New Citroen C5 - no French resistance to German styling

Citroen’s cars have always been unmistakeably different when it comes to design. Many have become icons of world motoring. Models such as the Citroen DS, the SM, the Traction Avant and even the 2CV have left their marks in automotive history.

In recent times the Citroen brand in the UK has become better known its discounts and low prices and a range of products with green credentials due to their low CO2 emissions rather than ground-breaking and memorable models.

However with the introduction of the new C5 upper medium segment range of four-door saloons and estates Citroen are now again placing more design and marketing emphasis on style, comfort and innovation, but still with an emphasis on value.

Xavier Duchemin, managing director of Citroën UK, said “Our customers want and deserve the highest standards in comfort, reliability, performance and style and with the new Citroën C5 we have dedicated ourselves to deliver those qualities at unprecedented levels.”

The introduction of the new C5, with saloon variants going on sale in the UK from 2 April and Tourer estates from July, sees a German theme being used for marketing activities, ‘German styling and quality with French flair’ say Citroen.

For their new C5 television and cinema advertising campaign Citroen uses Bavaria and Berlin as locations with the C5 driving hero looking like a cast member from ‘Allo ‘Allo, all with a backing track of music by Wagner.

With the upper medium sized C5, Citroen are aligning themselves to compete against the Volkswagen Passat and moving closer to the ‘premium’ models of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

This is a bold move rather than competing for sales against the volume sellers in the segment such as the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Vectra and Peugeot 407.

However this sector, from the ‘volume’ to the ‘premium’ ends, is now under pressure due to falling sales and higher taxation levels. Business customers and fleet operators are downsizing to smaller more tax efficient cars and retail buyers are not readily buying due to the credit-crunch.

Around 70 per cent of Citroen C5 UK sales traditionally go to fleet and business users in the very competitive upper medium D-sector. Citroen averages around 8,500 C5 sales each year in the UK with the 2.0-litre HDI diesel with the mid-range VTR+ specification being the most popular model. There are also SX and Exclusive levels of specification.

Prices for the New C5 start at £15,600 and rise to £24,395. Tourer estate variants are expected to cost around a £1,000 more than their equivalent saloon models. A major styling change for the new C5 is the adoption of a four-door saloon body rather than the previous five-door hatchback layout, a further indication of the vehicle’s move up-market.

Citroen has given the all-new C5 a prestige image with the sharper Germanic sculptured styling lines for the long, sleek saloon body. It looks a classy vehicle and the plush and well equipped interior is a considerable move up-market.

It feels a true five-seater, bordering on ‘premium’ class and there is a huge boot which is ‘executive’ class in size.

For the driver the new C5 introduces the second-generation fixed-centre controls steering wheel introduced first with the C4 models. Standard equipment includes stability control, seven airbags, a collapsible pedal assembly to reduce foot injuries in an accident, cruise control with speed limited and air conditioning.

Citroen say particular attention has been paid to soundproofing so the ride is as quiet as it traditionally comfortable with big Citroen passenger cars. There is a wide choice of engines in keeping with the varied requirements of fleet, business and retail customers.

Petrol engines are the 127bhp 1.8i and 143bhp 2.0i-litre units and there are four turbodiesel units with 110, 138, 173bhp outputs and a V6 208bhp unit.

Automatic transmission options are available for some models, depending on equipment specification, with 2.0-litre petrol, 2.0-litre and 2.7-litre V6 diesel engines.

Uniquely Citroen offers C5 customers the choice of two forms of suspension, again depending on which equipment level is chosen. Fleet and business user-chooser customers are likely to opt for the new conventional dampers and coil spring system.

But for long standing Citroen customers the manufacturer retains its ‘magic-carpet’ ride option with its Hydractive 3 Plus self-levelling suspension which automatically adjusts its settings according to the road, driving conditions and the driver’s motoring style.

Citroen UK said this week they expect around 70 per cent of customers to opt for the dampers and coil spring suspension.

Sharing the front-end styling of the Saloon version the Tourer, which arrives in July, is characterised by a sculpted rear that unites style with load space. At 4.83m long and 1.86m wide, the Tourer maintains the elegant front appearance of the Saloon, but with added room and functionality at the rear.

The Tourer’s boot offers 533 litres of load capacity making it one of the most spacious in the segment. When the rear seats are folded, the capacity increases to a total volume of 1,490 litres. Citroen UK estimate 40 per cent of C5 customers will opt for the Tourer variant.

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