The last Citroen test done by our
Down-Under correspondent, John Weinthal was on the funky C3.
For the wide open roads in Oz, John found it a little
underpowered, though it is probably adequate for Thailand’s
choked highways. The C5 however, appears to be very different,
especially in the 3 litre V6 version. Here are the Words from
Weinthal.
“The C5’s many differences are all
positives. Some cars are eagerly anticipated for all manner of
reasons from past experience of the marque to what others have
said or written or some notable engineering innovation or
sporting achievement. For a long time one approached all
Citroen’s expecting the unexpected. Novel and effective
technical or styling advances were par for the Citroen course.
Citroen’s were different.
“Almost always their differences made
them better - greater comfort, safer road holding and
surprising performance and economy for their engine capacity
partly due to unusual attention to aerodynamic detail.
“Citroen
pioneered mass production front-wheel-drive in the early
1930’s. The agricultural 2CV, first seen in the 1930’s,
became a sought-after status mobile in the 1980’s and
’90s. The Light 15 and Big 6 were the signature cars of
French art-house movies. The DS 19 ‘Goddess’ of the early
’60s rewrote so many rules that even today it is a standout
looker and is recognized as a great technical achievement.
“More recently, not all Citroens have
come across as particularly original or stimulating. They have
been OK, but a bit ordinary - a sort of French Ford or Toyota;
nothing special in styling or technology.
“The
car under review truly marks a return to real Citroen values
and interest. It was the C5 Exclusive which costs AUD 57,490
plus the usual on-road costs.. It is Citroen’s largest model
with space to rival Commodore and Falcon in spite of its
smaller overall footprint.
“Like few others these days, Citroen has
taken full advantage of its front-wheel-drive layout to
maximise interior space and to provide a flat floor to further
increase comfort. The C5 is a distinctively styled hatchback.
A liftback is unusual among luxury cars but it certainly adds
to the car’s many practical attractions.
“The
test car was the range-topping, leather clad, 157kW 3 litre V6
Exclusive model. The standard transmission is a steptronic-style
auto. This is matched perfectly to the free-revving engine,
and it is better than most at anticipating the driver’s
expectations.
“It has a ride that is uncannily flat,
thanks to Citroen’s unique hydraulic computer-controlled
self-levelling suspension. It is also quiet, quick and agile.
“Although the C5 is laden with original
features there is nothing which is simply gimmicky. It cossets
its passengers, securing them in supremely comfortable leather
chairs with height adjustable armrests in the front. There is
excellent head and shoulder room and stretching room for legs.
“Safety features abound. These start with
five three-point seat belts, height-adjustable in front. The
front head restraints are tilt and height adjustable. It has
anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and
emergency braking assistance which compensates for some
driver’s reluctance to brake with full force in an
emergency. There is anti-skid control and an electronic
stability program. The hazard light activate automatically
with sharp braking.
“There are six airbags, two in front with
two levels of activation, side and curtain airbags extending
from front to rear. There are deadlocks, a low tyre pressure
indicator, an engine immobiliser, rear parking sensor, a
dipping left hand mirror for easier reversing, superb xenon
headlamps and automatic headlights and wipers. The windows all
have one-touch operation and they close automatically when it
rains. There is an electric sunroof, height and reach
adjustable steering wheel, climate control air con, cruise
control and power adjustment for the front seats, windows and
mirrors. A multiscreen monitor includes radio settings, date,
time, temperature and service-due indicator. The large
carpeted boot has a cargo net to secure loose items. There is
storage for the luggage cover when the rear seats are folded
forward.
This C5 Exclusive is what Citroen’s once
were - supremely comfortable, spacious, and distinctively yet
practically different. Unlike some European cars it is not
different just for the sake of it. The C5’s differences are
positives - not perversities.
Much the same applies to others in the C5
range - the AUD 43,500, 101 kW 2 litre SX and the AUD 45,750
82 kW 2 litre diesel. The 2 litre C5 is also available as a
usefully versatile station wagon from AUD 45,000.
“But the C5 V6 Exclusive is my pick of
the bunch. Here is the complete modern luxury car. It offers
sitting room spaciousness without ever feeling overly large on
the road. At around AUD 60,000 there are certainly some
interesting alternatives (in Australia) including the Rover
75, Lexus iS200, 2.5 litre Jaguar X-Type and Volvo’s S60
sedan and V70 wagon. Each of these has its special appeal no
doubt. Each will satisfy the discerning buyer who is not
blinded by the status of a badge.
