CITROEN

THE TORQUE SHOW The C6 2.7 HDi Is An Impressive Piece Of Automotive Art But Could You Buy One? Andy Enright Reports

Right at this moment, life is good. I’m seated in the back of a Citroën C6 2.7 HDi. I have set the ‘TGV-style’ rear seat to recline, I have lowered the arm rest and pressed a button that sent the front passenger seat way forward, allowing me to stretch my legs as if I was in First Class. The Hydractive suspension is soaking up any minor surface imperfections and I have a lady instructor from Silverstone as my chauffeur. Citroën have gone out of their way to make me like this car and, so far, it’s working.

To be fair, I think I’d like this car without the pretty and capable driver, the posh hotel we’re staying at and the fine foods and wines we’re plied with but to let Citroën onto this would be to endanger the gravy train, so I keep my council. The C6 is a hard car not to admire, if only for its sheer bloody mindedness. Citroën are well aware that this is a car that will sell in its hundreds rather than its thousands and as such, have set out to make it a no-compromises ‘proper’ Citroën of the old school. That doesn’t mean it’s old-fashioned. Far from it, the C6 is jam-packed with high-tech features, but rather it’s a car of distinction and singularity – a car that a French head of state would see fit to ride in. Buying one in this country is quite a different proposition. Motoring journalists aren’t always to be relied upon to offer reliable financial advice, but anyone choosing this car over the Jaguar S-TYPE, a model that uses much the same engine and which is priced broadly equivalently, needs to know what they’re getting themselves into. Residual values aren’t going to be strong and that needs to be taken into account when calculating the cost of ownership. That said, you are getting an awful lot of car. To specify a BMW 530d up to this car’s level would tack another £10,000 onto the German car’s price, which then makes the residuals look a little more realistic.

"The world seems to spin at a slower rate when you’re behind the wheel of a Citroën C6"

Two models are offered. The entry-level Lignage version is priced at £31,995 while the range-topping Exclusive model is a chunky £35,195. Equipment levels are generous right across the range with the Lignage version fitted with Hydractive suspension, a pedestrian-friendly Active Bonnet, dual zone air-conditioning with soft diffusion, a speed sensitive rear spoiler and laminated side windows. There’s also automatic headlamps and wipers, nine airbags, ESP with traction control, Xenon lights, tyre pressure monitoring and an on-board trip computer. That’s more equipment than many rivals’ flagship models but this ‘base’ C6 also adds cruise control, wheel-mounted stereo controls, electrically adjustable seats and an electric parking brake. Want more? There’s also a Head-Up Display, directional Xenon headlights, front and rear parking sensors and part leather seats. The Exclusive is where Citroën has really gone to town with their Lane Departure Warning System, a NaviDrive Pack with satellite navigation, an integrated hands-free phone, 6 CD autochanger, a JBL stereo system, Mukonto wood finish in the cabin, full leather seating and then the option of a Lounge Pack which includes those wonderful reclining rear seats. The diesel engine is one that is also shared – in various forms – with all manner of vehicles. Not only can it be found in the C6 but it also pops up in the Peugeot 407, the Jaguar S-TYPE and, in single turbo form, the Land Rover Discovery. Developed jointly between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ford, it’s an impressive unit, especially when linked to a sweet-shifting automatic gearbox, which is the only transmission it comes with. I drove it back-to-back with the 3.0-litre petrol engine also offered in the C6 and found it hard to imagine why anybody would choose the petrol-engined car. Performance is strong, with 60mph being dispatched in just 8.9 seconds with a top speed of 143mph being enough to get the gendarmes interested in your progress down a deserted autoroute. Fuel economy is reasonable, the C6 getting over 41mpg on a run with a combined figure of 32.5mpg. Talking about such prosaic things as fuel economy and performance rather misses the point of the C6. This is a car that’s all about look and feel rather than stats or percentages. Surfing along on a lazy wave of torque watching dumbfounded BMW, Mercedes and Audi drivers come the other way wondering what planet the C6 with its filter feeder face has landed from. The C6 injects a welcome dose of glamour and panache into a market that has been reduced to a shattered husk. Such has been the domination of the German premium marques in the executive saloon market that those mainstream brands that used to do very good business catering to those who either couldn’t or wouldn’t stump up the premiums to buy German have now largely abandoned the sector. Cars like the Saab 9-5, the Lexus GS and the Volvo S80 just about scrape by, but Vauxhall and Ford appear to have lost interest and Citroën’s partner Peugeot can only really claim success for their 607 in their home market. Can I really, with hand on heart, recommend you buy one of these cars? For most people I can’t. If, however, you’re prepared to pay a premium for a car that’s several steps removed from the ‘executive’ mainstream, or if you’re looking for a car to keep for the longer haul, the Citroën C6 2.7 HDi has its place. Unfortunately, the market it’s aiming at isn’t huge. Whether you see the C6 as a justifiable expense or wilful ostentation, the automotive world’s a richer place for it being around and Citroën should be applauded.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Citroën C6 2.7HDi range PRICES: £31,995-£35,195 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-18 CO2 EMISSIONS: 230g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 23.5mpg, (extra urban) 41.5mpg, (combined) 32.5mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ESP, ABS with EBA and EBD, active bonnet, lane departure warning system. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4908/1860/1464mm

