Stylish new Citroen C5 Tourer arrives in UK, via Germany
New Citroen C5 Tourer is out now
Author: David Miles
Published: 24 June 2008
Long legged, shapely body, French ancestry with a hint of German muscle, it all sounds like a fashion supermodel and in some respects the new Citroen C5, and particularly the C5 Tourer estate, is just that.
The all-new and significantly more up-market C5 Saloon was introduced in April this year and now in June the Tourer is added to the model line-up. Citroen’s marketing message for the new C5 range as a whole is that it combines German styling and quality with French flair. A case of Allo, Allo the new C5 has arrived.
This German-French message is a move to separate the new C5 from the volume competition such as the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Vectra, Peugeot 407 and Honda Accord and move it more upmarket to compete against the premium brands of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and to some extent the Volkswagen Passat.
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, quality and innovation, but still with an emphasis on value. A major styling change for the new C5 Saloon was the adoption of a four-door body rather than the previous five-door hatchback layout, a further indication of the vehicle’s move up-market.
This sector, from the ‘volume’ to the ‘premium’ end, 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 Tourer start at £16,695 and rise to £25,495. Saloon variants cost between £15,995 and £24,395. Citroen UK estimate 40 per cent of C5 customers will opt for the Tourer estates.
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Citroen is keen to stress just how good the new C5 saloon is, with a cheeky new advert designed to irritate BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Pictures, specs and reviews of all the family saloons on the road.
Our comprehensive list of specs, pictures and reviews of all the estate models on UK roads.
Citroen's Unmistakably German advert has won a gong for 'Best Car Advertising Campaign'
The new Citroen C5 Tourer estate is a serious proposition and a big step up from the outgoing model in terms of design, quality, comfort and pricing.
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