Citroen DS5

Citroen pretty much made its name in producing outlandish and technologically sophisticated cars, so it’s no surprise that the French firm’s latest flagship, the Citroen DS5, abides to those criteria.

It’s rated fairly highly by the critics, who seem to enjoy the outlandish styling, the exquisite interior and the refined engines. However, reports do suggest that the quality of the overall package does seem to vary in the DS5 range.

Interior

Even on the entry level models, the DS5’s cabin is a wonderful accomplishment for the class standard, with some testers commenting on how it’s enough to worry the Germans for overall quality. As befitting of an idiosyncratic Citroen, there are loads of quirky features such as an oblong clock mounted in the dash and loads of aircraft cockpit references in the layout and design of the controls.

Space is good up front, but the sloping roofline means that headroom is compromised in the rear. The boot, though fairly large, also isn’t that accommodating for the class standard, especially on the Hybrid4 model.

Driving

Most of the testers reckoned that the DS5 is a decent car to drive. There’s good grip, the controls are light and easy to use, and the body control is well contained thanks to a stiffer suspension setup. However, the trade-off for a lack of roll in the corners is a fidgety and at times uncomfortable ride, especially on rougher surfaces and when fitted with the 19 inch wheels.

That being said, the ride does settle down on smoother surfaces and hardly any noise enters the cabin, so the DS5 is a capable motorway cruiser.

Engines

There are three engines available – a 1.6 petrol, a 1.6 diesel and a 2.0 diesel, the latter of which is also available in a hybrid form. All the engines have good punch across the rev range, and they all settle down to a reverential thrum at speed. Economy is also impressive for a car of this size, especially for the Hybrid4 model that can achieve up to 74 mpg.

However, even though there isn’t a bad engine in the range, the diesel-electric hybrid is the most expensive model in the line-up, and some thought that the zingy petrol was at odds with the DS5’s cruising qualities. Overall, the consensus seems to be that the best overall engines are the mid-range diesels.

Value for money

Citroen has built up an image of making good value cars, and in some respects that trend continues in the DS5. It’s not terribly expensive to run – even the petrol model can achieve over 40 mpg – and there’s no denying that it’s one of the best built and luxurious cars in its class. However, it is quite an expensive car to buy, and there are competitors that are not only more spacious and practical than the DS5, but cheaper to run as well.

Worth noting

The platform that underpins the Citroen DS5 is the same as the one used on the almost identical Peugeot 3008. Both come with a similar range of engines, though most of the Peugeot's engines are less powerful but more efficient that the Citroen’, and it gets the same revolutionary hybrid system.

The DS5 is undoubtedly the more stylish vehicle and has better cabin quality, but the Peugeot is cheaper to buy, in most cases cheaper to run, has a bigger boot and gets better reviews

Conclusion

Few cars can match the DS5 for extravagant, OTT style, and to some that may be enough to place the Citroen at the top of the shortlist. However, it does have its problems – the swoopy design does compromise rear practicality and visibility, the magic carpet ride quality of previous big Citroens is not present in the DS5, and it’s not the cheapest car in its class.

It is, though, one of the most characterful and flamboyant cars on sale, and there’s no denying that it’s beautifully made inside and out. The German executives that dominate the market are still the class leaders, but the handful of buyers that’ll opt for the DS5 will be in possession of a wonderfully unique car.