New Citroen flagship changes rules
2012-05-10 09:50
DARING DESIGN: Citroen has just launched its flagship DS5 in South Africa with taut lines and a great ride.
It’s probably the most distinctive car to have been released in South Africa in years: Citroen’s flagship DS5 is certainly a looker and Wheels24 is on the launch in the Eastern Cape today.
We’ll have a full driving-impressions report, gallery and video live on Friday but meanwhile here are the prices:
DS5 THP 155 Automatic Style - R344 900
DS5 THP 200 Manual Style - R374 900
DS5 THP 200 Manual Sport - R395 900
DS5 HDi 160 Sport - R399 900
The Citroen DS3 and DS4 have already been launched in South Africa and there were strong hints during a short DS5 media presentation that smaller – and larger – numbers can be expected.
The latest model heralds a new phase, Citroen says, in the development of the DS line of “radical and assertive cars” and uses classic materials such as the fine Bavarian leather and aluminium together with unique upholstery such as a “watchstrap” design on the seats and its cockpit style roof.
There’s no argument that the car’s lines are taut, almost coupe-like, and after a first day’s driving in the Eastern Cape the cabin and road performance showed their, respectively, style and class.
RULE BOOK TOSSED
Citroen has thrown away the rule-book on body and cabin design; the interior of the cars we drove were radically different to the modern idiom and reflect the ambience of an aircraft flight deck with an individual skylight above each front seat and an opening sunroof over the rear seat.
There was universal disappointment about its suspension on the not-always-perfect Eastern Cape roads: “too harsh” was the most-heard comment but Wheels24 enjoyed the close contact with the tar.
Citroen sees the DS5 is competition for BMW’s 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class; that’s perhaps arguable but we’ll tell you more in the full road report in Wheels24 on Friday.
