New Citroen C5

[mpr1956]

Hi.. I apologise if this point has been brought up before, but while chatting to the salesman at the Dealers I was surprised to find out that some of the base models of the new C5 are fitted with conventional rather than "wet" suspension. (They had one of these beasts in stock so I could check for myself).
I know that steel suspension technology has advanced out of all recognition, but surely not enough to compete side by side with the new Hydractive ( is it #4 or 5 now?). I wonder if this has been done to keep the cost of the car down, or to make it seem more "normal" to a fleet buyer.. I know that my neighbours still watch bemused as mine rises up when started, so perhaps the public has never been convinced that if hydraulics work reliably in aircraft - then they can also work reliably in cars. Regards, Martin

[jeremy]

I don't know how well the C5 has done elsewhere but it could hardly be said to have sold well in the UK - so I suppose Citroen's reasoning is to try anything to boost sales before its replacement with something less strangely bland looking.

I should imagine the development costs of the steel suspension was enormous - the cost of moving a load of bits from Peugeot - or even simply reprogramming the spec on the same line?

[JohnD]

I don't know how well the C5 has done elsewhere but it could hardly be said to have sold well in the UK?

But when did you last see an advert for it. Citroen UK take full sheet speads and advertise C1, C2, C3, C4, Pic and C8 - but the C5 never gets a mention. I was almost shocked when I saw a huge hording by the side of the motorway on the approach to Madrid. A poster for the C5! Maybe that's why the Guardia Traffico use them as patrol cars.

[myglaren]

I have just been reading the reviews of the C5 and C6 in a Swedish newspaper - Dagens Nyheter, both did very well.
Citroen isn't particularly well represented there.