Citroen DS5 exclusive

Stylish

Its about time Citreon start to bring back better looking cars. The Citroen C2,C3,C4 range, especially the hatchbacks looks nasty, and geeky. The kind of car you had to drive with a paper bag over your head. This looks so much better and intresting.
Is there a saloon version coming out???

By hotredman on 18 July, 2011, 4:13pm

So basically it's a mpv!

...with pseudo concept car touches, to justify charging a higher price!

By mj2206 on 18 July, 2011, 4:19pm

@mj2206: All cars are something. Rolls-Royce: just a saloon car with leather and good paint touches, to justify charging a higher price!
See where I'm going with this?

By PedroConejo on 18 July, 2011, 6:47pm

massive underpower

Looks good but don't bother to check the specs. French cars are genuinly good design and ample confort, total rubbish in the engine department. Period.

By Stivans on 18 July, 2011, 7:56pm

Massive(ly) underpower(ed)???

Stivans: The psa peugeot citroen diesels are some of the best in the world co-developed with ford and used by a lot of manufactures i.e mazda mini jaguar etc.
Plus all but one petrol engines used in the range are co-developed with BMW mini using the latest technology and once again won the engine of the year for a 1.6 litre engine.
So maybe double check your facts. period.

By squashedfrog on 18 July, 2011, 9:52pm

Shallow

Dull profile daubed with fussy holes and dents. You'll be bored to death with its looks in a month. As for the turret-top shallow windows - kids in the back will have little chance of a view out.

By autoclm on 19 July, 2011, 9:52am

French build quality

is he having to push part of the body work back on in photo 2?

By nickeroo on 19 July, 2011, 10:58am

Under powered? Really there are some spanners that comment using their backsides in here.

This is essentially awd with 37bhp going to the rears, 200bhp is not under powered. Its not got a very good 0-60 time because its heavy, but its not suggested its a stripped out hot hatch.

I bet if you did take this on a diet, that 0-60 figure would drastically degree even without tuning the power output.

Its also noteworthy that electric engines deliver 100% of their power all the time, i.e. they do not need to rev up like a petrol or diesel engine.

What will be interesting is whether the awd improves grip / handling or makes it more understeery.

By nickeroo on 19 July, 2011, 11:06am

Another "frogs mouth" Citroen

Sorry, why would i pay £20000 to £30000 for a car that will depreciate by the Hour.
Its not a BMW, Merc or Audi.
Its not built like a BMW, Merc or an Audi.
So why try to charge BMW, Merc or Audi prices?

By toycollector on 19 July, 2011, 12:10pm

Looks regular rather than premium.

Might well be a great buy after 12-18 months with a value of £12800 - £20000 time will tell.
It will need to be well discounted from new in order to shift many in the UK with the current economic climate.

By finastair on 19 July, 2011, 1:43pm

@toycollector

so you've driven this thing, and sat in to test fixtures and fittings, have you. How can you condemn a car of which you are not knowledgable? Still, that's what you get on this website, i suppose. only comment when you are in posession of facts.

By ricbelcher2 on 19 July, 2011, 5:34pm

LIKE IT

I quite like it, pricey but who knows may be a good piece of kit.

By johnbmwx6 on 19 July, 2011, 6:18pm

power to laugh at

not underpowered? If citroen pretends to compete with the top dogs they should have offered a comparable version to Audi S4, Mercedes C350, BMW 335, or Volvo V60 T6 of their grand model. Not those 150+ bhp asthmatic 1.6's or the lead-heavy diesel-hybrids. Well, may be they will.

By Stivans on 19 July, 2011, 7:16pm

toycollector

You need to get out more, BMW were the Btitish Leyland of Germany and Audi a small unheard of manufacturer not so long ago, and look where they are now, Citroens rise has been for greater, PSA sell more now than all of them, BMW's have looked the same for to long now, and what is it now Golf mk 21 how boring, Also REDBULL RENAULT F1, RED BULL CI|TROEN WRC, PEUGEOT LE MANS speak with me in 5 years there's a new agenda.....people are looking for something different...DS3, DS4 & DS5 superb....

By worldrallyman on 19 July, 2011, 8:14pm

Quirky, but not like old.

Past 1970's & 80's Citroen's had very eccentric, intriguing and innovative designs. This new DS5 really looks quite mainstream and ordinary in comparison. In my opinion, it doesn't really excell from a design point of view because it doesn't have the originality or braveness of a past Citroen or the simplicity or harmony of a e.g Alfa Romeo 159, Audi A4. It offers no real alternative or strikes any happy medium, it just looks like another Peugeot or Renault. Having said that, I think the current C6 is an exception and still has Citroen's character and charm.

By JTravolta77 on 19 July, 2011, 11:17pm

It's not a BMW, Mercedes or Audi

And all the better for it. Seriously was getting tired of the German domination in this segment, ok, depreciation is an important point, but I welcome this new Citroen to inject a shot of adrenalin into the exec market which was getting increasingly tiresome.

By JFalck on 20 July, 2011, 9:47am

Typical characterless Froggie Mota

It will be dealer discounted to compete in the sector below its full price tag indicator.

It will cost a fortune to service, like all French manufactured cars. My local dealers charge between £100-150/hr.

It will have dubious electrics courtesy of the accountants and insufficient research time and shoddy parts suppliers.

However it will probably drive from Land's end to John o'Groats on a tank-full of fresh-air and buttercups, but it will always look its best in the showroom; where it should stay as an icon of how not to do things.

Lastly NONE of the DS spin-offs can hold a even a smoldering taper to the original carrier of the title DS.

