Citroen C5 DESIGN SPECIAL EDITION RANGE
Citroens C5 hatch and estate line-up is an acquired taste thats become much easier to acquire since the models refreshing in 2004. It doesnt trouble rivals like Fords Mondeo and Vauxhalls Vectra in the sales charts but it is a worthwhile alternative for the motorists looking for a large, well equipped and comfortable mile-muncher with some clever electronic design touches.
These include things like automatic headlights and automatic wipers, features usually only seen on flagship versions of cars in the medium range sector. Its the same in the C5 line-up to be fair or at least it was until the introduction of the special edition Design models featured here. Essentially, the deal here is pretty simple. For only a few hundred pounds more than the cost of the entry-level LX variants most C5 customers buy, you can get a model with both the aforementioned features, plus alloy wheels and front foglights, extras that will be useful to tempt buyers when resale time comes.
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8-litre Hatchback or £16,690 for the diesel version. Add an £1,100 premium on to those figures if you want to go for one of the spacious estate. All Design models come of course with the usual LX version standard features, including automatic air conditioning, an alarm, ESP with traction control, seven airbags and remote control central locking. If youre taking all this down, then youll also need to know that all Design models attract a reasonable insurance group rating of 8, while all passengers will be reassured by the 5 star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
And of course all models traditional Citroen levels of comfort thanks to the companys clever Hydractive suspension system. "The extra features on these Design models will be useful to tempt buyers when resale time comes" Performance-wise, the 125hp 1.8i 16v petrol version can accelerate from standing to 62mph in around 10 seconds, and on to a top speed of 125mph. The 110hp 1.6HDi diesel is the one worth going for however, since it returns similar performance figures, yet can deliver over 52mpg on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions at 142g/km.
Otherwise, the recipe will be familiar to anyone who is familiar with what Citroen call the New Look C5. Since that wont include many of you, Id better cover a few of the highlights. Building in features more often seen on luxury cars is an ongoing theme, the car featuring clever touches like laminated side window glass. Not only does this aid safety in the result of an accident, it also provides enhanced protection against crime and even boosts the cabins acoustic qualities.
Manufacturers of car stereos have long lamented the fact that with a high proportion of echoing surfaces, the cars interior is one of the most acoustically challenging environments in which to create great sounding music reproduction. It has been found that the insulating layer of clear plastic inside a laminated windscreen produced less acoustic scatter than the harsher echoes that rebounded off a more brittle toughened screen. Some aspects are carried over from its predecessor, Citroen reasoning that theres no point messing with things that work well already. This hatch or estate will ride and corner differently to anything youve ever driven.
The credit for this goes to Citroens unique Hydractive suspension. Devotees of the marque who owned an XM or a Xantia will 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.
Sensors strategically located around the car feed information to a central control system that can then change both spring and damper rates as necessary. Comfort then, is this cars number one priority. Its not seeking to deliver as sharp a driving experience as you could expect in a Mondeo or a 407 its looking at the high mileage driver who wants to arrive unruffled. Go for the estate version and youll find that the load floor is wide and flat, giving a capacity of 563 litres which is the largest in class.
More importantly, its possible to exploit that space without significant intrusion from the rear suspension turrets, the Hydractive 3 system being tucked away beneath the floor. This means that the available width of 1176, measured at the narrowest point between the rear tail lights, is still the widest in class. To protect valuables, a parcel shelf features a retractable boot cover, whilst theres an enormously sturdy two-position vertical net to prevent your load getting ideas above its station and joining you in the passenger area if the ABS with Brake Assist and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution is used with gusto. Tie down eyes, standard roof bars, an underfloor storage area, the boot mounted suspension raise/lower button we could go on, but you probably get the picture by now.
Its a carefully thought out design. Like their stablemates in the C5 line-up, the Design models represent a reasonable buy for the high-mileage buyer looking for space, refinement, comfort and an easy exit from the junior executive rat race. The estate version is probably the one to go for, with, as Ive said, the 1.6-litre diesel being the engine of choice.
Better by Design? Youd probably have to say so.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Citroen C5 Design special edition range
PRICES: £16,195- £17,790
INSURANCE GROUP: 8
CO2 EMISSIONS: 142-187g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 HDi] Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 11.3s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 HDi] (combined) 52.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin Front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [hatchback] Length/Width/Height 4618/1770/1476mm