DOES THE C6 NEED A V6? Not always the obvious choice in the executive car segment, the Citroen C6 still has much to recommend it. Not least, the 2.2-litre HDi twin turbocharged diesel engine. Steve Walker reports

The 2.2-litre HDi twin-turbo powerplant might be a touch down on power compared to the Citroen C6’s six-cylinder engine options but because it keeps costs low and retains the model’s core strengths of refinement and long distance comfort, it looks a sound choice.

There was a time when you’d have been laughed out of the golf club member’s lounge if you owned up to anything less than a throbbing V6 under the bonnet of your executive wheels. Today, thanks to the nation’s burgeoning environmental conscience and the best efforts of the taxman, things have changed. Citroen’s C6 is nothing if not unconventional and without the macho pretensions its Germanic rivals are compelled to live up to, it should be well capable of carrying off a four-cylinder diesel. Especially a four pot like the 2.2-litre twin turbo HDi. Car manufacturers tend to go one of two ways when deciding on the engines that a new model should be offered with from launch. Many will kick things off with the more middle-of-the-road, less exciting powerplants and add the headline-grabbing units over time to prolong interest. Alternatively, some will go all out with the big guns from the word go hoping to make the initial splash as large as possible. There are obviously issues surrounding the availability of different powerplants that are brought to bear on such decisions but in the case of Citroen’s C6 - a premium executive saloon campaigning without a premium badge - the decision to hit the market with an all V6 engine range helped to push it up in the estimations of buyers. Once the car was into its stride, it was safe to bring in the 2.2-litre four cylinder petrol unit that arguably makes the big Citroen a more attractive proposition. Having been touted as something of a thinking person’s choice in the executive sector, the C6 looks a good match for the 2.2-litre HDi engine on paper. In no way is Citroen’s flagship model the one to choose if you’re in the mood to give your favourite section of B-road a good mauling. Instead, it’s a car in which to take it easy and enjoy the impeccable ride quality served up by the Hydractive self-levelling suspension. The 2.2-litre engine uses twin turbochargers to help it gel with the reserved road manners of the C6. The parallel sequential dual turbo system, to give it its proper name, works to produce a smooth and progressive supply of torque from low in the engine range, eliminating the lag and lunge often associated with less sophisticated diesel installations.

"The C6 looks a good match for the 2.2-litre HDi engine on paper…."

