C6 Driven
This morning we took out the new Citroen C6 for a short spin and a photoshoot. Production has now come fully on stream after over a year since the presentation at the Geneva Motorshow in 2005. Well, those who waited will be greatly rewarded. This car is not like anything else, and puts long distance travel to a totally different dimension. The suspension is the latest version of Citroen’s pride, the hydropneumatic system, first introduced at the rear axle of the 15/6 and to the full at the revolutionary DS. Citroen has done a very good job to make the car stand out from its German competition. Its looks different, and rides differently but unfortunately price levels did rise to German levels, although the standard equipment on board would cost another fortune if also wanted in a German car. The styling of the car is based on the Lignage, which was already presented several years ago. It obviously took a lot of further development before the final design was ready. The front end carries the now typical Citroen grille (also applied in the C4 and C5) but the rear has a nice retro touch. The rear window has the same convex shape that was applied in the CX. This shape makes the use of a rear wiper superfluous. At the presentation in Geneva, some young Dutch TV presenters (the Twins) pointed at the rear window and suggested that Citroen had put it in the wrong way round…. Comfort is written with capital C, the furniture can be electrically adapted to all possible body shapes, which even goes for the rear seats, which can also be electrically adjusted. However, choosing that option will remove the possibility to fold down the rear seats, which could be problematic as the luggage compartment is not the largest. A break version has not been foreseen fore the time being, but would surely find its own clientele. We specifically asked for a car fitted with the already famous 2.7 litre HDi, the same engine that is being used in the Jaguar XJ and S type, as well as in the Peugeot 607. Recently Ford presented a V8 version (3.6 litre) in the Range Rover. This engine is linked with a six speed autobox to the front wheels, (yes it is FWD) and really lived up to its reputation. It produces 208 BHP at 4000 revs, but has 440 NM of torque available at 1900 RPM. When accelerating to the full, the gearbox switched smoothly and engine noise reminded in nothing that it was a selfburner. The general opinion is that it is a far better option than the 3.0 litre petrol V6 engine, which not only feels a bit lazy, but will also take some 3-4 litre of fuel more per 100 km. Even when prices of the car in Holland go over 70,000 Euro, this is still an aspect that a prospective buyer should take into account. It was also the first time that we encountered the lane warning departure system, which is really effective by rumbling your butt when you touch a white line without using the indicator. Its main purpose is to warn you when you tend to err off the road during long distance travels, when everybody else in the car has long fallen asleep, but the driver should stay awake. Not so easy given the very comfy ride. Anyway, as I personally use the indicator only to provide information to other drivers, and for instance never when I leave the fast lane after overtaking, I would probably use the option to switch the system off. As an overall conclusion, one can say that this car is a true successor to the DS and the CX, and we can only hope that the business community will disregard its normal conservativeness, and opt for something else than the traditional German stuff. It is not for nothing that for instance in Germany these cars are being bought by self-employed and individualistic thinking people like doctors and architects. Finally our thanks go to my long term Citroen dealership Van Leeuwen in Vlaardingen, which, unknowingly, presented me with a nice gift to celebrate 25 years of Citroen ownership.