01 June 2006
Chris Riley
Billed as the safest car in the world, Citroen's C5 will soon be forced to give up its crown.
But the good news for the French company is that the gong goes to one of its own - the new and larger C6 set to arrive later this year.
C5 has recently undergone a facelift, with new engines, transmissions and other changes.
Although it looks like a sedan, the car's bootlid and rear window actually lift as one piece, just like a hatchback.
Of course it wouldn't be a Citroen unless it had fancy suspension and the C5 does not disappoint.
The hydro-pneumatic system does away with springs and shock absorbers, replacing them with a gas and hydraulic suspension system instead.
The Hydractive 3 suspension changes the car's ride height, both automatically or manually - at the push of a button.
Above 110km/h the nose drops 15mm and the tail drops 11mm, returning to the normal if speed drops below 90km/h.
But on poor road surfaces the nose and tail come up 15mm, staying there unless speed rises above 70km/h.
Then there's some manual settings. The car can be raised 40mm to clear obstacles, with a low setting for loading and a maximum setting for changing a flat.
Our test vehicle was the top of the range Citroen C5 fitted with the latest version of the 3.0-litre V6 engine.
Four cylinder and turbo diesel models are also available.
The V6 develops 155kW at 6000rpm and maximum torque of 290Nm at 3750rpm.
The engine is hooked up to a new AISIN sequential, six-speed automatic transmission.
First gear has been shortened to provide quicker take-offs and a taller sixth gear has been fitted to reduce fuel consumption.
It is a relatively high revving engine that does not start to perform until it really starts to get going.
The V6 model can sprint from 0 to 100km/ h in 8.6 seconds and has a top speed of 230km/ h.
C5 is well equipped, with leather and climate airconditioning standard as well as some features normally found in much more expens- ive vehicles.
The lights don't just operated automatically, they come on earlier when it is raining, while the V6's high powererd Xenon headlights follow the direction of the wheel.
The cruise control system includes a speed limiter and the power operated windows close when a sensor detects rain.
The same sensor also turns on the windscreen wipers automatically.
We don't mind the look of the new "boomerang" shaped head lights but we're not too keen on the tail lights.
Inside, the speedometer segmentations are cluttered and hinder rather than help the driver to see how fast they are going.
Safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and a total of seven airbags.
C5 offers plenty of room inside in what is best be described as loungeroom comfort.
For a car with such a big rep however the drive experience is somewhat disappointing.
Even with the suspension set to sport the handling is rather soft and the gear changes are not always smooth.
Fuel economy for the V6 is a claimed 10.0L/100km from the 66-litre tank. During testing we got 11.2L/100km.
The Citroen C5 V6 is priced from $55,990.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Citroens safe as houses
C4 goes distance
11 May 2006
Chris Riley
Wasn't too impressed with this car to start with but the more I drive it the more it grows on me.
Most people will recognise the Citroen C4 hatch as the one from the TV ad with the dancing robot.
The C4 comes in hatchback and sports coupe versions and although our test car was the hatch it is a little different because it features a 1.6-litre diesel engine.
It seems just about everything we've driven lately has been a diesel which is not necessarily a bad thing considering the rising cost of petrol.
The C4 HDi is good for a miserly 4.7 litres per 100km and that translate into a long way between fill ups with the aid of a large 60-litre fuel tank.
The heart of the matter is Citroen's newest diesel engine that uses common rail direct injection and piezo electric injectors, aided by a variable displacement turbocharger with overboost to provide extra torque under acceleration.
The 1.6-litre power plant generates 80kW of power at 4000rpm and 240-260Nm of torque from a low 1750rpm.
It is mated to a five-speed manual transmission, with an auto expected to be available in future.
The HDi is no sports car out of the gates, but delivers strong mid to high-range performance where the majority of people want it.
For a diesel, it is extremely quiet and particularly smooth, one of the smoothest we have driven in fact and in its element cruising in top gear on the motorway.
You get a car that is well equipped, with six airbags and a five-star safety rating.
Standard equipment includes ABS brakes, electronic stability control and cruise control with a speed limiter that stops the car from exceeding a set limit, say 60km/h in a built up area. It also comes with fogs, alloys and a full-size spare.
Enthusiasts won't find the car disappointing. It might be a diesel but it gets mobile with stability control to keep things from getting too out of hand. Hills are no problem with plenty of torque even in fifth gear. We averaged 6.1L/100km during in variety of conditions easily giving the C4 a range of 1000km. The interior is quiet and the sound system is a half decent one too.
We wouldn't mind putting the HDi to a longer test with Citroen's co-operation. The Citroen C4 HDi is priced from $29,990.
