Citroen C5 2001 Review

Citroen is famous for building quirky cars. The French carmaker has built a world-wide fan base with cars whose looks you love or loathe.

But the tide is starting to turn, with Citroen's new C5 flagship adopting a more mainstream look. It is aimed at attracting Citroen owners who wouldn't have considered one of the oddball machines of the past.  The C5 is a good-looking car with a modern, user-friendly design.

Body and platform

Available as a five-door hatchback, which actually looks more like a sedan, and a station wagon, the C5 offers plenty of flexibility.  The hatch is a genuine five-seater, around the size of a Toyota Camry, with a generous boot and easy access.  The car uses an all-new base that will be shared with its sister company, Peugeot, and also forms the basis of Citroen's bigger, more luxurious C6 due in 2004.

While Citroen may be heading into more mainstream areas of design, it has discarded its signature hydro-pneumatic suspension system with the C5. The Hydractive3 system is an updated version of the hi-tech hydraulic system first seen on the classic XM luxury car of the late 1980s and further refined on the Xantia, which the C5 replaces.

The system has simple hydraulics but a more powerful computing system to automatically adjust the ride height of the car according to driving speeds and road conditions.  Standard setting remains constant during normal driving conditions at speeds up to 100km/h. Above that, the car drops by 15mm at the front and 11mm at the rear to improve fuel economy by reducing drag. The car returns to the standard position below 90km/h.

The third setting is designed to increase driving comfort on poor surfaces. The computer can sense such conditions and raise the ride height by 13mm when the car is travelling at less than 70km/h.  The driver can also adjust the car manually into four separate positions: high, raised, normal and low.

The car can only travel at snail's pace -- 10km/h -- in the high position, which is designed for easy changing of wheels after a puncture.  The raised position can not be selected above 40km/h and the low setting is designed to help drivers hitch trailers or caravans.

Drivetrains

The C5 comes with a choice of three engine options. The $41,990 entry-level model has a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine which provides 101kW of power at 6000 revs and 186Nm of torque at 4100 revs. It drives the front wheels through either a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed auto with Tiptronic-style shifter.

There's also a 2.0-litre turbo diesel which produces 82kW at 4000 revs and 255Nm at 1750 revs, but is comes only with the auto gearbox.  And then there's the range-topping 3.0-litre V6. The engine, which is an upgraded version of the powerplant from the XM and Xantia, produces 157kW at 6000revs and 260Nm at 2000 revs.

All C5 models come with anti-skid brakes, front, side and curtain-style airbags. There's an automatic tyre-pressure monitor on the V6.  There's also a long list of creature features, including air-conditioning, CD sound, trip computer, automatic windscreen wipers and windows that shut when it rains.

Driving

Travelling in the C5 is like floating on a big, fluffy cloud.  That's no surprise in a Citroen, as the company's trademark hydro-pneumatic suspension -- called Hydractive3 this time -- has been squashing the world's worst roads for years, but the C5 is different.

The surprises run from the equipment and comfort to plastic pieces which are more Japanese than European. Citroen has removed the quirks, which makes the C5 feel as if it will run and run.  Prices, from $41,990 with plenty of fruit, are another bonus.

The mid-sized C5, which will be followed next year by the great-looking baby C3 and already sells alongside the Xsara range, is a solid flagship. It's much more mainstream than anything Citroen has done in the past, which means it will be a lot more likely to convert customers from other brands.

The C5 lines up against some impressive rivals -- from the Audi A4 to Volkswagen's Passat and other prestige brands between them -- but it has a unique combination of equipment and effortless motoring.  It's a car which would easily defeat a Melbourne-Brisbane run, or more, without stressing itself or the passengers. It's never going to win a twisty sprint, or a stop-light contest, but that's not the point.

Citroen has always made cars which are best at touring, and the C5 is just the same.  Of the three engine choices -- 2-litre petrol, diesel and a V6 -- we've tried two. The basic petrol motor is good enough for most jobs, though it's no goer and doesn't encourage much revving or quick shifting in the five-speed manual, while the automatic diesel is a lazy combination for slowpoke drivers.

The 2-litre engine is tuned for torque, which means it will lug along happily and take hills in high gears. The payback comes at the pumps, where the test car sipped just 7.6 litres for each 100km of mixed travel, with around 6.5 available on the highway.  The diesel is similarly frugal, but is for people who never hurry.

The fuss-free side of things extends to the rest of the C5 package, and its brilliant suspension. The Citroen is still an acquired taste, and won't suit people who like a car that's remotely sporty, but it is a major change from earlier models and a car that's now worth adding to the mid-price prestige shopping list.  Good looks; smooth suspension.  Clunky auto, flat seats

The bottom line: Citroen's new flagship is a stylish, affordable and feature-packed luxury contender.

CITROEN C5 Hdi

Price as tested: $44,500

Engine: 2-litre four cylinder common rail diesel with intercooled turbo charger and direct fuel injection
Power: 82kW at 4000revs
Torque: 255Nm at 1750revs
Transmission: Four-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive
Body: Five-door hatch
Dimensions: Length: 4618mm, width: 1770mm, height: 1476mm, wheelbase: 2750mm, tracks 1530mm/1495mm front/rear
Weight: 1410kg
Fuel tank: 68 litres
Fuel consumption: 7.5 litres/100km average on test
Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion
Suspension: Fully independent with front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear with hydro-pnuematic system
Brakes: Four-wheel anti-skid discs
Wheels: 6x15 alloys
Tyres: 195/65 R15
Warranty: Two years/unlimited km

RIVALS

Mercedes C220 (from $63,800)
Peugeot 406 Hdi (from $42, 170)
Volkswagen Passat 1.8T(from $45,900)
Audi A4 2.0 (from $47,400)