a standout with the C5 rating five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing and seven airbags (including driver's knee bag) fitted to the Comfort sedan and wagon. Stability control is also standard along with a full up-to-the-minute four-wheel disc antilock braking suite (with hill start, emergency brake assist, etc).

The cars also feature electric child-safety locks for the rear doors and windows.

Opt for the Exclusive, and the equipment levels and airbag count rise -- in the case of the latter, to nine! [Ed: Citroën adds rear side airbags in addition to the full side curtains standard in the Comfort trim level]. In addition, the French marque adds laminated side windows, rear and side window blinds, privacy glass, front park sensors, xenon headlamps, tyre pressure readout, 18-inch alloys, more chrome and even more fibre optic mood lighting.

In the Tourer, the Exclusive also features a push-button electric open/close tailgate. Loading the Tourer is made simple, says Citroën: "with the ability to raise or lower the rear suspension".

Options include 19-inch wheels (on the Exclusives only -- $1850), a lane departure warning system ($1500), Bluetooth preparation ($450) and, in the sedan, a conventional sunroof ($2000). Tourer buyers -- expected to make up around 30 per cent of C5 customers -- can specify a fixed glass 'Panorama' roof complete with sliding sunblind for the same $2K.

Citroën's NaviDrive satnav and entertainment system is also offered as an option on all models at $4000-4500 (depending on whether LCT is applicable). This features a 10cm colour central display screen, integrated telephone, audio system, satellite navigation, 10-gigabyte hard drive and voice activation.

The ubiquitous charge for metallic paint is $750.

MECHANICAL
Two turbodiesel engines power the front-wheel-drive-only C5 range. Both engines are matched to six-speed automatic transmissions. Though the trannie offers a manual-style shift function and Sport mode, there are no steering wheel paddles on either version.

Available in both Comfort and Exclusive variants, the base engine is PSA's proven 2.0-litre DOHC direct-injected and intercooled turbodiesel inline four. Rated at 100kW and 320Nm, the 16-valve HDi engine is used across a range of PSA and Ford vehicles including Citroën's C4 and Ford Focus.

In its C5 sedan installation the 2.0 HDi returns a combined fuel economy of 7.1L/100km. The Tourer is just 0.1L/100km thirstier.

The C5's flagship engine option -- PSA's twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel -- is offered at the Exclusive trim level only. This 24-valve DOHC powerplant features twin variable geometry turbochargers and produces 150kW at 4000rpm with torque an impressive 440Nm at 1900 revs. Citroën claims 8.5L/100km for the sedan and 8.6 for the wagon.

Zero to 100km/h times are 12.8 and 13.3sec for the 2.0 HDi sedan and Tourer respectively. The 2.7 HDi powered sedan and wagon take 9.6sec and 9.8sec. Top speeds vary between 198 and 222km/h, says Citroën.

The C5 features Citroën's "unique" Hydractive 3+ suspension. Based on the system that underpins the range-topping C6, the double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension does not use springs and dampers, but rather a system of interlinked, electronically-controlled nitrogen-charged, fluid-filled spheres.

The nitrogen and fluid are separated by a membrane. The nitrogen provides the spring function and the fluid passes through a number of orifices in the spherical reservoir to provide the damping action.

Four spheres are positioned conventionally at the 'corners' of the car with an additional two spheres interconnecting the front and rear pairs. In normal comfort mode, the central spheres provide more 'spring' and milder damping. When the driver selects Sport mode they are disconnected from the 'circuit', firming up the ride, limiting body roll and provide a stronger damping setting.

Further, the ECU which controls the Hydractive 3+ can change the ride height and suspension characteristics to suit the conditions the car encounters. It can lower the car at high speed and conversely raise it at low speed, or when bad road conditions are encountered. The Tourer can also 'kneel' to make loading easier. Once completed the suspension self levels.

And yes, though Citroën doesn't want to make a song and dance of the fact, you can get home on three wheels just like the famous DS. Though to ensure that's not necessary, Aussie C5s come equipped with a full size 17-inch steel spare.

PACKAGING
The C5 is perhaps the most mainstream Citroën for some time, though that doesn't mean it's boring.

This is a handsome, modern design and while the wagon's our favourite, we reckon it works equally well in the sedan. A short rear deck lid gives the car a muscular almost coupe-like rear end and the long front overhang (a curse of larger front-wheel drives) is well disguised.

The strong upper swage line gives the car real 3 Series style cues from some angles. Rear-on there is more than a hint of Audi's de Silva in the taillights and numberplate recess.

The C6-inspired concave rear window is no slave to fashion, says Citroën. Rather it allows better articulation of the boot lid and a proper opening, despite the short deck length.

Boot capacity is a very reasonable 439 litres in the sedan. This is boosted thanks to a split-fold rear seat and skiport. Unlike brands such as Audi which demand extra dollars for a hole -- the skiport is standard equipment on all C5s.

In the case of the Tourer, the cargo capacity measurements are 505 and 1462 litres -- the latter with the second row down. The clear width available is an impressive 1115mm.

