Citroen DS5 Does the bold new family car deliver on the promise of its looks?

It’s not fairly often a replacement automobile comes along that creates you shout out ‘wow’. however the Citroen DS5 isn’t like the rest on the road. it's additional sort of a one-off motor show concept than one thing you'll get.

The interior is even more dazzling than the exterior, plus it feels great – definitely Citroen’s best quality yet. Everything you touch oozes class: the dash is made from a material so soft that a passenger airbag probably isn’t necessary; the watch-strap-style ‘Club’ optional leather seats resemble those in a Ferrari and the solid metal door handles are like pieces of modern art.

The DS5 is cool – so cool that you want to fall in love with it. But will it break your heart? We found the Hybrid4 version flawed when we drove it in December 2011. Fortunately the diesel is much better. It’s quiet, smooth and, thanks to a nice spread of thrust, delivers strong performance. Economy and emissions impress, too.

It’s simply a shame that the slick six-speed gearbox is that the solely a part of the DS5 expertise which is able to please keen drivers. The steering is therefore imprecise it feels as if the wheel is connected to the rack by a slinky spring, whereas the wallowy handing isn't any match for a Ford Mondeo, plus cars just like the BMW three Series, that the high worth puts the DS5 in direct competition with.

Obviously, this being a Citroen, the trade-off is a ride as smooth as melted chocolate, right? Sadly not. Even though the car feels softly sprung, the suspension crashes over bumps.

If you spend most of your time on the motorway, none of this will be an issue. However, in the cold light of a daily commute, the novelty of the DS5 soon wears off – and what you thought was love turns out to be lust.

There is a reason road cars don’t look like concepts: the design on the outside demands compromises inside. And you’ll soon become irritated by the Citroen’s limited rear headroom, split back window, awkward button layouts, tiny glovebox and useless cup-holders.

When you drive one thing with less ‘wow’ issue – sort of a Volkswagen CC – you realise one thing the Germans have known for ages: boring works.

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