Citroen C5

At last, Citroen is opening up about its all-new family car! Following our scoop shots earlier this year, the company has finally revealed the newcomer for the first time in the shape of this stunning convertible.

The dramatic C5 Airscape drop-top makes its world debut at Sep-tember’s Frankfurt Motor Show. As well as daring looks, it also has a highly sophisticated and eco-friendly new hybrid powertrain.

The model previews the look of the new C5 family car, which will be available as a saloon or estate when it goes on sale in 2008.

As you can see from the concept, the model’s head-turning looks will make it stand out from stylish rivals such as the new Ford Mondeo and forthcoming Vauxhall Vectra.

Long headlights, a vast double-chevron grille and a large, chrome-edged lower air intake give the C5 genuine road presence, while raised bonnet lines are a neat design cue. Bold, red lights dominate the tail, which is finished off by a pair of chrome exhaust pipes.

The roof is a masterpiece. It’s made entirely of carbon fibre and glass and is fully automatic, folding away completely into the boot at the push of a button. It also features a concave rear window, which is set to appear on the production car. In addition, the saloon and estate’s wheelarches will be narrower, and there will be less chrome trim than on the concept.

The Airscape’s four-seat cabin is trimmed with brown leather, which is complemented by chrome inserts and metal strips. Much of this will be carried over to the factory model and, as we revealed in Issue 967, the C5’s interior will take a big leap in quality with a soft-touch dashboard.

Citroen’s fixed-hub steering wheel makes an appearance, too, with all the major stereo and sat-nav controls in the centre. There will also be a host of standard equipment, including a speed limiter, climate control and Bluetooth connectivity. Power for the Airscape comes from the 208bhp 2.7-litre V6 HDi turbodiesel that appears in the C6 luxury saloon, hooked up to a six-speed automatic gearbox.

But the car also has a new eco-friendly UrbanHybrid drivetrain, which is set to be used on the C5.

This employs a reversible alternator which, together with a battery pack, can temporarily store energy, re- leasing it to boost performance. The system can switch the engine off while the car is stationary in traffic, saving fuel and cutting CO2 emissions by an estimated 24g/km on the combined cycle. The powerplant restarts instantly when the driver’s foot is lifted off the brake.

To cope with its 440Nm of torque, the front-wheel-drive Air-scape has a new, highly sophisticated traction control system. All this technology is set to appear on the C5 range, which also gets a larger platform – ensuring there’s more space inside than ever before – and a new air-suspension system called Hydractive 4. Bench-marked against Audi’s A4 and the Volkswagen Passat, the C5 prom-ises to provide a comfortable, highly refined driving experience.

Citroen has no plans to produce the Airscape, but a spokesman said it will gauge reaction from Frankfurt before deciding its fate. The new C5 line-up will be displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

And there’s more in store!
It's not only the new C5 that Citroen has been busy working on – the firm’s C3-based MPV to rival Renault’s Scenic is also well underway.