Citroën South Africa
could be forgiven for having the image of a dainty, pretty and lovely office. Anyone who sells cars like the brand new
DS5 must come from a place made of flower petals and flavoured in strawberry cream! Actually, Citroën SA
HQ is just off the smoggy N3 freeway,
about 3km from a landfill site, facing parts of Alexandra township…
You have to break an
egg to make an omelette they say. Citroën broke a leg again. DS5 follows
the DS3 and DS4 models, which were first of the new premium DS Line. It’s the biggest of the lot yet, measuring 4.5 metres long, 1.85m wide and 1.5m
high. While it’s longer than the C4 and even the previous-generation C4 Grand
Picasso MPV, it’s not entirely the most spacious
car in the market; actually it’s 25cm shorter than the C5 sedan.
DS5 first appeared on the scene as the Jean-Pierre Ploué-designed C-Sport
Lounge Concept car at the 2005
Frankfurt International Motor Show. We were undoubtedly bowled over by its styling, and are mighty glad Citroen
kept most of its outstanding design
elements. Like the hockey-stick
shaped chrome strip that extends
from bonnet to B-pillar, the sweeping
shoulder line and uniform chrome Citroen emblem. Come to think of it, there’s
plenty of chrome on the car, including on the sides as well as the two
tailpipes.
“Citroëns are known to be innovative, stylish cars and the
reintroduction of the DS nomenclature
symbolises the Brand’s ability to continuously push back the limits of the
automotive experience” said Citroën South Africa MD Didier Gerard. “DS Line cars feature an inspired and unique
styling, with strong bold and creative convictions. Recently we have used the
DS magic in the small and medium categories. Now we move up to the large
premium segment with the DS5.”
I must say monsieur Gerard,
this is one potential golden goose you
and your marketing and sales team will be well-advised not to curry. There’s
good recent history to suggest as much though; new sales figures show that DS3
and DS4 have been outselling their
C3 and C4 siblings over the past four months.
Engines and variants supplied are reflective of a number of
new Citroens, including DS4 and C5. The hardworking THP motor that displaces 1.6-litres and lives alongside a turbo,
makes its welcome appearance here too. For the THP 155 model it delivers 114kW
and 240Nm of torque, while in the THP 200 it makes a useful 147kW and 275Nm of torque. I was surprised to discover DS5 also comes with a 6-speed manual, but it does. The other
transmission choice is of course, a 6-speed
automatic. We also get an HDi 160
variant that pulls out 118kW and 340Nm. Lovely thing on the road too,
just like the THP 200 we drove.
And in similar vein as other DS models, the DS5 handles
itself quite well when it comes to bending roads, without dipping too much into
safety systems like Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA),
Anti-Skid Braking (ABS) , and the Electronic
Stability Programme (ESP).
Just as attractive,
probably even more so actually, is the inside, which features those really
classy “Club” leather seats in an
expensive watchstrap design, a Denon
sound system, hill-start assist for those
steep hills, USB ports, satellite
navigation, an optional reversing camera and a speed-limiter cruise control
system among others.
Citroën launched the new DS5 along some of the most scenic
roads in the country, around the beautiful, pristine and very friendly Eastern
Cape Province. A proper match if ever there was one. Again, the ball is now
in your court Citroën South Africa. You have the right product at the right
time. You’ve wowed us, now go for the public.
Citroën Pricing
THP 155 Automatic Style (R344 900)
THP 200 Manual Style (R374 900)
THP 200 Manual Sport (R395 900)
HDi 160 Sport (R399 900)
THP 155 Automatic Style (R344 900)
THP 200 Manual Style (R374 900)
THP 200 Manual Sport (R395 900)
HDi 160 Sport (R399 900)
2 comments:
great work for Citroen. I can put this one on my shoppping list for August
I want it
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