Citroen C5 Review: Middle-Market Brilliance

Citroen C5 suspension and engines

The styling and cabin ambience are more sensible than exciting, although neither is bland. Its performance and driving manners follow much the same theme. The C5 is available with two suspension arrangements: the comfort-focused Hydractive III + hydropneumatic system so admired in the wonderfully wafting C6 limousine, or a conventional steel-spring set-up which, Citroen claims, offers a 'more direct road feel'. The sophisticated system costs more, but Citroen anticipates an approximately 50/50 split between the two in the UK.

Six engines will be offered in the UK, comprising two petrol units and four diesels. At the top sits a twin-turbo 208bhp V6 diesel, available solely with a six-speed automatic gearbox, while the entry-level engine is a 127bhp 1.8-litre four-cylinder.

Citroen expects the 2.0- and 2.2-litre HDI diesels to do particularly well in the UK, as it intends to pursue the fleet market aggressively with this car. Both engines move the C5 along with no obvious strain, but do not become overconfident at traffic lights: whichever competitor you choose to name will have a distinctly sportier edge.

Citroen C5 ride and handling

This is not a particularly rapid car, although it has no difficulty keeping pace. The Hydractive-equipped model is the more characterful choice. Select 'Sport' and you can enjoy the plentiful grip available, but the slightly muted steering and near-total separation from what the wheels are doing will disappoint.

Switch to 'Comfort', stop trying to be heroic, and the payoff is a Lexus-lite standard of ride comfort. The C5 is firmer than the C6, losing that mildly seasick, compressive bobbing sensation, yet retaining its ability to filter out huge amounts of the things that genuinely irritate.

It is not quite the magic carpet some people imagine, since a little high-amplitude rumble still finds its way through, but it remains impressive. Thankfully, Citroen has preserved a distinctly French ride quality. Outdoing the Germans for driving dynamics is not merely a demanding task; it is an overcrowded market position. Some of us would rather have a slightly more laid-back character.

Premium ambitions and value

The result is a comfortable, handsomely styled and thoroughly engineered effort to give Citroen a more premium feel. Pricing is competitive, generally below that of the Mondeo and Passat, let alone BMW and Audi, while including more equipment. Mission accomplished, then. Except there is one issue: in virtually every advert I have seen, Citroen presents itself as a value-for-money marque. Discounts. Reduced prices. Cheap.

And then it expects to sell me a car meant to possess premium credentials? I am not convinced, sunshine. I might instead choose a 3-Series with such a sparse specification that I have to pedal it and adjust the radio using my fillings. I would not want the neighbours to think a large Citroen is all I can afford. Their loss, though.

Citroen should be proud of the C5, because it is a car that leaves you feeling positive about the company. It is not the sharpest-handling or most dynamic car available, but it is a carefully judged compromise.

If Citroen can persuade buyers to put their prejudices aside for long enough to book a test drive, the C5 could take the French manufacturer somewhere it has never previously reached. It is a piece of middle-market brilliance, and that is difficult to achieve, even when reverse-engineering existing German products.