Citroen C5 Tourer Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Citroen C5 Tourer range
Prices: £18,295-£28,295 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-13
Emissions: 149-212g/km
Performance: [2.0 HDi] Max Speed 125mph / 0-60mph 11s [est]
Fuel Consumption: [2.0 HDi] (urban) 35.8mpg / (extra urban) 57.6mpg / (combined) 47.1mpg
Safety: Twin Front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 4830/1853/1480mm

ESTATE OF THE ART

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

If Citroen’s C5 is to succeed here, sales of the Tourer estate version are crucial. Just as well that it seems to be a stylish and accomplished product then. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Citroen’s second generation C5 has proved to be a huge step forward from its rather quirky predecessor and the Tourer estate version is an even more desirable package. It’s spacious, stylish and comes equipped with a range of clever convenience features. Some are familiar (like a motorised tailgate), while some are rare or completely unique at this price point (like self-levelling suspension hydractive suspension).

In its latter years, Citroen’s original C5 struggled to sell in any meaningful numbers in the UK and those that did make it here were invariably estate models. The second generation C5 sees Citroen back to its best but its success will depend very much on the sales performance of the Tourer estate variant we’re looking at here.

This car retains its predecessor’s best bits and attempts to address its issues by injecting a little of the flair previewed on the C6. Can it propel Citroen back into medium range contention in an estate market dominated by impressive contenders?

As you’d expect, the engine line-up is exactly as you’d find in the saloon version, a car that borrowed most of its under-bonnet hardware from the first generation C5 model. The one exception is the 2.7-litre HDi V6 unit borrowed from the C6 executive saloon that suits the C5 Tourer variant particularly well. The petrol line-up begins with the 127bhp 1.8-litre unit and ends with the 143bhp 2.0-litre but it’s the diesels that will account for the majority of sales. Citroen are offering HDi oil-burners of 1.6, 2.0 and 2.2 litre capacities respectively producing 110, 138 and 173bhp as well as the 208bhp V6 range-topper.

There are two suspension set-ups to select from in the C5 range. The first is a conventional arrangement that uses double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link system at the rear. The second is the Hydractive 3 Plus self levelling suspension that adapts to the road surface in order to deliver a smooth ride. This system lets the driver to select from three modes that offer progressively firmer suspension settings for a sportier driving experience or a more comfortable one as required.

At 4.83m long and 1.48m tall, the Tourer adds an additional 5cm and 3cm respectively over the Saloon. Load space is abundant, thanks to the Tourer’s cavernous boot (505-litres) and split folding rear seats, which can be laid completely flat to create an extensive capacity of nearly 1500 litres – one of the largest in the segment. Access is made simple and convenient by the Tourer’s large tailgate, which can be specified in motorised form and allows bulky items to be loaded or unloaded with ease.

When placing heavy items into the car, a button located on the rear lowers or raises the car’s suspension, bringing the boot floor to a more convenient height. Simply closing the tailgate automatically returns the rear suspension to the correct level. Stylish elements include the black or silver roofbars and dark tinted rear side and tailgate windows. There’s also an optional panoramic glass roof.

A 12V accessory socket is available for charging or powering electrical devices and a clever dual-function flashlight mounted into the wall of the boot operates as a boot light or a convenient rechargeable hand-held torch. Neat storage solutions can include shopping bag hooks on the boot side walls, side storage nets for stowing loose objects and a luggage cover blind. Ceiling hooks located behind the rear seats and the front seats allow a cargo net to be fitted to retain items during transit.

Prices start from around £17,000 and the C5 range is offered in a choice of three trim levels - SX, VTR+ and Exclusive – and, just like the Saloon, the Tourer (offered at a premium of around £1,100 model for model) is extremely well specified. Cruise control and a speed limiter, air-conditioning, external roof bars, an acoustic windscreen and an adaptive front-lighting system (AFS) are all fitted as standard, whilst most versions are equipped with an automatic electric parking-brake and hill-start assist.  For ease of parking and pedestrian safety, the C5 Tourer is also available with fro