Citroen C6 Range : STYLE ET LUXE

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The C6 Harks Back To A Time When A Big Citroen Was An Event Rather Than A Mode Of Transportation. Andy Enright Reports

When was the last time you got excited by a Citroen? No, really. Cast your mind back and pluck a Citroen from recent history that you really wanted to experience. There have been some fun cars along the way but nothing that genuinely quickened the pulse. Citroen's C6 looks set to change that. Commentators have, for some time, bemoaned many Citroens for not embodying the brand values that established the marque. It's just possible Citroen were stockpiling them for use in the C6.

It is, without wishing to descend to hyperbole, quite stunning. The shape is resolutely modern but at the same time the proportioning, rather than the detailing, is reminiscent of classic Citroen shapes from the past. The elegant arc of the roofline and the long front overhang are redolent of the old DS and SM models, while the short rear overhang and low slung back end reprise some classic Citroen themes. The company claim that the target was to develop a car with the stance and presence of a limousine but with the chic silhouette of a coupe. They may just have succeeded. A long wheelbase and low slung posture are quite unlike anything else on the road at the moment. Even one of Renault's wilder flights of fancy looks a little tame compared to the C6. The windowline across the curve of the roof arch is picked out with a subtle chrome strip - a clever visual trick that helps visually elongate the car. The frameless glass of the doors also helps here, removing the need for bulky door pillars that would otherwise break up the impact of the remarkable glasshouse. Like the evergreen CX model, the rear end features a concave window, and a wind deflector deploys automatically at speed. This wry nod to that other historical Citroen preoccupation - aerodynamics - ensures efficiency at high speeds yet doesn't upset the aesthetics the remainder of the time. Another chrome strip runs longitudinally along the bottom of the doors emphasising the long passenger compartment.

"The Citroen C6 seems to be playing to a very different set of rules to its putative rivals"

The C6's ancestry can be traced back to the 1998 Paris Motor Show, when the C6 Lignage concept was first displayed. Designed by Citroen's Creative Styling Centre, the Lignage at first appeared a flight of fantasy, appearing as it did alongside stolidly practical models such as the Saxo, Xsara and Berlingo. The throwback appeal of the C6 Lignage was more than just symbolic. Between 1928 and 1933, the C6 dominated the category of top-of-the-range vehicles of the period, with more than 60,000 examples sold with many celebrities taking the opportunity to be photographed in one. Although it's doubtful that today's A-listers will be sending their people to their local Citroen dealer, the C6 does inject a welcome dose of glamour and panache into a market that has been reduced to a shattered husk. Such has been the domination of the German premium marques in the executive saloon market that those mainstream brands that used to do very good business catering to those who either couldn't or wouldn't stump up the premiums to buy German have now largely abandoned the sector. Cars like the Saab 9-5, the Lexus GS and the Volvo S80 just about scrape by, but most mainstream brands appear to have lost interest. What chance does the C6 have? The truth is probably very little. It'll take a brave buyer to fork out a serious sum on a car that's likely to be clouted with some serious depreciation, but your modest residual value will buy my undying respect. Independent thinkers should form an orderly queue. At least living with the C6 should be relatively easy. Packed with technology, the C6 features a head up display that projects speed and navigation instructions onto the windscreen. There's also a comprehensive driver's information system, electronic parking brake, the innovative lane departure warning system, directional Xenon headlamps and a speed limiter. Refreshingly, most of the headline-grabbing features appear even on the entry-level C6. Motive power comes courtesy of a 2.2-litre HDi unit and a choice of two V6 diesel engines. The smaller V6 diesel is a 2.7-litre HDi unit developing some 208bhp and equipped with a particulate filter to cut emissions. This twin-turbo engine is smooth, quick and pleasantly tractable. Like all the current C6 models, it's mated to an automatic gearbox. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel is a development on from the 2.7-litre unit with similar architecture and 240bhp. The 2.2-litre HDi also uses twin turbochargers with its four-cylinder layout. There's 173bhp available here but most buyers will choose it for its 43mpg economy. In order to supply the sort of hushed, syrupy ride quality the looks suggest, the C6 features active suspension with variable damping. Having been touted as something of a thinking person's choice in the executive sector, the C6 is in no way the one to choose if you're in the mood to give your favourite section of B-road a good mauling. Instead, it's a car in which to take it easy and enjoy the impeccable ride quality served up by the Hydractive self-levelling suspension. The twin-turbo diesel engines work to produce a smooth and progressive supply of torque from low in the engine range, eliminating the lag and lunge often associated with less sophisticated diesel installations. There's little doubt that when it comes to making a technological statement, Citroen's C6 raises the bar for the sub-premium executive class. Its effortless style, avant-garde interior design and unique feel also mark it out as a car removed from the usual rules. Although it looks destined to occupy one of the meanest niches in the whole automotive market, the C6 is a car that can't help but put a smile on your face. A future classic in the making? Only time will tell.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Citroen C6 range
PRICES: £28,795-£36,695 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 199-230g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.7] 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 143mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.7] (urban) 23.5mpg, (extra urban) 41.5mpg, (combined) 32.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ESP, ABS with EBA and EBD, active bonnet, lane departure warning system.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4908/1860/1464mm WHO TO SEE: