Citroen C5 News

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.