Inside the C5's cabin there's been a significant upgrade in quality, with new choices for leather and dash finishes. The trademark French flair has been toned down, but not erased entirely. There's a unique 'balcony' style dash layout, and Citroën's now-signature fixed hub steering wheel (complete with a panoply of controls for phone, audio, cruise multifunction display, etc) gives the car its own interior identity.

The main instrumental panel gauges feature rim-mounted telltales (rather than conventional 'watch-face' needles). Citroën claims this is aviation inspired. We have flyers in our midst and they're not too sure. At least the annular gauges allow an electronic display unit to be integrated in the centre of both speedo and tacho.

Citroën claims the C5 features "class-leading levels of soundproofing for total onboard comfort". An 'acoustic' windscreen is used to reduce noise and the Exclusive variants get laminated side glass (and rear blinds!).

It was hard to fault the cabin comfort in the C5 Exclusive sedans we drove at the launch (there were no wagons or Comfort spec cars). Build quality looked good and though the seats were a touch on the soft side, there was plenty of adjustability in the driving position thanks to the multi-function controls and tilt and tele steering wheel.

Up front there was plenty of room yet the cabin still had an inviting cocooning feel to it. The rear seat suffers a little for headroom by comparison and legroom isn't on par with, say, Ford's Mondeo. That said, unless you're intending to seat four six-footers it gets a solid B+.

SAFETY
As noted above, safety is a big part of the story behind the C5. A top crash rating, excellent pedestrian safety and all the equipment boxes ticked make it hard to fault.

Driver and passengers are protected by up to nine front, side and curtain airbags including Citroën's "torso-shaped" driver's airbag made possible by the marque's fixed hub steering wheel. Purchasers of the Comfort level can option up to nine bags, from seven for $750.

And in active safety terms it's no slouch. The C5 is not a sportscar but it's more than capable on the road with good roadholding and high thresholds of grip before the stability control intervenes to bring things back to a level of normality.

Antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Emergency Braking Assistance are standard, as are active front headlamps -- static on the Comfort and xenon dual-function directional on the Exclusive models. An optional Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) is also available.

COMPETITORS
Citroën says the 2.7 HDi Exclusive should account for around 20 per cent of C5 volume, with the 2.0 HDI Comfort the top seller earning around 50 per cent. In effect, that pegs most of the C5's competitors in the $45-55K bracket.

It's a happy hunting ground here for the likes of the upper-level Japanese and the so-called near-premiums -- Saab and Volvo. Fellow Euros like Renault and Volkswagen are gunning for the same buyers.

Interestingly Citroën says it is not targeting BMW and Benz with the new car. Audi's A4 is fair game though, they say.

That puts almost everything from an upper-level Accord (no wagon) through to a mid-spec A4 2.0 TDI sedan and Avant in the sights. In between there'll be tough customers to beat such as the excellent new (and cheaper) Laguna (sedan and wagon), diesel variants of the S40/V50, VW Passat and 9-3 and even the just-announced (and much cheaper!) 136kW/400Nm Mazda6 diesel -- available in hatch and wagon too.

Looking leftfield we can see those attracted to the C5 weighing up the soon-to-arrive Down Under Passat CC as a stylish and economic alternative to the Frenchy. It will be offered with a new 125kW 2.0-litre turbodiesel and DSG box at a price that hits the French car head on.

Quiet on a variety of road surfaces and at higher speeds on the freeway, the C5's handling and ride err on the side of comfort rather than sportiness. Citroën's hydra-pneumatic suspension system features neither springs nor dampers (see more in MECHANICAL above), thus some characteristics are quite different from 'normal' suspensions.

Indeed, the ride is pillowy on most surfaces and almost too floaty on anything with twists and turns. At least activating the Sport setting makes a worthwhile difference to the settings. Given the uprated setting did little to spoil the ride, but managed to tame the float and body roll, we found that's where we left it, except for freeway miles.

It's a shame there's not the same transformation available for the steering. At all times it offers zero feel and inadequate weighting, yet it's fulsome in its kickback over corrugations and bumps. I've driven dodgems with better steering. It's a credit to the rest of the car that you're able to still place the C5 accurately.

Both the 2.0-litre and V6 powerplants are torquey and quiet -- as you'd expect from modern diesels.

The smaller engine is no tearaway in the midsized body of the C5 -- Citroën quotes a 0-100km/h of almost 13secs. Two-up it's overtaking ability on the open road is better than the sprint time suggests. That said, with a car full of people and luggage, its performance won't satisfy all.

Our pick's definitely the V6. Even if it is a touch nose-heavy and not quite as wieldy as the four, the engine feel significantly happier coping with the C5's not inconsiderable size or weight (up to 1800kg depending on variant and body style).

Our chief concern for the C5, however, is not its less-than cutting-edge dynamics, nor its all-diesel engine strategy. It's the car's move upmarket and its pricing in what is becoming an increasingly competitive and crowded marketplace.

With top variants solidly into the prestige regions on the plus side of $60,000, and the French marques still struggling for mainstream acceptance Down Under (not to mention retained value), we think Citroën's Australian dealers will have their work cut out for them competing head-on with better recognized luxury brands.

The C5 certainly has the looks, the equipment and the comfort to attract new buyers, but will that be enough? We fear not...

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