I hope not!
- I wish they'd made an upmarket version of the original C4 with hydropneumatic suspension. The C4 was Citroen's turning point (for the better) for me, but now it seems they're falling back down a slippery slope back into blandness and mediocrity (e.g the new C4).
I had a sit in one of these new DS5s last week. It has a nice interior (but what happened to the fixed-hub steering wheel? ) though in reality it's just a blinged-up box: Gloss aside, it's nothing special.
"This is hardcore." - Evo's John Barker on the TVR Tuscan S
Perhaps a fixed hub steering wheel is difficult to package all those buttons, switches, knobs and the air bag.
In Geneva they explained to me that a hydropneumatically sprung DS5 would be more expensive, heavier and more importantly, there appears to be no space for the system, which sounds very strange, given the fact that the little GS from way back when, could allocate the system.
I had a very brief ride (two laps in a park) in Geneva in 200 BHP Hybrid diesel version, which takes off using the electric motors and the diesel sets in when accelerating. With 99 gram per km, this really seems to be an attractive option.
Last friday I took a 1.6 Hdi for a longer trip. The most positive thing were the seats, the interior does not please me, it is far too busy, with things I would never use. (even in my current C5 there are a row of buttons of which I have no idea what they are meant for, but there does not seem to be a need for that knowledge. When things start with "menu" I have already left the building).
I could not detect a way to change the volume of the radio, a simple round knob which can be turned, is something of the past I suppose. The rev counter is not a dial, but a row of red little blocks. No use at all. What is wrong with classic dialls? The rims around the airco buttons, which can be turned show a very flimsy and loose fit. (this was the case also with DS5s I sat in in Genevea) If Citroen wants a premium image, this is a thing that they could improve on.
The car I drove had the robotic manual gearbox, which lets the engine brake, when you shift up, especially when using the "manual" position and the flippers.
And yes, I came to the dealer to bring the C5 to change the wintertyres and the road to the dealership is not the best one. The C5 observes and negotiated those disturbances with great aplomb, while the DS5 jumped up and down. No need for me to consider the DS5 as a future car. But it seems to look nice and drives well, as the journos make us want to believe.
"I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams
You've obviously not seen the one in the C5. (It works really well - even better than the "mark 1" version as fitted to my car.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hKqjpmgCo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hKqjpmgCo[/ame]
Being a computer engineer, I'm naturally at home in a cockpit that resembles 'The Enterprise'. (Volume controls are on the steering wheel BTW - you don't need to take your eyes off the road). But with regards to the suspension: If they couldn't use the Hydractive system, they shouldn't have used this platform.
If I'm buying a big Citroën, the interior and ride are the most important things - I'd take a C5 over this. The Evo review hit the mark IMO.
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evoc...6_thp_200.html
"This is hardcore." - Evo's John Barker on the TVR Tuscan S
My C5 has volume controls on a stick at the wheel, however I instinctively use the turning switch in the console for the volume control, which is also the on-off switch....I keep my eyes on the road in the process.
And yes, they should have based the DS5 on the C5 platform.
Edit: and I forgot to mention that the rear view is very akward, because of the spoiler dividing the rear window. If they had simply closed the transparent space above the spoiler, the view would be far less irritating in my opinion.
Last edited by henk4; 03-25-2012 at 07:15 AM.
"I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams
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