Citroen C5 becomes diesel

First photos of the model were released in Paris this month, ahead of the car going on sale in Europe early next year. Australian sales are planned for August 2008.

Many of the sleek styling cues previewed as the C-Airscape Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, which has survived the production versions of the sedan and the estate.

“The existing Citroen C5 has been an enormously important vehicle for Citroen in Australia and around the world,” Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams says. “It has been central to providing 10 years of sustained growth for Citroen in Australia and provided Citroen with a strong presence in the large sedan sector.”

Williams says Citroen's leading role in the introduction of diesel technology to Australian drivers will continue with the latest C5.

“It (the current C5) has introduced a generation of Australian drivers to the advantages; economical and environmental; of Citroen's advanced diesel engines. With the C5 technology, safety and environmental compatibility are further enhanced.”

The C5 engine range will include a 150kW V6 diesel, headlining a likely all-diesel model line-up for Australia. Some 85 per cent of C5 sales in Australia are diesel with almost all of the remainder the V6 petrol model.

“With the new V6 diesel offering the power it does and the amount of extra torque, it mounts a very strong argument,” Citroen Australia's Edward Rowe says.

Rowe says specification and pricing for the C5 range has to be finalised but insists it will not be below the standard of the current range.

“There will be at least seven airbags and the safety, comfort and convenience levels of the current model will be further enhanced.”

The C5 will come standard with cruise control, speed limiter, automatic electric parking brake and hill-start assist.

To be confirmed is a parking space gap sensor that informs drivers whether an available space is big enough for the vehicle; spaces measuring less than 3m and more than 8m are ignored.

A lane departure warning system is offered in Europe along with a passive headlight system linked to the steering input, which illuminates a lamp on the kerb side of the car to assist parking.

If the vehicle is equipped with Xenon dual-function directional headlamps, it can also be equipped with dynamic AFS, a lighting system that improves visibility and safety on corners and at junctions. The C5s will bring Citroen's third generation of Hydractive suspension into the realms of the family car.

Launched on the C6, Hydractive 3 Plus suspension comprises a double wishbone and linked hub carrier at the front and a multilink set-up at the rear with a drop-link longitudinal arm. The adjustable suspension offers two modes with adjustments to the springing and damping to take account of driver input and road conditions.

A soft mode provides optimum comfort, while a firmer mode delivers enhanced driving sensations and greater body control.

Controlled by sensors on each axle, the Hydractive 3 Plus suspension maintains the C5 at a constant height, regardless of the load.

The C5 will be the second model in Australia to get the Citroen fixed-hub steering wheel introduced on the C4.

While the fixed centre allows ease of use of the car's entertainment system and cruise control, it also allows for a full-sized driver's airbag, which will always be correctly positioned.