Citroën brings state-of-the-art C5 to Australia

My uncle had a Citroën when I was a teenager and, apart from thinking it looked like a mechanical monstrosity, the hydraulic suspension system intrigued me.

Citroën may have built an ungly car, way back when, but the company was doing things differently, looking for ways to make the journey more confortable, more safe and more efficient.

With the arrival of the C5 in Australia, things are looking very bright for the Euro carmaker. The car is nice to look at (shock, horror!), it's relatively well priced and it comes with so many technological innovations that it could well change the way we look at motoring.

The C5 will arrive in Australia with three engine configurations, with all three using a front-wheel drive setup. The base model will come with a four-cylinder 2.0-litre powerplant, with a peak power rating of 101kW @ 6,000rpm.

This 16-valve engine has a redesigned air intake that allows the manual car to reach 100kmh, from stand still, in just over 10 seconds and has a top speed of 202kmh. Peak torque occurs at 4,100rpm and is 186Nm - not too bad for a Euro 2.0-litre.

The next model costs only slightly more than the 2.0-litre petrol version. It is a concept that has sold surprisingly well in Europe and Citroën hopes Australian's will cotton on to the idea of a new-school diesel engine.

A 2.0-litre, turbocharged (and intercooled) diesel engine provides a rather lame 82kW of power. That said, the torque figures tell the real story, with a figure almost up to that of the V6 endowed model. At 1,750rpm, the HDi engine produces 255Nm of torque.

Fuel consumption with the HDi model is equally as impressive as the torque figures, with the car capable of traveling 100km on less than 5 litres of fuel (on the open road). This figure is rather impressive and should appeal to those tired of fluctuating petrol prices.

The high-end model, coincidentally the most expensive, comes with a 3.0-litre, 32-valve, V6 engine, which churns out 157kW. Peak torque is rather tasty 279Nm, providing drivers with enough poke to really get going down the freeway.

As with most Citroën's, you get that trademark groovy suspension setup. The hydro-pneumatic suspension is called Hydractive 3 and responds to different road surfaces.

For instance, when on the freeway the computer controlled system detects this and lowers the car, substantially reducing drag and, in the process, increasing fuel efficiency. When on unsealed or rough roads, the suspension increases ground clearance, which helps avoid obstacles. Truly, the third generation of Citroën's Hydractive suspension system is an impressive feat of engineering, providing ride and handling like no other car on the road.

Other interesting features available to the C5 include the ability to detect the density of rain falling, adjusting the windscreen wipers accordingly. The climate control can be split between front seat occupants, the car automatically locks the boot when in motion and the headlights come on automatically at dusk. The transmission found in the petrol-powered vehicles can also tell if the car is being driven 'enthusiastically' and will set the suspension to sports mode, though this can be set manually, too.

However, with all these modernisations comes the gremlin factor - the more gizmos you have, the more problems you have.

Well, before we could even mouth the question to Citroën, the company plonked a press release under our noses, which read: multiplex electrics.

This interesting term refers to the wiring of the electrics of the car. multiplex electrics were first used on the Citroën Xsara, but the C5 takes the technology one step further.

First, the C5 is replacing the Xantia. The C5 has an exponentially increased amount of equipment compared to the former vehicle, but uses just 15kg of wiring, compared to the Xantia's 32kg. Citroën also claims that the new multiplex system speeds up servicing because the car can actually record components are worn.

The new Citroën is indeed a leap forward in terms of the driving experience and ease-of-use, with enough gizmos and gadgets to put Q (of James Bond fame) to shame. At the end of the day, the new range of Citroën's arriving in Australia represent great value with technology you simply won't find anywhere else.

Miles Williams, General Manager for Citroën Australia, said: "With the C5, Citroën has not just set a new technical benchmark, it has also provided Australian car buyers with useful technology that makes driving easier, safer and more economical." With Renault recently launching its official Australian line-up (hopefully this will appear soon) and now Citroën doing the same, it will be interesting to see if Australian car buyers accept these marques with open arms.

The base model 4-cylinder, 2.0-litre C5 starts at $41,990, through to the 3.0-litre, V6 model, which fetches $56,990.