Citroen C5 2007 News

Somewhere under all this black plastic is the next C4, and while Citroen has tried to make sure there’s little to see under the camouflage, it’s easy to identify the car from its signature sharply raked windscreen and rounded rear.But this test car, caught out and about by spy-snappers Carparazzi, also shows new tail-light clusters and changes to the headlight components – although it’s unlikely Citroen will do away completely with the cluster’s current claw-like shape.The next Citroen C4, tipped to debut at the Paris motor show in September next year and be  launched at the end of 2010, will be lighter and more efficient than the current car, the company’s product boss Vincent Besson has revealed. Speaking at the recent Frankfurt motor show, Besson also said that the new hatchback is likely to be offered with three cylinder engines and, possibly, petrol-electric hybrid power during its lifetime, although not from launch. Besson also laid out the company’s strategy for hybrid and electric vehicles, saying that petrol-electric power is not necessary or economically viable in small city cars, and only for high-end versions of the next C4.  The smaller cars are likely to be developed from a model based on the Mitsubishi i-Miev.However, he expects that ‘a large part of a future C5 range’ will have hybrid power.

Like the fact that in 1934 it was the first front-wheel drive car (traction avant is French for front-wheel drive), its engine had overhead valves not side valves like most at the time, it had torsion bar suspension and a monocoque chassis and in 1937 was the first with rack-and-pinion steering. "I like things that are a bit different," he says. Wade's obsession with Citroens started "by accident". His first restored car was a 1930s Mercedes-Benz 150 S which he sold when he was offered "a fair price". He was on the lookout for another old car to restore when his father stumbled on an old Citroen Traction Avant. Believing it was a rare 1937 model, they bought it only to be told later by a Citroen Car Club historian that it was a French-made 1951 "Light 15" (15 horsepower). They paid $1000 for it, sold it in 1984 for $3500 and bought it back again 10 years ago for $6000. "I've since spent about $10,000 on it and have a fair bit to go," he says. His restoration has included "de-modernising" the car by replacing blinker lights with pop-up indicators, removing seat belts and restoring the single taillight. It's not the only Traction Avant in his garage. The other is a rare gem. "We were looking around for bits and pieces to restore the '51 and ended up buying a restored '48 and '40s wreck," he says. The wreck turned out to be a very rare Avant Light 15 1940 model that was built in October 1939. "Because of the war, parts were scarce, so only 400 were built," he says. They were divided up into several models: Roadsters, Light 12, Light 15, Big 15 (wider and longer) and Big 6 (six cylinder). "There are only two Light 15s left in the world. The other one is owned by an Argentinian pilot who I speak with occasionally," he says. "I didn't realise it was so rare when I bought it." The car is insured for $25,000, but Wade believes it could be worth a lot more. Traction Avants were made in Paris and in Slough, England, from where Australia got most of its models. Wade explains that the English models were better equipped but cheaper because they had more than 50 per cent parts from the UK, such as all Lucas electrics, which meant they qualified for lower Commonwealth import tariffs into Australia. Of the 750,000 Traction Avants built, only 26,000 were made in England, making them rarer. Wade said the UK cars had leather upholstery, chrome headlights, carpets and wood trim while the French-made cars had rubber mats on the floor, plastic trim and cloth seats. Wade's passion for the French marque extends throughout his backyard shed which also houses a 1977 GS Pallas, 2007 C5, 1996 Xantia, 1978 GS Pallas and 1980 Visa. Wade claims the Visa is also a rarity as one of only two left in Australia; the other being in Melbourne. His Visa was owned by rally legend Jim Reddiex and features a two-cylinder, 650cc engine like in the 2CV. "The trouble is there are too many cars here to choose from," he says. "That is what you tend to do with Citroens." Wade will show his Traction Avants at a 75th anniversary celebration at Cleveland Park in Brisbane on September 27. Among the 20-odd cars expected is one that ran in the 1954 Redex Trial.

Citroen has lifted the official lid on its new C5, showing the first pictures of the wagon, after details of the sedan were released a few weeks ago. The C5 will go on sale here late next year in time for October's Sydney motor show.As they did with the current model, more than 80per cent of buyers are expected to choose the turbodiesel versions. Visually the sedan and wagon follow the Airscape concept car, with an assertive front end dominated by the distinctive Citroen chevron grille.Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams says the existing C5 has been an enormously important vehicle for Citroen in Australia.“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,” he says.The replacement carries over a development of Citroen's hydractive suspension, Hydractive 3 Plus, which is shared with the C6 and offers three levels of damping: soft, firm and sport.In Europe the car is available with a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines. Australian specifications are yet to be determined but expect the sedan and wagon to have engine and transmission options similar to those in the current model. That means a choice of 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre V6 petrol power and possibly 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre four-cylinder HDi turbodiesels.The driving position resembles an aircraft cockpit and has second-generation fixed-hub controls on the steering wheel, as in the C4.Controls such as the cruise control, radio, telephone, and central screen controls are all within easy reach. 

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. 

The famed DS was one, the 2CV another and the front-wheel-drive 1934 Traction Avant was something of an outstanding revelation in both looks and handling.Next month it will continue to entrench its reputation as a leading designer by unveiling the head-turning four-seater convertible concept called the C5 Airscape at the Frankfurt Motor Show.Citroen says the Airscape is effectively the spiritual successor to the DS Decapotable convertible that was built from 1958-73.Look closely, though, and you will see the new C5 sedan in the car's profile, and the front and rear design treatment.The concept has a carbon-fibre folding roof and striking styling and is crammed with innovative technology. It has a high waistline, ribbed panels, C6-style concave rear window and sleek, aerodynamic profile.The car is further enhanced by the 19-inch alloys, large air-intakes, twin chrome exhausts and long incisive headlights.The automatic folding roof has an integrated sunroof and textile lining and is designed to look and feel like a conventional canvas roof.Inside there is a sumptuous interior of dark-brown leather and chrome. The dashboard echoes modern-day Citroens and the fixed-centre steering wheel boss is taken from the C4.Citroen has also made sure the car not only looks good but is also a showcase for innovation.Fuel economy is managed by an UrbanHybrid system that includes a reversible alternator-starter and super capacitors.This system allows on-board equipment, such as the airconditioning and stereo, to be powered by energy recovered during braking and deceleration. Engine torque can be temporarily boosted when required.The UrbanHybrid system reduces CO2 emissions by 24g/km on the combined cycle. It also has stop-start technology that switches the engine off when the car is stationary, before starting it again once the accelerator is pressed.The efficient 155kW/440Nm 2.7-litre HDi V6 engine can run on bio-diesel.The engine is shared with other Citroen and Peugeot models as well as the Land Rover Discovery.In the Airscape the turbodiesel has a particulate filter, further minimising any environmental effect.The Airscape also has a traction control system called Snow Motion, which Citroen says delivers performance similar to that of a four-wheel-drive car.