FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Citroen DS5

Five months after the concept model debuted at Auto China in Shanghai, a production-ready version of the Citroen DS5 has gone on display a little closer to the French manufacturer's home soil.

The elegant five-door hatch is based, by and large, on the twin-chevron brand's 2008 Hypnos. Indeed, it shares many of the show car's swoopy low-slung lines.

With minimal overhangs and a raked, coupe-like roof, the car could be considered a rival to Passat CC or Mercedes-Benz CLS, even if it is slightly smaller (measuring 4520mm long by 1850mm wide).

Inside, seating for five and a sporty driving position is split by a wide centre console hosting controls grouped independently of a second set of cockpit-style controls above the driver's head. Front and centre, a near-vertical steering wheel is topped by a colour HUD which projects navigation and other essential information into the driver’s line of sight.

Citroen says the DS5 will be the first production model to feature its new diesel/electric hybrid drivetrain which should output a total of 150kW through the combination of a (122kW) 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and (28kW) electric motor.