Straight line speed is adequate, with the 2.2-litre HDi C6 taking 9.5s to complete the 0-62mph sprint and eventually easing its way up to a 135mph top whack. There’s 173bhp to play with and maximum torque of 370Nm is produced at an ultra low 1,500rpm. It’s a good deal less than the 208bhp and 441Nm of the 2.7 HDi engine that’s also offered with the C6 but in a shoot-out with the BMW 520d (163bhp and 340Nm) or Audi’s A6 2.0 TDI (138bhp and 320Nm), the C6 looks strong. Problems only arise for the Citroen when you realise the BMW is around £1,000 less and the Audi undercuts it by £2,500. The C6 is a commendable piece of work on the part of Citroen’s design team. The shape is resolutely modern but at the same time the proportioning, rather than the detailing, is reminiscent of classic Citroen shapes from the past. The elegant arc of the roofline and the long front overhang are redolent of the old DS and SM models, while the short rear overhang and low slung back end reprise some classic Citroen themes. The company claims that the target was to develop a car with the stance and presence of a limousine but with the chic silhouette of a coupe. They may just have succeeded. A long wheelbase and low slung posture are quite unlike anything else on the road at the moment. Even one of Renault’s wilder flights of fancy looks a little tame compared to the C6. The windowline across the curve of the roof arch is picked out with a subtle chrome strip – a clever asthetic trick that helps visually elongate the car. The frameless glass of the doors also helps here, removing the need for bulky door pillars that would otherwise break up the impact of the remarkable glasshouse. The interior feels like that of a premium brand product, if not one of the real top dogs in terms of fit and finish. Without doubt, it gives us a different perspective on what Citroen can achieve in this regard. Space in the rear is extremely generous and there’s a very nice detailing to keep passenger in the manner in which they are accustomed but the boot isn’t quite as capacious when compared to other models in the class. The 2.2-litre engine is offered with all three of the C6 trim levels so buyers get to select from standard, Lignage and Exclusive. Prices start at £26,995 for the standard model topping out at £32,095 for the Exclusive. The engine is only available with a manual gearbox which isn’t quite in-keeping with the languid style of the C6. Packed with technology, the C6 features a head-up display that projects speed and navigation instructions onto the windscreen. There’s also a comprehensive driver’s information system, electronic parking brake, the innovative lane departure warning system, directional Xenon headlamps and a speed limiter. Refreshingly, most of the headline-grabbing features appear even on the entry-level models. The D word is a constant thorn in the side of any manufacturer that ventures in to the executive saloon sector without a respected premium badge to slap on the nose of its entry. As a result, the C6 depreciates like a snowmobile in the Sahara. It’s an unfortunate fact of life that helps to make Citroen’s flagship a stupendous used buy and the 2.2-litre engine about as sensible as the engine options get if you are going to buy new. By opting for the cheapest model, you’re exposing as little of your cash as possible to the car’s plunging residuals. You also get to save more cash on fuel with the 43mpg average economy (the larger 2.7 V6 HDi manages a rather disappointing 32.5mpg) and tax with the 175g/km CO2 emissions. Performance isn’t the point of the C6 so why not get the most affordable and economical engine so you can enjoy the car’s best bits with the minimum impact on your own bottom line? The 2.2-litre HDi twin turbo unit does sterling work maintaining levels of refinement in the cabin and it rarely feels like it’s lacking the power to keep the substantial C6 moving. The V6 petrol and diesel engine options might appeal on the basis that you can’t have a proper executive saloon without a six-cylinder engine but putting such outdated notions to one side, it makes sense on most other levels.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Citroen C6 2.2 HDi PRICES: £26,995-£32.095 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 16 CO2 EMISSIONS: 175g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.5s / Max Speed 135mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ESP, ABS with EBA and EBD, active bonnet, lane departure warning system. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4908/1860/1464mm

STYLE ET LUXE The C6 Harks Back To A Time When A Big Citroen Was An Event Rather Than A Mode Of Transportation. Andy Enright Reports

When was the last time you got excited by a Citroen? No, really. Cast your mind back and pluck a Citroen from recent history that you really wanted to experience. There have been some fun cars along the way but nothing that genuinely quickened the pulse. Citroen’s C6 looks set to change that. Commentators have, for some time, bemoaned many Citroens for not embodying the brand values that established the marque. It’s just possible Citroen were stockpiling them for use in the C6.

It is, without wishing to descend to hyperbole, quite stunning. The shape is resolutely modern but at the same time the proportioning, rather than the detailing, is reminiscent of classic Citroen shapes from the past. The elegant arc of the roofline and the long front overhang are redolent of the old DS and SM models, while the short rear overhang and low slung back end reprise some classic Citroen themes. The company claim that the target was to develop a car with the stance and presence of a limousine but with the chic silhouette of a coupe. They may just have succeeded. A long wheelbase and low slung posture are quite unlike anything else on the road at the moment. Even one of Renault’s wilder flights of fancy looks a little tame compared to the C6. The windowline across the curve of the roof arch is picked out with a subtle chrome strip – a clever visual trick that helps visually elongate the car. The frameless glass of the doors also helps here, removing the need for bulky door pillars that would otherwise break up the impact of the remarkable glasshouse. Like the evergreen CX model, the rear end features a concave window, and a wind deflector deploys automatically at speed. This wry nod to that other historical Citroen preoccupation – aerodynamics – ensures efficiency at high speeds yet doesn’t upset the aesthetics the remainder of the time. Another chrome strip runs longitudinally along the bottom of the doors emphasising the long passenger compartment.