(The C5’s available in this country range
from around 2 million baht for the 2 litre petrol and diesels
to 3.5 million for the 3 litre V6, but levels of appointment
may differ from the Oz models. Dr. Iain.)
Italian GP at Monza this weekend!
With only three rounds left in the World
Championship, and a singleton point between Michael Schumacher
and Montoya, and with Raikkonen one further point behind, it
is shaping up for a down to the wire finish. One of the three
will be world champ after the US GP and the Japanese close the
season.
In Thailand, we should have the telecast of
the GP at 7 p.m. (I think), but please check your local feed
for the time. Also remember that Star Sports is no longer
available on some of the cable TV networks.
I will be watching the race at Shenanigans
on the big screen. Why don’t you join me for what should be
a very interesting race. The carvery is on Sundays and you can
rush up for more grub during the pit stops!
Monza is a track steeped in history, that
has hosted the Italian GP almost every year since 1922. Monza
and Ferrari are synonymous. The tifosi will turn out by the
ten thousand just for testing.
The Monza layout has changed over the
years, and at one time featured bankings, but these have been
discontinued following major concrete defects appearing. The
circuit is also one of the fastest on the calendar, and the
1971 Italian GP at the then Monza layout is the fastest F1 GP
on record. Unfortunately, the circuit has been altered since
then to reduce the speeds, with some revisions to discourage
slipstreaming and to lower the average lap speed. Chicanes
were added in 1976 and, in 1994, the second Lesmo Bend was
tightened and the Curve Grande was reprofiled, but the cars
will still be doing 350 kph on pit straight.
F1 thoughts
The second half of this year has been the
tyre wars, rather than anything else. Michelin versus
Bridgestone, and Michelin are head and shoulders above their
Japanese counterpart. In fact, Michael Schumacher is the only
Bridgestone runner to feature in the championship standings.
The top half of the table is predominantly Michelin, other
than the two Ferraris (Rooby Baby is 6th), while the bottom
half is totally Bridgestone. There is certainly no parity at
this stage. Forget engines, aerodynamic packages and the like.
When the bottom half of the grid is Bridgestone and the top
half is Michelin, what more evidence do you need?
Schumacher
and Barichello
So, with the championship really in the
balance, it should come as no surprise that the Bridgestone
runners are calling “Foul!” Although the tyre sizes are
strictly controlled, it is claimed that the Michelin tyres
distort during the race to put more rubber on the road and
thereby an inherent advantage in cornering. Expect more wails
from the pit walls!
With BMW Williams in 2nd and 4th places, it
will be interesting to see if Ralf Schumacher will assist Juan
Pablo Montoya in his title aspirations. While there is (in
theory) no team orders (by order of the FIA) I cannot see
Patrick Head or Sir Frank Williams risking losing the world
title because of rivalry between his drivers. They have
already taken each other off before. They could do it again!
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Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what style of front
suspension would a Morgan 3 wheeler have had? The answer was
simple - sliding pillar. By the way, the factory manuals used
to say that you should grease the front suspension every 500
miles!
So to this week, and it’s a beauty. I
received the information from Martin Smith from the Old
Speckled Hen Pub, so if it’s wrong - blame him, not me! The
pub gets its name from a beer in the UK called The Old
Speckled Hen. The beer gets its name from one of the UK’s
most famous motoring marques in a very roundabout way. I want
to know the car company and how it was involved in conjuring
up the name of The Old Speckled Hen beer. Go to it,
webcrawlers!
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to [email protected]
Good luck!
An honest gasoline station!
The following tale is true. I can vouch for
it, as it happened to me. On a trip to Bangkok a couple of
weekends ago we called into the Banglamung PTT gas station
close to the Cholchan Resort. We were running late and filled
up in a hurry, and asked for a receipt. Grabbing the receipt
for the 425 baht charge, we jumped into the car and off.
Around half way to Bangers I asked my partner if she had
picked up the change, as I did not have it. It turned out that
neither had she, as she thought that I had collected it. I
remembered I had paid with a 1000 baht note and re-checked my
wallet and shirt pocket (the usual repository for quick cash),
but the 575 baht change was not there. I had not collected it.
On our return to Pattaya two nights later,
we called into the Banglamung PTT again, but the day staff
were not there and we were asked to return the next day. This
we did, the manager listened to our claim and paid promptly.
It could have been an unsubstantiated claim that would have
been easy to deny or ignore, but it was not. With so many
stories of rip-offs at the pumps, it is pleasing to report on
a station that looks after its customers. As Arnie might say,
I’ll be back.
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