Citroen announces final C5s for Aus

BY TIM NICHOLSON | 6th Jul 2016

CITROEN has discontinued its C5 mid-size sedan in Australia and is farewelling the slow-selling sedan and wagon range with a batch of final editions, leaving the global future of the model looking uncertain beyond its current generation.

The second-gen C5 is likely to be the last mid-size passenger car produced by Citroen, with the company’s CEO Linda Jackson suggesting in an interview with Automotive News Europe in June last year that there was a “question mark” over the future of the model outside of the Chinese market, where mid-size and large sedans still sell in large numbers.

A China-only and Chinese-built C6 flagship sedan was announced at the Beijing motor show in April this year but it is unclear if the company will add a smaller mid-size C5 to sit under it.

A second report in the same publication just weeks later suggested that a future large passenger car from the PSA Group stable would likely fall under the premium DS brand umbrella later in the decade, possibly named DS8 and based on the flexible EMP2 platform that underpins the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4 Picasso.

The global downturn in mainstream medium and large passenger cars – except in China – combined with Citroen’s change in brand direction to focus on entry-level cars and crossovers with edgy styling, as well as the likely end of production for the current C5 that launched in 2008, means a third-generation C5 will almost certainly not be produced.

The French car-maker says the final C5s mark the end of the brand’s “trailblazing” hydro-pneumatic suspension system in Australia, and the 62 final editions celebrate the number of years Citroen has offered the system Down Under, the first example of which was in the 1954 Traction Avant.

Ms Jackson announced last year that Citroen would stop selling cars with the famed suspension setup and the company has since announced its Advanced Comfort program that aims to take its magic carpet ride feel into future models.

Australian distributor Sime Darby Motors Group is offering the final 62 C5s to keen Francophiles before it is cleared from the order books, with just 10 versions that have been “specially secured” from the factory for “long-time Citroen customers”.

The 10 special C5s are already sold out and are powered by a 133kW/400Nm BlueHDi 2.0 litre turbo-diesel engine and feature dual exhausts and BlueHDi badging to distinguish it from the other regular models.

There are seven examples of the sold-out C5 sedan priced from $49,990 plus on-road costs and three Touring wagons for $52,990.

Citroen is offering a further 25 regular C5 sedans and 27 wagons, priced from $47,990 and $49,990, respectively, as part of its final batch for Australia.

These variants are powered by a 120kW/340Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, and the distributor says 20 per cent of that number – or 10 units – have already been sold.

All versions feature a seven-inch touchscreen, digital radio, a 16GB jukebox, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink as standard.

As well as the hydro-pneumatic suspension system, the C5 includes a reversing camera, satellite navigation, a sunroof, heated front seats, a massaging driver’ s seat, rear window shades, Bluetooth and USB input.

Options on some variants include 19-inch Adriatic wheels with gloss black and machined face, metallic paint and a premium sound system.

Citroen Australia general manager Kai Bruesewitz said the history of the suspension and passion from Australian customers meant the special final editions would not last long.

“Over the past six decades Citroen’s hydro-pneumatic suspension has become synonymous with comfort and the final C5’s are no different,” he said.

“Based on pre-sales, the last examples of hydro-pneumatic Citroens in Australia will be snapped-up very quickly.

“While it’s sad to see both C5 and the hydro-pneumatic suspension system leave Australian shores, Citroen fans should rest assured that comfort will remain a top priority with a range of new vehicles being developed under the Citroen Advanced Comfort program.” Without the C5 in its line-up, Citroen Australia is left with the C4 small car, the just-launched C4 Cactus crossover, the C4 Picasso five-seater and Grand C4 Picasso seven seater, the Berlingo light-commercial van, while the three DS models – DS3, DS4 and DS5 – officially fell under the DS umbrella last year.

In recent years the distributor has dropped the Mitsubishi ASX-based C4 Aircross crossover, the Dispatch van and the C3 light hatch, but it announced last week that the new-gen version is being assessed for local consumption.

2016 Citroen C5 pricing*