The continuing emphasis on reducing emissions and consumption has led to the trend of smaller engines with forced induction – powerplants that European carmakers now swear by. One of the most versatile examples of this is the turbocharged 1.6-litre 4-cylinder developed in conjunction with BMW, and used here in the Citroen C5.
Compared to the naturally aspirated 2-litre in the pre-facelift model, the smaller motor produces 13bhp and 40Nm more torque. More significantly, the additional twisting force is available from just 1400rpm, giving this saloon the low-end grunt sought after by urban drivers.
The Citroen C5’s turbocharged 1.6-litre engine is also used by certain Peugeot and MINI models.
From start-up, you immediately feel the linearity and tractability of the engine’s delivery. There’s no impulsive surge; just steady acceleration that does a good job of bringing the C5 up to speed on expressway jaunts. Compared to the previous model, the car now arrives at 100km/h from standstill in 9.8 seconds, while covering 13.7km/L – three seconds quicker and 1.8km/L further than before. This livelier performance is chanelled through a new 6-speed automatic, which is specifically tuned to suit the vehicle’s characteristics.
Left in its default mode, the transmission carries out its duties in a seamless and conservative fashion, shifting up early and downshifting late to aid fuel economy. A more spirited drive can be had by pressing the “S” button on the shift gate, which tells the gearbox to hold onto each ratio longer.
Citroen C5’s 6-speed automatic is relatively seamless, but not quite perfect in “S” or Sport mode.
Doing so lets you better utilise the increased performance, but not without a loss in smoothness. Left in S mode, the gearbox can sometimes feel “confused”, jumping from one ratio to another as it tries to anticipate the driver’s next move. Fortunately, you can make it go away by using the manual override function and manipulating the shift points yourself.
Also permitting driver control is the Hydractive III+ suspension standard on the Exclusive variant tested, which enables ride height and damping to be adjusted with by pressing a few buttons. If you liked, you could even make the C5 sit so low, it would be nearly impossible for the car to be wheel clamped. (We’re not advocating illegal parking, though.)
The addition of the now common LEDs to the headlights and revised tail-light cluster might seem conventional for the individualistic C5, but the car certainly hasn’t lost its designer appeal. Look closer at the rear, and you’ll still see the concave boot lid and windscreen. Step inside the cabin, and the unique fixed centre hub steering wheel is still there.
Cars with a certain uniqueness often lose some of their personality when “refreshed” to bring them in line with more mainstream demands. Luckily for us, Citroen managed to add some much needed benefits to the C5 without subtracting from its unique character.
Citroen C5 1.6 (A)
ENGINE 1598cc, 16-valves, turbocharged
MAX POWER 156bhp at 6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 240Nm at 1400rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 9.8 seconds
TOP SPEED 210km/h
CONSUMPTION 13.7km/L
PRICE INCL. COE $142,988 (as of March 2011)
The Citroen C5 is no longer available, but the funky Citroen C3 Aircross and Citroen C4 Cactus are
