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Remember how our man in Brazil became infatuated with the “anti-retro” Citroen DS line? Remember the DS5 pictures Herr Niedermeyer found? Well, here is the production version. And a chance to polish your French.
14 Comments on “Pardon My French: The DS5 Is Here, Really...”
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OK, I know we’ve got a strong anti-crossover contingent in the house… anyone willing to admit that the CUV simply needed the French touch? As much as I want to resist the the all-too-common tendency to ascribe national characteristics to cars, I feel like it took Japanese practicality to create the CUV (Lexus RX) but it took France’s flair to take an otherwise awkward, function-over-form genre to a naturally fun, funky state. The Avantime, Vel Satis, Xsara Picasso, Kangoo and Berlingo have been hinting for years now that the French firms would actualize the CUV, and with the DS5 I feel like the most-hated genre of automobile is finally coming into its own.
Of course, I’m sure some will want to disagree…
A part of me is pretty sure that this is just an ugly minivan.
But part of me says, “Well, I haven’t seen anything like THAT before.”
I guess it’s good to know that the French can still build some odd, overstyled, overcomplicated stuff. (I mean that as a compliment.)
In 40 years, maybe I will get a kick out of my nephew buying one and asking me to help him restore it. The fun we will have, looking for a shop to rebuild those auto-swivel rear-view mirrors!
I think it is no other than a “Citröenized” Peugeot 3008,don’t get me wrong, I mean the platform under the skin, and Citröen’s design signature, which is good, with more options and better trims than its relative Peugeot, the engine’s rated power range from 155 to 200 HP for the THP gasoline models mean that they will use the same 1.6 BMW/PSA engine and for the HDI they may use the HDi110 as starting model, to the HDi160 on the top one.
They will use also the same Hybrid platform as with the 3008 HYbrid4.
The style is very nice, and it as Edward N says it’s Funky.
We’ll see what the market thinks.
Saludos!!
Nice car. At the end of the video I was very happy to see a credit for the Thomas Newman music cue (it’s from the 1999 movie American Beauty) – so often this music is used without giving credit.
I don’t find it any more attractive than a Buick Rendezvous, which means I’m glad they don’t sell them here.
A backup camera is an admission of failure when it comes to designing a practical car. Give me a back window I can see out of any day.
No rear window will let you see little kids, bikes, or other short obstacles that might suddenly cross the path of your rear bumper. Backup cameras, especially when combined with wide angle lenses and adequate peripheral visibility, are one of the most effective safety and convenience features to find their way into modern cars.
Vachement Chouette.
Well, in actuality, while it hints at the Citroens of yore, it ain’t them, although by today’s standards, it’s not bad.
A DS probably from the ’60s has an appearance in the movie, Lord of War. Other than that brief moment of automotive nostalgia, I don’t recommend this movie.
For a CUV, it definitely has style. (Not my personal style but …) I do like the BX-esque smoked C-pillar window, too.
After getting past the exterior (I actually recoiled in horror, BTW) that interior is quite beautiful. It’s quite the cockpit. I’d never own one though. Waaay too many things to fail (individually controlled electric moonroof light shades?!?)
The exterior would be fairly normal looking if not for those chrome stripes on the hood which I don’t really like. Just make them optional.
Citroen manages to make all those gadgets and buttons interesting to me without the garishness of some Honda or Acura interiors, aimed at the younger generation, with their emphasis on electronic brightness screaming at you from all over the dashboard.
Having a car with lots of buttons (think the older Tourareg, all backlit at night) appeals to me more than the integrated, all functions on one screen panels designed to reduce clutter.
All these details have got to cost a lot of money to make even for a higher-priced vehicle. No bean-counting here. So, as GM used to promote, do more toys equal more luxury?
It’s a beautiful car. I like the overall lines a lot, and the wheels are awesome, though directional designs like that would probably make rotating the tires a pain (or maybe not, perhaps I’m not seeing an obvious solution to keep them all pointing the same way).
The interior is incredible – what a great idea to put texture in the pads on the leather, and that added to the metal accents by the headrests makes it all look very classy.
Exhaust tips integrated into the rear bumper need to migrate to all car designs, they’re an instant way to make a car look $10K more expensive. I saw a Suzuki Kizashi on the road the other day with integrated exhaust tips, and the car wowed me from a styling perspective.
There’s definitely a lot for the eye to linger on, inside and out. I like the body when finished in lighter colors, the better to emphasize all the creases and character lines throughout. Even with all of the eye candy, the exterior and interior never appear to be overly busy: I most definitely do not get a “trying too hard” feeling from the interior appointments. As upscale interiors go, this feels like it will age gracefully and not experience the rapid descent into anachronism most “retro” interiors suffer from.
Did anyone else notice the seats are styled to look like a metal wrist watch band. Nice touch. I was amazed at how many different design elements were packed into this car without looking overwrought. Not bad.
I’m out of time. That’s why I’d simply call the design overdone. Sadly, Paul Bracq ia out of time and out of design business, too. Wonder, what he would have done.