It???s available in three distinct versions, an LX five-door version costing ??15,595, the sporty looking VTR version which retails at ??16,795 and the Design model commands a ??16,195 asking price. You???ll have to put up with the predictable gibes about how you drive a C5, but even Sir Clive could never have envisioned that personal transport solutions would have come this far, so soon and from Citroen, whose 2CV probably offered as much resistance to stray artics as the Cambridge gnome???s trike. Innovation has always been an integral aspect of the Citroen brand ???personality??? and although that innovation had been shackled in recent years by the company???s subservience to more mainstream Peugeot designs, the C5 marks a welcome return to Gallic indifference. Asked why it looks nothing like a Ford Mondeo or Volkswagen Passat, the C5 would probably shrug dismissively and contrarily plough it???s own furrow. The latest model features a number of enhancements both visual and functional but the C5 remains very much a C5. The double chevron grille is rapidly being adopted right across the Citroen range and now the C5 has it along with ???boomerang??? style front and rear lights. Interior quality has also been improved, there are now seven airbags and Citroen???s directional Xenon headlamps are available.

Underneath these updated but still relatively anonymous looks lies a car that is anything but. You don???t have to drive one very far to find out why. This family five-door will ride and corner differently to anything you???ve ever driven. The credit for this goes to Citroen???s unique Hydractive 3 suspension. Devotees of the marque who owned an XM or a Xantia will know what we???re talking about here, for both of these cars featured early versions of this system. In its latest form, the advantages of this fluid-sprung set-up over conventional steel springs are almost impossible to ignore. Thus equipped, this C5 can read the road and adapt its ride set-up accordingly, depending on the ground surface, the speed and the way that you???re driving. Sensors strategically located around the car feed information to a central control system that can then change both spring and damper rates as necessary. For example, on bad surfaces below 43mph, the car will be lifted by 13mm to prevent the possibility of grounding out. Over 68mph on a smooth road however, the gadgetry will automatically lower the front of the car by 15mm and the rear by 11mm to reduce drag. You can even choose a ???raised??? 40mm position for potholed farm tracks or an even higher setting to make it easier to change a wheel. On the move, you monitor each state of affairs via a multi-function screen built into the top of the fascia. There???s the choice of ???normal??? or ???sport??? modes, though drive the car hard and you???ll find that it switches automatically to ???sport??? mode anyway. Where you notice Hydractive 3 most however, is on bad roads or in hard cornering. The worse the surface, the better this car feels (nothing, but nothing at any price rides speed humps better). Its real party piece however, is reserved for sharp corners. As you enter the bend, you expect the car to start rolling in the normal way ??? except that it doesn???t. In fact, all the way through the turn, the body stays absolutely flat. It???s a rather weird feeling. Comfort them, is this car???s number one priority. It???s not seeking to deliver as sharp a driving experience as you could expect in a Mondeo or a 406 ??? though in fact, it???s not that far off. Certainly, the engines are up to the job. These are borrowed from Peugeot???s parts bin and are none the worse for that. Most buyers will choose the 2.0-litre engine, but for those who do plump for the 125bhp 1.8-litre variants, they???ll be getting a car that can hit 60mph in 10.0 seconds on the way to 125mph. In a car the size of a small rural shire that???s respectable performance, and the fuel economy figure of 37.2mpg isn???t anything to sniff at either. The engine is surprisingly quiet and cultured, even when you decide to drop the hammer, and the modest power only really becomes apparent when accelerating at speed on motorways. For the majority of the time the C5???s cosseting ride won???t make you hanker for anything markedly quicker under the bonnet. The C5???s styling is deceiving. At first glance, you???d swear it was a saloon when, in fact, it???s a five-door hatch. Inside, the well-appointed cabin is as spacious as anything in the class and the 456-litre boot???s enormous. At the wheel, it doesn???t feel quite as solid and classy as some rivals (blame the different plastics and mock wood for that) but it???s not far off. And of course, in keeping with the theme pursued by the rest of the car, it???s as hi-tech as you could wish. Airbags are everywhere, there???s a great trip computer and you can specify voice activation for the stereo as well as for the optional satellite navigation and in-car telephone systems. Another interesting prospect is the lane departure warning system, which alerts drivers if they drift across lanes without indicating. Keen drivers will break out the bargepoles when faced with the prospect of a spell behind the wheel of the Citroen C5 1.8, but they???d be missing out. All it takes is an adjustment of attitude. Just as the car is confident enough not to slavishly ape the established rivals, it???s best to relax, take in the big picture and enjoy the C5 for what it is. If you can do this, the executive car rat race suddenly looks a distant unappetising place. Executive stress relief has never been sweeter.