"The Citroen C6 seems to be playing to a very different set of rules to its putative rivals"

The C6’s ancestry can be traced back to the 1998 Paris Motor Show, when the C6 Lignage concept was first displayed. Designed by Citroen’s Creative Styling Centre, the Lignage at first appeared a flight of fantasy, appearing as it did alongside stolidly practical models such as the Saxo, Xsara and Berlingo. The throwback appeal of the C6 Lignage was more than just symbolic. Between 1928 and 1933, the C6 dominated the category of top-of-the-range vehicles of the period, with more than 60,000 examples sold with many celebrities taking the opportunity to be photographed in one. Although it’s doubtful that today’s A-listers will be sending their people to their local Citroen dealer, the C6 does inject a welcome dose of glamour and panache into a market that has been reduced to a shattered husk. Such has been the domination of the German premium marques in the executive saloon market that those mainstream brands that used to do very good business catering to those who either couldn’t or wouldn’t stump up the premiums to buy German have now largely abandoned the sector. Cars like the Saab 9-5, the Lexus GS and the Volvo S80 just about scrape by, but Vauxhall and Ford appear to have lost interest and Citroen’s partner Peugeot can only really claim success for their 607 in their home market. What chance does the C6 have? The truth is probably very little. It’ll take a brave buyer to fork out a serious sum on a car that’s likely to be clouted with some serious depreciation, but your modest residual value will buy my undying respect. Independent thinkers should form an orderly queue. At least living with the C6 should be relatively easy. Packed with technology, the C6 features a head up display that projects speed and navigation instructions onto the windscreen. There’s also a comprehensive driver’s information system, electronic parking brake, the innovative lane departure warning system, directional Xenon headlamps and a speed limiter. Refreshingly, most of the headline-grabbing features appear even on the entry-level C6. Motive power comes courtesy of a 2.2-litre HDi unit and a choice of two V6 engines, one diesel and the other petrol powered. The V6 diesel is a 2.7-litre HDi unit developing some 208bhp and equipped with a particulate filter to cut emissions. Virtually an identical twin to the excellent powerplant found under the bonnet of Jaguar’s S-TYPE 2.7D, this engine is smooth, quick and pleasantly tractable, doing its best work when mated to an automatic gearbox. Citroen’s six-speed automatic is particularly good and is fitted to all C6 variants. The sole petrol-engined model features a 215bhp 3.0-litre unit. The entry-level option is the 2.2-litre HDi which like the 2.7-litre option uses twin turbochargers. There’s 173bhp available here but most buyers will choose it for its 43mpg economy. In order to supply the sort of hushed, syrupy ride quality the looks suggest, the C6 features active suspension with variable damping. There’s little doubt that when it comes to making a technological statement, Citroen’s C6 raises the bar for the sub-premium executive class. Its effortless style, avant-garde interior design and unique feel also mark it out as a car removed from the usual rules. Although it looks destined to occupy one of the meanest niches in the whole automotive market, the C6 is a car that can’t help but put a smile on your face. A future classic in the making? Only time will tell.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Citroen C6 range PRICES: £28,795-£35,495 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 16-18 CO2 EMISSIONS: 175-266g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.7] 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 143mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.7] (urban) 23.5mpg, (extra urban) 41.5mpg, (combined) 32.5mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Nine airbags, ESP, ABS with EBA and EBD, active bonnet, lane departure warning system. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4908/1860/1464mm WHO TO SEE:

BACK TO THE FUTURE Models Covered: (4dr saloon 2.2, 2.7 diesel, 3.0 petrol [base, Lignage, Exclusive)

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

* Introduction The C6 marked a stunning return to form from Citroën. The company had slowly been drifting towards convention, their products becoming increasingly similar to sister company Peugeot’s. Then this appeared. Sleek, quirky and sporting a shape that could be nothing but Citroën, the C6 was an instant hit, with magazine reviewers at least. The general public were rather more resistant to the idea of a Citroën that could cost almost £40,000 in top specification and sales weren’t huge. Nevertheless as a technology showcase and a halo product to lift Citroën’s image, the C6 is a winner. Used buyers are now starting to sniff around the C6, attracted by somebody else taking the initial hit of depreciation and a reputation for solid mechanicals.

