Citroen C5 Touring and Berlingo Multispace

By Ben Whitworth

Motor Shows

04 March 2008 19:31

So what’s new on Citroen’s Geneva Motor Show stand?

Citroen has gone in big with its new C5 Touring estate, which arrives in the UK in June, two months after the saloon’s debut. After the hideously ugly current model, the new estate is a seriously good-looking car. Citroen‘s design is on a real roll at the moment – the Tourer’s high shoulders, narrow glasshouse, extended wheelbase (70mm longer than before) and chunky proportions give it a premium, almost Germanic look and feel. And of course it’s still a huge load-lugger – it’s 6.5cm bigger than the existing estate, itself blessed with an impressively vast loadbay – so you’ll be able to carry pretty much anything and look good doing it. The Tourer and saloon sit on chopped C6 architecture but almost two-thirds of its componentry is carried over from the current model, which should bode well for some aggressive pricing, if the C5 is to tackle its Mondeo and Laguna rivals.

There’s the usual line-up of four and six cylinder petrols and turbo diesels, but the self-levelling Hydractive 3 Plus suspension will only be the reserve of the upper-echelon models.

It may be aimed at budget-conscious buyers, but Citroen’s new Berlingo Multispace, which now shares its underpinnings with the C4 rather than the current car’s commercial trappings, doesn't look like a cut-price special. Unexpectedly smart and functional, it arrives in June with the current car – demoted and cheaper – soldiering on.

Seeing a Citroen stand filled with striking metal. Something we haven't seen for too long.

Stylish, smart and affordable – just what Citroen should be all about.

4/5

By Ben Whitworth