Citroen C5 3.0 HDi Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Citroen C5 3.0 V6 HDi
Prices: £26,500 -£28,500 – on the road [est]
Insurance Group: 13 [est]
Emissions: 195g/km
Performance: Max Speed 140mph / 0-60mph 8.0s [est]
Fuel Consumption: (combined) 38mpg
Safety: Twin Front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
Dimensions: [saloon] Length/Width/Height 4779/1853/1458mm

Power at a Reasonable Price

Our Rating: No Rating Available

Consumer interest in family cars with 6-cylinder engines has waned over the years as advancements are being made in turbo-charging petrol fueled 4-cylinders. Many of these new 4-cylinder engines deliver as much power as the larger 2.5-litre or 3.0-litre engines. Larger diesel powered engines have a lot to offer consumers looking for power, but the cost in the family-style range often gets closer to the entry-level executive class leading many people to take the step up for just a little more cost. Citroen has kept faith by including a 3.0-litre HDi V6 diesel as an engine choice in the C5.

Citroen family-cars that include some nice executive touches have always sold well in France. When it comes to UK consumers they often look for the German made brands when they are shelling out £30,000 on family-style vehicle. The good news for Citroen is that no one can get a V6 diesel in any brand for less money, but 4-cylinders can be found in the same price range rather easily. Citroen will have to outclass the 4-cyldiner BMW 3-series and the Audi A4 if they plan on selling any of their C5s loaded with the 3.0 HDi engine.

Over the years Citroen has always been on top of their game when it comes to delivering impressive diesel powered cars by ustilising clever technology to get excellent fuel consumption. Often times though the Citroen engines didn't deliver the best power. The new 3.0-litre HDi engine changes all that. The engine delivers a full 240bhp of power and uses a third generation common rail fuel injection technology that enhances efficiency and serves up a nice amount of torque.

The C5 HDi 3.0-litre comes with a choice of suspensions that includes a conventional double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link in the rear. The other choice is the Hydractive 3 Plus self-leveling suspension that adapts to the road to give a very smooth riding experience. The Hydractive 3 allows the driver select from three setting depending on what type of driving they will be doing. The choices allow for a firm ride, a sporty ride and a comfortable ride.

The 3.0-litre HDi V6 is available in both the saloon and estate versions and comes with an automatic gearbox. All trim levels of the C5 come with some very nice features. Each level comes standard with cruise control with a speed limiter, air-conditioning, external roof bars, an acoustic windscreen and an adaptive front-lighting system. Parking is an easy task with the included front and rear parking sensors.

Many consumers use cars like the C5 to run around for company business and might normally shy away from a V6 due to the running costs. The nice thing for the C5 3.0-litre HDi is that even with all the power it still delivers a nice 38mpg combined fuel consumption. Sure it isn't the best, but for a car that delivers comfort and power it is a rather impressive number. It may very well end up being worth it for people who need the extra power and the convenience of the automatic gearbox.