While the Citroen moniker may be dominating the sport of rallying today, they are best remembered as a maker of cars with avant-garde design and a convention-defying way of doing things.
You don’t have to go over the C5 to know that it continues Citroen’s tradition of doing things a little differently - just look at its concave rear window, fixed steering wheel boss and hydropneumatic suspension, which they invented, incidentally.
Looking at its long bonnet, short rump, taut lines and futuristic shape, it is hard to believe that the C5 has been around for four years now.
Though this is the model’s mid-life facelift version, Citroen decided not to mess with the looks, and instead tweaked it with the addition of subtle LED daytime running lights and smoked tail light clusters.
That’s not all, as the headlining change the facelift brings is to be found nested in the vast engine bay.
Finally, the C5 has been given the drivetrain it so deserves to complement its easy-going nature. Out goes the anarchic 143hp 2-litre engine and clunky four-speed automatic, which was the old C5’s Achilles’ heel, and in goes the BMW-developed 1.6-litre turbocharged engine mated to a slick six-speed automatic.
As the C5 hails from the PSA Peugoet-Citroen group, this is the same drivetrain that you will find in very nearly Peugeot’s entire range of models.
With plenty of low-down torque, the downsized engine did give the 1,583kg C5 effortless acceleration, while the six-speed automatic transmission smoothened out the power delivery.
The interior keeps the futuristic cues as before with its fixed steering boss and a driver-focused instrument display which you would think that you have stepped into a Battlestar Galactica filming set piece.
That feeling did extend into the driving experience, as driving the C5 felt pretty much like piloting a big spaceship too.
The C5’s hydropneumatic suspension, called the Hydractive 3+ self-levelling suspension, kept the car riding on a cushion of air.
During our test drive session, we were purposely pointing the C5’s wheels at rough patches of road and potholes just to feel the car glide over it with utter disdain.
Though the Hydractive 3+ suspension is great in smoothening out the ride irrespective of the road conditions, it isn’t a good choice of dampeners should you fancy a spot of fast and hard driving.
Even though its chassis did a fine job at keeping the C5 glued to the road, its slow steering rack and cushioning hydractive 3+ suspension glossed over much of the C5’s ability in the bends.
Switch the suspension to sport mode and the chassis will feel slightly more reactive to your inputs, yet the overall driving experience is still sedated.
Thankfully, unlike other sport buttons in other mainstream cars, the ride quality wasn't noticeably affected.
Then again if you wanted a sharp handling sedan of this size, go for the Ford Mondeo instead.
The C5 are for those who like to be cosseted in the driver’s seat, with its refined cabin, massage function on the driver’s seat and cushioning suspension.
Previously, if you wanted a C5 you would have to put up with the underpowered drivetrain, but now with its new engine, that isn’t the case anymore.
If you are tempted by the proposition of a C5 ownership before, we would gladly say that the facelift has made the C5 the car that it should be, and there isn’t anything else quite like it on the road.
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