Citroen’s 150kW diesel makes its C5 Finale

CITROEN’S mid-sized C5 sedan will get one last fling with PSA’s feisty 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine in Australia before the powerplant is killed by stringent Euro 6 emissions regulations that come into force in Europe in September.

Packing 150kW of power and 450Nm of torque, the engine will be offered along with a range of other extras in the limited-edition C5 Finale at a driveaway price of $59,990 – a $12,000 premium over the regular 2.0-litre diesel C5 HDi Exclusive sedan that now is available for $47,990 driveaway.

The engine is also currently available in sister company Peugeot’s 508 GT, and was previously slotted into the C5 in a special edition called LE.

Citroen has already begun rolling out its BlueHDi family of Euro 6-compliant diesel engines, progressively replacing the Euro 5 HDi line across all models.

The luxury Citroen DS5 hatch that is due in Australia in its facelifted form late this year will get the latest 2.0-litre BlueHDi 180 engine that delivers 133kW and 400Nm – more than the current 2.0 HDi’s 120kW and 340Nm but less than the 2.2 HDi’s 150kW/450Nm.

The latter, with its dual-stage turbo, will be slotted into 30 examples of the front-wheel-drive C5 Finale for Australia. Mated with a six-speed automatic transmission, the most powerful C5 jumps from standstill to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds while returning fuel economy of 5.9 litres per 100km.

Citroen Australia national sales manager Shaun Mackle said the C5 Finale was devised to celebrate one of the most potent diesels available in C5.

“While C5 will still feature the proven 2.0-litre diesel engines in the future, these 30 Finale vehicles are set to become something of a collector’s item for Citroen and automotive enthusiasts,” he said.

“This drivetrain complements the C5’s ability to cover long distances with ease and in utmost comfort, we are certain that they will not last long.”Apart from the bigger engine, the C5 Finale gets 19-inch alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips, reversing camera, 35-Watt eight-speaker premium audio system and metallic paint.

The Finale package will be limited to the sedan, with the Tourer continuing only with the 2.0-litre HDi Exclusive at $48,690, plus on-road costs.

The C5 was launched in Australia in 2008, and while it is getting long in the tooth, no replacement is in sight.

The related Peugeot 508 was given a refresh in March, which is a fair indication that the 508/C5 siblings will not be replaced until 2017 at the earliest, unless the company decides to dispense with it and focus on the DS5 instead as it pushes ahead with an expansion of its DS brand.

So far this year, Citroen Australia has sold 52 C5s and 28 DS5s, both down about 25 per cent on the same five months of 2014.

Citroen C5 pricing

2.0 Exclusive sedan (a)*	$47,990
2.0 Exclusive tourer (a)	$48,690
2.2 Finale (a)*	$59,990

*Driveaway pricing.