Citroen C5 1.6 HDi VTR
Sportiness is a virus. It infects everything, from the way companies sell razor blades right through to the sort of soft drinks you buy and it manifests itself insidiously in the methods in which cars are marketed. Unless your car is sporty in some vague manner, its generally doomed. Every once in a while, a manufacturer thumbs its nose at this and Citroens C5 was a refreshing example of a car with absolutely no sporting aspirations.
It was big, soft and as comfy as your bathtub. That was until the VTR model was introduced. Seen here fitted with the resolutely unsporty 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine, this could well be Britains least sporty sporting car.
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6-litre diesel engine still develops 110bhp and the suspension offers exactly the same ride quality as its humbler siblings somewhere between crème brulee and blancmange, if youre interested. Instead, there are striking 16-inch alloy wheels, carbon-fibre effect inserts around the centre console and doors and eye-catching dark blue/grey upholstery with matching seat belts and a leather steering wheel. Its wholeheartedly half-hearted. Opting for that Sports Pack also entitles you to a sporty (that word again) lower front mesh grille and a rear spoiler.
Less thrilling but arguably more useful standard inclusions run to automatic wipers that decide how fast to go on intermittent wipe and headlamps that switch themselves on and off based on the level of ambient light. Other thoughtful features include a stereo with volume that increases according to your speed and automatic boot locking. ABS with brake assist, Electronic Brake distribution, six airbags, air conditioning and electric windows also come as standard.
"As a token sporting effort, the C5 1.6 HDi VTR is quite magnificent"
Probably the most impressive aspect of the C5 1.6 HDi VTRs make up isnt its speed, handling or eye-catching gewgaws. Instead its the sheer infrequency with which youll need to visit filling stations. With a theoretical range of around 750 miles, Ive calculated that my father would only need to fill up once every 47 years.
You may need to top up a little more often but the combined fuel consumption of 52.3mpg coupled with a generously proportioned tank means that this is a cruiser par excellence. On a long motorway trip itll certainly get from A to B a whole lot quicker than something like a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Whos sporty now? The latest C5 features a number of enhancements both visual and functional but the C5 remains very much a C5.
The double chevron grille is rapidly being adopted right across the Citroen range and now the C5 has it along with boomerang style front and rear lights. Interior quality has also been improved, there are now seven airbags and Citroens directional Xenon headlamps are available. Another interesting prospect is the lane departure warning system, which alerts drivers if they drift across lanes without indicating. With a big squeeze on this market sector, diesel variants have come to the fore, offering a massive saving in fuel bills and buoyant resale values for the private buyer.
The C5 however has much to offer beyond its impressive oil-burning powerplants. This saloon will ride and corner differently to anything youve ever driven. The credit for this goes to Citroens unique Hydractive 3 suspension. Devotees of the marque who owned an XM or a Xantia would know what were talking about here, for both of these cars featured early versions of this system.
In its latest form, the advantages of this fluid-sprung set-up over conventional steel springs are almost impossible to ignore. Thus equipped, this C5 can read the road and adapt its ride set-up accordingly, depending on the ground surface, the speed and the way that youre driving. For example, on bad surfaces below 43mph, the car will be lifted by 13mm to prevent the possibility of grounding out. Over 68mph on a smooth road however, the gadgetry will automatically lower the front of the car by 15mm and the rear by 11mm to reduce drag.
You can even choose a raised 40mm position for potholed farm tracks or an even higher setting to make it easier to change a wheel. On the move, you monitor each state of affairs via a multi-function screen built into the top of the fascia. Theres the choice of normal or sport modes, though drive the car hard and youll find that it switches automatically to sport mode anyway. Where you notice Hydractive 3 most however, is on bad roads or in hard cornering.
The worse the surface, the better this car feels (nothing, but nothing at any price rides speed humps better). Its real party piece however, is reserved for sharp corners. As you enter the bend, you expect the car to start rolling in the normal way except that it doesnt. In fact, all the way through the turn, the body stays absolutely flat.
Its a rather weird feeling. The C5 1.6-litre HDi VTR could be called a sheep in wolfs clothing were the wolfs clothing not quite so sheeplike. It wears its sporting credentials with barely disguised disdain.
What you do get is a well equipped and extremely comfortable cruiser that you can claim harbours sporting aspirations to those who dont know their VTRs from their elbow. Despite its rather disingenuous marketing position, this Citroen is rather appealing.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Citroen C5 HDi 1.6 VTR
PRICE: £17,595 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 9
CO2 EMISSIONS: 142g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 11.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 52.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin Front and side airbags / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4618/1770/1476mm
