- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
120kW, 340Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 6.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
6 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2015 DS 5 first drive review
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Citroen's original DS married style and innovation in a way few cars can claim.
Six decades after it was introduced at the Paris motor show, the "Goddess" continues to be revered as a design icon, one that leading car designers – past and present – decided was the most beautiful car in history just six years ago.
Today, DS has changed. Now separate from Citroen as its own sub-brand, the flagship DS 5 sedan is a car that continues to offer striking style, though it is much less innovative than before.
The brand calls its flagship a "concept car for the road", and it's hard to disagree. A new face with striking chrome "sabre" design highlights stretching back from reprofiled, jewel-like LED headlights points to a product equal parts vehicle and fashion statement.
Priced from $56,990 plus on-road costs, the DS 5 has plenty of standard kit fitting its role as a luxury model.
Leather trim, climate control, a heads-up display and expansive three-piece panoramic rood are standard, as are heated front seats with a massage function.
The new model costs $5000 more than its predecessor but gains features such as a 7-inch touchscreen with sharp MirrorLink smartphone connectivity and reversing camera, along with a digital radio, LED headlamps and fog lamps, blind spot monitoring and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The DS 5 is also available in limited-edition 30th Anniversary form that brings $7700 in extra features for an extra $3000. Those features include funky "watchstrap" leather seats, an upgraded Denon HiFi system, DS metal trim, mirror caps and a patterned roof sticker, along with premium paint and 19-inch wheels.
There is lots to play with, though the car is disappointingly short of the latest active safety measures – features such as autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control and lane keeping assistance aren't available in the flagship model.
That's a shame, as the DS 5's interior presentation is first-class.
Bathed in natural light courtesy of the car's dual front and single rear sunroof elements, the DS 5's blend of brushed, etched and polished metal and plastic interior elements feels genuinely special. The new touchscreen has done away with 12 dashboard buttons on the centre console, simplifying a cabin that has a complicated, aeronautical tone.
Overhead controls for the sunroof blinds and heads-up display add to the space-age theme, while our test car's optional $2700 semi-aniline leather seats with an thick, interlacing "watchstrap" pattern look and feel sumptuous.
There's a trapezoidal analogue clock artfully squeezed and stretched out above the starter button and cool-touch aluminium doorhandles that join real metal on areas such as the gearlever.
Beautifully designed and well executed, the cabin only loses marks for being tight on space. Headroom is at a premium – thanks in part to those triple glass elements – and leg room is less than generous in the rear as well.
The DS 5's new turbo diesel engine joins the styling and cabin as its three main highlights.
Designed to stringent Euro6 emissions standards, the 2.0-litre motor makes 133kW and 400Nm, which represents 10kW and 60Nm more than the previous model. A new stop-start system helps reduce its fuel figure from 6.1L/100km to 4.5L/100km
The outgoing DS 5 was available in entry-level form with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that produced 115kW and 240Nm, but Citroen has removed that option as very few buyers have opted for a petrol DS 5 in the past.
A six-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with six years of capped price servicing and roadside assistance gives customers peace of mind.
The motor is paired with a six-speed auto that drives the front wheels. With a claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.2 seconds, it's not a particularly brisk offering. But the driveline is quiet, smooth and efficient, relying on its copious torque reserves to keep the car moving at a decent clip.
Unfortunately, that engine is let down by a less than sparkling chassis.
Revisions to the DS 5's suspension are intended to produce what the brand describes as "Dynamic Hyper-Comfort", a cosseting athleticism that blends a smooth ride with sharp cornering ability. Neither attribute is present in the latest model.
Tested on a rough and dynamically challenging ribbon of road outside Melbourne, the DS 5 disappoints with a lack of body control that does not settle easily after encountering bumps or dips. The car's nose-heavy layout and conservative suspension tune make it a somewhat unwilling partner during a spirited drive away from the city, and its ride fusses over small imperfections while crashing noisily over large bumps.
Suspension flaws are exacerbated by the anniversary model's low-profile 19-inch wheels, though even the standard car falls short of the ride and comfort customers might expect from a DS, particularly as the brand's hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension of the 1950s set benchmarks six decades ago.
While this new model pays tribute to the original DS in some ways – mostly style – it lacks the innovation of its ancestors. And that's a shame.
Beyond its graceful lines, the original DS featured emerging tech that set it apart from the industry.
The new DS 5 has only its looks.
While that's more than many cars offer it falls short of the Citroen spinoff's proud heritage, limiting the model's appeal.
2015 DS 5 pricing and specifications
On sale: Now
Price: From $56,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 133kW at 3750rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 2000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 4.5L/100km