We review the Citroen DS5 from price to economy and all its features
THE original and iconic Citroen DS sold 1.5million in 20 years and was also named The Most Beautiful Car of All Time by Classic & Sports Car Magazine.
No pressure then for their 21st-century upmarket DS!
Dynamic ... Citroen DS5
We’ve just had a first drive in Scotland of the striking new DS5 which underlines the French firm’s bid to go back to the future.
Back in 1955 when the first-ever DS debuted Citroen were viewed as a luxury brand. However, they have spent most of the last decade as a value-for-money range.
But this new DS5 joins the DS3 and DS4 in helping Citroen return to past successes.
The DS5 goes on sale next week — and it will test what buyers will pay for French premium motoring, with prices from £23,000 to £34,000 for the Hybrid4, which I’ve just driven exclusively.
Citroen’s British designer Andrew Carroll believes the DS5 will seriously challenge its German rivals and I love the look of this car as sabre-like strips of chrome trim run from the headlights back into the windscreen.
The LED-trimmed lights, chrome double chevron grille and gill-shaped air intakes in the lower grille give the front end a dynamic look.
The muscular rear also catches the eye with its two individual chrome exhausts.
Interior highlights include ‘watchstrap’-patterned leather seats. The centre console and dash wrap around the driver and have a hi-tech feel but with classic French chic.
Rear-seat leg and headroom is fine for kids, but tall adults will struggle. It’s also well equipped. Our car had lane departure warning, headlights that turn with the steering, plus a multimedia system with sat-nav, road sign recognition and Bluetooth music streaming.
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In the Hybrid4 model, the battery pack and electric motor — which drive the rear wheels and sit at the back of the car — eat into the boot space so you only get 325 litres of luggage room to work with.However, the new powertrain offers many benefits.
The combination of a 163bhp 2litre diesel with an electric motor gives road tax-free CO2 emissions of 99g/km on cars with 17in wheels, rising to 107g/km with 18 or 19-inch alloys. It’s also remarkably fuel efficient, capable of up to 74mpg (on the smallest wheels) and runs mostly in silent all-electric mode around town.
Flicking the centre console dial to Sport gives you the engine’s full 200bhp and plenty of torque, which gets the DS5 up to motorway speed with ease.
The 4x4 mode runs the two power sources together for maximum traction, while ZEV puts the car in full electric mode for as long as the batteries have charge — about two-and-a-half miles.
It’s not a perfect drive. The six-speed automatic gearbox can be jerky, the diesel engine a bit noisy on start-up, and the ride’s a bit on the bumpy side.
However, I found the Hybrid4 version — which gets a different rear axle — to be a very decent cruiser.
But the problem is you could buy a Range Rover Evoque, Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series for the same cost.
But you can still opt for the cheaper and pretty nimble 200bhp 1.6litre turbopetrol and 2litre turbodiesel versions.
This new luxury Citroen may not be in the running for the Most Beautiful Car of All Time — but it’s certainly the most attractive family car right now.