THE Grande Dame of Idiosyncratic motoring design without peer and as modern looking today as it was in the 1950s until someone at PSA accepts this simple face, and gives the motoring world a car with the next set of truly mould breaking advances the current pretenders can sit and rust.

We must resist being be fobbed off and saddled with mundane boring tedious world-cars; yes going it alone is expensive but it improves the breed.

At present there is not a single car that I would call interesting or even as desirable as a well restored DS 19 be it convertible or saloon.

By Townsman on 20 July, 2011, 11:59am

Nice Change

First of all, if BMW, Merc or Audi made a car of this specification it would cost a lot more than the £20-30k before discount Citroen are touting around. A 335d with toys is well into £40k so I dont know why anyone would compare the two. Secondly, Citroen are not trying to compete with the 335d, A4 3.0d C Class 350 Cdi segment, this is aimed at tossers who like to brag about their manhood at the local wine bar and dreamers who pretend they have one in forums... The Citroen crowd are people who want something different, many of which could give a toss about depreciation as they are fleet drivers.. Lastly, having owned an X3, 5 Series and countless 3 series I am bored of them all and my 09 plate C5 which costs me less than £300/month on a 3yr 90k lease is quieter, more comfortable and a damn site more interesting than anything this side of £30k made by the Germans..

By notimportant on 21 July, 2011, 9:49am

Nice Change

First of all, if BMW, Merc or Audi made a car of this specification it would cost a lot more than the £20-30k before discount Citroen are touting around. A 335d with toys is well into £40k so I dont know why anyone would compare the two. Secondly, Citroen are not trying to compete with the 335d, A4 3.0d C Class 350 Cdi segment, this is aimed at tossers who like to brag about their manhood at the local wine bar and dreamers who pretend they have one in forums... The Citroen crowd are people who want something different, many of which could give a toss about depreciation as they are fleet drivers.. Lastly, having owned an X3, 5 Series and countless 3 series I am bored of them all and my 09 plate C5 which costs me less than £300/month on a 3yr 90k lease is quieter, more comfortable and a damn site more interesting than anything this side of £30k made by the Germans..

By notimportant on 21 July, 2011, 10:06am

Awful, vulgar, tacky

Why do so many current cars look like they were designed by juveniles for adolescent customers?

And this is a car for executives? A teenage dot.com executive, maybe.

By mgsee on 21 July, 2011, 11:15am

Seriously good

Last night i spend a couple of hours looking over this car, courtesy of another carmag. Apart from that "sabre" across the bonnet, it's even better looking in the metal than it is on the page. Not quite as big as i had expected, and the boot size is restricted by the batteries on the hybrid model. REarward visibility could be better. Spectacular cockpit though.

Beautifully designed, quality interior (close to BMW quality and better than VW), cutting edge technology and above all, totally different. In other words, a proper Citroen.

I was assured that this will not be a volume seller, unlike the C5. it won't be heavily discounted. so hopefully, this big expensive French car won't suffer the usual horrendous depreciation of the C6, 607, Vel Satis or Avantime and the like.

Depreciation on the DS3 seems OK, from what I've read.

By ricbelcher2 on 21 July, 2011, 11:17am

Better gearboxes please...

I've driven a Grand Picasso with Citroen's 1.6 diesel fitted and don't let the modest 109bhp fool you, this is a seriously excellent little diesel motor with plenty of torque. It'll hussle the huge Picasso around at a serious rate of knots. Sadly, it is let down by one of the worst gearboxes I've had the misfortune to operate, a 5 speed manual which even from new had so much play it was a lottery as to which gear I'd select. There is also a huge amount of transmission shunt requiring very careful control of the clutch to avoid loud clanking noises when shifting gears, especially when changing down.

By sgtgrash on 21 July, 2011, 7:59pm

NICE

This like every other manufacturer has a family look to it which is normally boring, however, this has done a good job of emulating the ds3 which is a good seller.This is for the person who wants a ds3 but has kids.Well done Citroen

By squarehead on 22 July, 2011, 5:50am

The most beautiful family car in the world

Bravo to the designers of Citroen. This car is unique and very beautiful. Please to the Germans designer to mimic the bold of PSA group.

By christosxx on 24 July, 2011, 4:15pm

Nice looking car

But typical Citroen over doing the detail and spoiling the cars good looks... my opinion!

By liverpool on 15 September, 2011, 6:43pm

Cannot wait..

..for this car to be on the market. It has everything, stunning looks. The cabin space front and rear, the prestige feel without the prestige price tag, Citroen arent targeting Audi and BMW. If you would have actually read the review instead of looking at the pretty pictures, you will see that they are comapring it to a Mondeo and an Insignia. How many vehicles of this size, quality and price tag do you know that can offer you 200 HP engine with no road tax?
reading the comments on here sort of make me laugh, one minute you have someone moaning about the lack of power saying they arent powerful enough and how can they compete with the big engines that other manufactures use, and then you have people saying they cant see people paying all that money for a car in the current economic crisis. So in this economic crisis, why would anyone want a 3.0 V6 engine? Which is in the new Jaguars. (actually made by Citroen - Slightly de tuned to cope with the Jag)

I work for Citroen, selling them everyday, and know first hand that as soon as this is sat in front of me. I will sell them. As the same thing happened with the DS3, back in 2009 when Citroen launched the DS Inside, and people said it was nice but they wouldnt do well with it because its not let me guess. VW, Audi or BMW. Considering its sold over 100,000 units worldwide and 10,000 in the UK since launch not even 2 years ago.
I for one look forward to the future of Citroen.

Rant over. Some people just dont know what they are talking about.

By iamcitroen on 8 October, 2011, 2:49pm