Doing The Diesel Dance

Newcastle Herald

Saturday August 13, 2005

writes Brent Davison

HAND on heart, I have to say I have become a big fan of the modern diesel engine in the past few years and simply cannot understand why there are not a lot more diesel-powered cars on our roads.

Sure, diesel is a few cents a litre dearer than regular unleaded, but the fact you will travel about 30 per cent further on a litre of diesel than you will on a litre of petrol changes the equation somewhat.

And sure, the oil-powered chugger under the bonnet is not going to give you jack rabbit-like acceleration, but it is going to cruise uphill and down dale with little need for gear changes thanks to the massive amounts of torque the average diesel engine can drag out of itself.

I was reminded of this (if I needed reminding, that is) the other day after picking up Citroen's latest C5 model.

In the Citroen numbers game, where C2 denotes a very small car and C3 a slightly bigger one, the C5 stands as as the French company's big bloke, a car dimensionally close to Ford's Falcon and Holden's Commodore.

Yet rather than run with a big six-cylinder or an even bigger V8 under the bonnet the C5 manages quite nicely with either a 2.0-litre, 16-valve, four-cylinder, petrol engine or a 2.2-litre, 16-valve, all-alloy diesel with common rail direct-injection and an intercooled turbocharger.

When it comes to engine output the petrol engine makes its 103 kilowatts at 6000rpm and manages 200 newton metres of torque at 4000. Not bad, but the diesel does 98 kilowatts at 4000rpm and 314 newton metres at just 1750rpm.

There is a 3.0-litre, petrol-powered, V6 available for C5, but even its 290 newton metres of torque at 3750rpm cannot match the pulling power of the turbo-D.

The engine has, for this new model, a size and power lift, up from the previous unit's 2.0 litres and 82 kilowatts and 255 newton metres (at 4000rpm and 1750rpm respectively).

In the previous iteration of the car Citroen offered the diesel with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. No more. This time around it is auto or nothing and ZF's 4HP20 'box, with its sequential shift gate, is a ripper with ratios well suited to the diesel's power and torque characteristics.

Better yet, by hitting the shift points just shy of the diesel's red line (on full noise), the autobox eliminates shift shock and brings smoothness to the whole engine/transmission package.

And at the back, a diesel particulate filtering system (to help the engine meet those tough European pollution standards) means no black soot from the exhaust.

Just to sweeten the deal the oil-burning donk's familiar clatter is rather subdued, just noticeable for those on the outside and inaudible for those on the inside.

Apart from increasing the diesel engine's size and power output from the old model, Citroen has also made a number of other detail changes to its flagship model.

Some of those changes have been made to increase safety improved crashworthiness, knee airbags up front, the latest generation electronic stability program and anti-lock brake software plus an upgraded version of the company's "Hydractive" hydro-pneumatic suspension.

This suspension system combines conventional MacPherson front struts and a rear-beam axle with electronics, a hydraulic pump and fluid carriers to eliminate conventional springs and shock absorbers.

The fluid is moved between the suspension units to take care of damping and, as a side benefit, can be used to raise and lower the car's ride height depending on speed and, believe it or not, road conditions. It can also be adjusted by the driver.

On smooth roads it is nothing short of wonderful but on lesser quality surfaces had a tendency to sacrifice ultimate handling in the search for good ride qualities, resulting in a fairly "floaty" feeling.

That said, it did not diminish the car's ability to poke itself into and through corners without the need to wash off vast amounts of forward motion, the car staying reasonably flat in the process.

Cosmetic changes are limited to "boomerang" front light clusters that wrap back into the front mudguards, new and quite stylish tail lights, new bonnet and front mudguards, the whole lot finished with a rather gaudy pair of horizontal chrome strips approximating not only the grille but also Citroen's double chevron corporate logo.

Proportionally though the car looks a little odd in profile, accentuated by a high roofline, moderate wheelbase and good overall length. The overall effect is that of a high-domed roof and too much front and rear overhang and that overhang unseen from inside the car can cause its own set of problems at parking time.

Or tick "parking sensors" on the options list at buying time.

Inside? A wonderful place to be with front bucket seats that not only pass the "fat bastard" test (as defined by my mate Skinny Frank) but also offer loads of lateral and under-thigh support.

It says a lot for the C5's external design that the inside is extremely quiet almost eerily so at any decent sort of speed with nary a hint of wind noise around the rear-view mirrors, side glass or A-pillars to the point where conversations can be carried-out almost sotto voce at highway speeds.

The interior itself is well laid-out with big, clear instruments (although the tachometer seems largely out of place with the low-revving diesel) and well-placed minor controls.

Or should that be mostly well placed?

The audio and air-conditioning units were easy to operate and largely intuitive but the cruise control stalk, tucked away to the left of the steering column and partially obscured by the steering wheel spokes, and the satellite audio controls (similarly obscured on the right of the column) were not only hard to find but awkward to operate.

The operation, let me add, was probably made a little more difficult after using the excellent controls on the smaller C4 model a week earlier.

As for the rest, think quiet, comfortable and roomy.

Overall though the Citroen C5 is a very likeable vehicle and a lot of its enjoyment centres on its effortless diesel engine. Sure, it won't be everyone's cup of tea but when you want to be quick, lazy and frugal a good diesel is the only way to fly.

Particulate filtering means no black soot from the exhaust.

CITROEN C5 HDi

PRICE

$51,990 (not including dealer or

government charges or options)

DIMENSIONS

Length:..........................4745mm

Width:............................1780mm

Height:...........................1476mm

Tracks (front/rear):

.........................1528mm/1495mm

Wheelbase:..................2750mm

Weight:............................1550kg

ENGINE/TRANSMISSION

2.2 litre, four-cylinder, common

rail, direct-injection diesel with

intercooled turbocharger. 98kW

at 4000rpm, 314Nm of torque at

1750rpm. Four-speed automatic

transmission.

CHASSIS

Front, transverse engine, frontwheel

drive, power-assisted rack

and pinion steering, four-wheel disc

brakes with ABS and EBD, ESP,

16x6-inch alloy wheels, 215/55R16

tyres.

SUSPENSION

Hydraulically-assisted independent

MacPherson struts and anti-roll bar

front, beam axle with trailing arms

and anti-roll bar rear.

FUEL TYPE/CAPACITY

Diesel/66 litres

FUEL CONSUMPTION

7.0l/100km

© 2005 Newcastle Herald

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