The C6’s ancestry can be traced back to the 1998 Paris Motor Show, when the C6 Lignage concept was first displayed. Designed by Citroen’s Creative Styling Centre, the Lignage at first appeared a flight of fantasy, appearing as it did alongside stolidly practical models such as the Saxo, Xsara and Berlingo. The throwback appeal of the C6 Lignage was more than just symbolic. Between 1928 and 1933, the C6 dominated the category of top-of-the-range vehicles of the period, with more than 60,000 examples sold and many celebrities taking the opportunity to be photographed in one. Although it’s doubtful that today’s A-listers will be sending their people to their local Citroen dealer, the C6 does inject a welcome dose of glamour and panache into a market that has been reduced to a shattered husk. Such has been the domination of the German premium marques in the executive saloon market that those mainstream brands that used to do very good business catering to those who either couldn’t or wouldn’t stump up the premiums to buy German have now largely abandoned the sector. Cars like the Saab 9-5, the Lexus GS and the Volvo S80 just about scrape by, but Vauxhall and Ford appear to have lost interest and Citroen’s partner Peugeot can only really claim success for their 607 in their home market. It all looked a bit drab until the C6 arrived on showroom floors in early 2006. At first, just 2.7-litre diesel and 3.0-litre petrol models were offered but stung by the rather slow sales, Citroën introduced a more affordable 2.2-lite diesel C6 in summer 2007.

The C6 is a hard car not to admire, if only for its sheer bloody mindedness. Citroën are well aware that this is a car that will sell in its hundreds rather than its thousands and as such, have set out to make it a no-compromises ‘proper’ Citroën of the old school. That doesn’t mean it’s old-fashioned. Far from it, the C6 is jam-packed with high-tech features, but rather it’s a car of distinction and singularity – a car that a French head of state would see fit to ride in. Buying one in this country is quite a different proposition. Motoring journalists aren’t always to be relied upon to offer reliable financial advice, but anyone choosing this car over the Jaguar S-TYPE, a model that uses much the same engine and which is priced broadly equivalently, needs to know what they’re getting themselves into. Residual values aren’t going to be strong and that needs to be taken into account when calculating the cost of ownership. That said, you are getting an awful lot of car. To specify a BMW 530d up to this car’s level would tack another £10,000 onto the German car’s price, which then makes the residuals look a little more realistic. Three trim levels are offered. The entry-level model didn’t get much play but the Lignage and Exclusive models are easier to track down used. Equipment levels are generous right across the range with the entry-level car being fitted with Hydractive suspension, a pedestrian-friendly Active Bonnet, dual zone air-conditioning with soft diffusion, a speed sensitive rear spoiler and laminated side windows. There are also automatic headlamps and wipers, nine airbags, ESP with traction control, Xenon lights, tyre pressure monitoring and an on-board trip computer. That’s more equipment than many rivals’ flagship models but this C6 also adds cruise control, wheel-mounted stereo controls, electrically adjustable seats and an electric parking brake.

The C6 isn’t too thick on the ground at the moment. Depreciation has proven fairly steep with a C6 2.7 HDi Exclusive that retailed at £37,592 in February 2006 now commanding around £24,500. The depreciation curve is still rather steep, which means that many used buyers may well be waiting for another year or so before trying to unearth a low mileage car. Insurance for the C6 isn’t cheap, varying between groups 15 and 17.

Insist on a service history. The complex suspension system is pretty reliable, but make sure that it's been checked out because replacement parts for it are pricey. The electronic control systems should all be checked over as diagnostics checks are complicated and dear.

(Approx - based on a C6 3.0 - ex Vat) Clutch assemblies are about £205, brake pads around £45 and an alternator around £175. You'll pay around £250 for a headlamp, around £245 for a radiator and around £110 (exchange) for a starter motor.

Motive power comes courtesy of a 2.2-litre HDi unit and a choice of two V6 engines, one diesel and the other petrol powered. The V6 diesel is a 2.7-litre HDi unit developing some 208bhp and equipped with a particulate filter to cut emissions. Virtually an identical twin to the excellent powerplant found under the bonnet of Jaguar’s S-TYPE 2.7D, this engine is smooth, quick and pleasantly tractable, doing its best work when mated to an automatic gearbox. Citroen’s six-speed automatic is particularly good and is fitted to all C6 variants. The sole petrol-engined model features a 215bhp 3.0-litre unit. The entry-level option is the 2.2-litre HDi which like the 2.7-litre option, uses twin turbochargers. There’s 173bhp available here but most buyers will choose it for its 43mpg economy. In order to supply the sort of hushed, syrupy ride quality the looks suggest, the C6 features active suspension with variable damping.

All used cars have their period in the sun and the Citroën C6’s has, in all truth, yet to come. Give this car a year or two and it’ll start to look very interesting, especially in 2.7-litre HDi guise.