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Citroen DS5 Prestige Blue HDi 180 Review and Test Drive

It was probably one of the sexiest cars ever created. The original Citroen DS oozed style and sensuality when it eased onto the roads in the mid-Fifties.Rushmoor-20150617-00506

Created by Italian sculptor Bertoni and French aeronautical engineer Lefebvre it made the world sit up and stare with its ground-breaking looks and technical innovation. With an engine under the bonnet powering the front wheels, it was also the first mass production car to be fitted with disc brakes and its hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension not only returned a superbly comfortable ride, it also provided a spectacle as it rose on start up and settled down when it came to rest.

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Not surprisingly it was treasured by the film stars and celebrities of the time and became the transport of choice for most French politicians.

To say it’s a difficult act to follow is an understatement but now the latest incarnation has hit the showrooms…..and indeed it has a challenge on its hands.

It comes from DS Automobiles, the newly-created division which has taken over the formerly upmarket arm of Citroen.  But there’s more to this new car than simply the replacement of the Citroen chevrons at the front with a distinctive DS logo. It looks not unlike the previous Citroen DS5 and has retained some of its features such as the floating roof and looks every bit the stylish executive car that it’s aiming to be.

DS 5 tracking

Flowing lines, accentuated by chrome ‘sabres’ which run along the top of the distinctive wings to meet the side windows, are decidedly easy on the eye in a modern interpretation of the original. The back end is pretty good too with its wide track, dramatic rear lights and twin tailpipes built into the rear bumper.

Looks apart, it is a much-improved car thanks to a considerable amount of work that’s been done under the surface.

For a start there’s new suspension which may not be as soft as the 1955 original, but is certainly a big improvement on the stiffness of the previous model.

The headlights are sculptures in themselves combining LED and Xenon technology, along with scrolling indicators, which the designers – perhaps going a little too far – say resemble jewels.

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The interior is equally dramatic, drawing on the world of aerospace design. The greatest feature is the cockpit roof. With three separate glass areas there are also overhead, aircraft-inspired buttons and toggle switches, which pair up with a head-up display and a new colour touchscreen to access all the in-car functions, from navigation to music. It also allows a simplified driver layout with 12 fewer buttons on the dashboard and facia.

It means the look is much simpler and cleaner, but it would take an owner some time to find their way round the system rather than in the past where they just hit the relevant switch.

I like the aluminium trim on the inside of the doors, metalwork on the gear knob and the best quality leather on the ‘watch strap’ design seats.

It feels roomy in the front but while there is adequate leg and headroom in the back for full size adults, it doesn’t feel as expansive as it might suggest from outside.

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I’m not a designer, but I would have thought a bit of a stretch on the outside dimensions would have created more of a limousine feel on the inside.

The boot is good sized but to put anything in it, you have to negotiate a fairly high load lip.

The DS5 comes with a range of five of the latest engines from the PSA group and one of the best is the Blue HDi 180 in the test car. The addition of a variable-geometry turbocharger, along with higher turbo and combustion pressure, boosts the power of the new engine by 20hp compared with the previous unit. It is equipped with balance shafts to improve acoustics and reduce vibration and has emissions and fuel consumption that are on par with the best in this class.

There’s also a 4×4 200hp diesel hybrid variant with an electric motor powering the rear wheels and a diesel linked to the front. CO2 emissions are 103g/km and fuel economy are claimed at over 70mpg potentially rising to almost 90mpg in the city. There’s a choice of four modes, selected with the dial on the central console: Auto, Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV), four-wheel drive and Sport which calls on maximum use of the electric motor along with the combustion engine.

There are two trim levels – Elegance & Prestige – and sixty years on from the unveiling of the original DS at the Paris Motor Show, a 1955 Limited Edition, in a new Ink Blue body colour with unique 1955 badging, will also be available to celebrate the occasion.

That will cost £29,600 and the rest of the range costs between £25,980 and £34,890 for the hybrid 4×4.

The new DS5 does a great job in reviving the appeal of the original and certainly it’s way ahead in the style stakes than anything currently available from its German rivals.

CAR: DS5 Prestige Blue HDi 180 EAT6 auto

PRICE: £32,040 (£33,770 as tested)

POWER: 1997cc 4cyl transverse in-line   180bhp

TORQUE: 400 Nm

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 137 mph    0-62 mph 9.9 secs

MPG: 64 mpg combined

CO2 EMISSIONS: 114 g/km

TT Rating: TT Rating 4

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Journalist, broadcaster, former Regional Journalist of the Year of the Guild of Motoring Writers and overall motoring enthusiast.