I am currently in Nice, France to drive Citroen’s interesting new DS5. I’ll report in a full driving impression soon, but first impressions are very favourable. The DS5 is very attractive in the metal, a fair bit more squat and athletic than images make it appear – see the video below. It is a hard car to classify. In fact, at last night’s press conference Citroen called it “unclassifiable”. However, I think the concept is quite similar to the BMW 5 Series GT, though obviously on a smaller scale. The interior trim is very impressive – Citroen has been extremely careful in the selection of materials and it shows. The DS5 even smells expensive. Rear space could be better, but then again the boot is big. On the road, the DS5 draws a lot of attention, even here in France, and got a few thumbs-up from Audi drivers. The more powerful of the petrol-engined models (147 kW THP 200) is the one for performance-oriented drivers, offering even a throaty engine sound.
In the end I think its success will depend on how expensive it ends up being when it arrives in South Africa during the first quarter of 2012. Expect to see 2,0-litre turbodiesel and 1,6-litre turbopetrol engines locally. The Hybrid4 model will not be coming to SA.
Keep an eye on carmag.co.za for a full driving impression on Thursday.