Citroen unveils wonder wagon

CITROEN'S all-new C5, which made its local debut at the Melbourne motor show, will be joined by a wagon variant by the time the Sydney motor show rolls around in October.

The French car-maker says the C5 Wagon offers a huge load space - more than 1.6 cubic metres with the rear seats folded down.

It also claimed to be the only wagon available in the world that can not only lower itself to ease loading but also maintain a level ride height when fully loaded - thanks to Citroen's Hydractive system.

In addition, the Hydractive system automatically lowers ride height at speed and raises it for greater ground clearance when traversing rough roads.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but expect the wagon to command a premium of $3000 over its sedan equivalent.

The sedan is due on sale around April or May, with 2.0-litre four-cylinder or 3.0-litre V6 power. The base model is expected to cost around $40,000.

Citroen Australia says the wagon is likely to be offered with both these engines - and perhaps a 2.2-litre common-rail turbodiesel unit.

The diesel cranks out impressive outputs of 98kW and 317Nm, enabling the wagon to accelerate to 100km/h in 11.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 201km/h.

These figures are backed up by miserly fuel consumption figures of 5.1 litres/100km on the highway.

Practical features in the wagon include rear seats that fold in a variety of combinations and a reversible load area floor that is carpeted on one side and tough waterproof PVC on the other.

It also comes with a refrigerated compartment in the dashboard large enough to hold a 1.5-litre bottle 12-volt power sockets and a plethora of storage areas.