Excellent ride quality, engine refinement, cabin comfort
Slow touchscreen
ANOTHER THING THAT IMPRESSED ME WAS THE ENGINE refinement and fuel efficiency. The C5 stretched its legs and covered 830 kms in one full tank. Another great highlight was the low NVH levels inside the cabin, which made the journey all the better. The seat comfort is also the best in its class, with seats that feel like you’re sitting on your couch. Since I was travelling for nearly half a month, I needed as much boot capacity as possible. The 580 litres of boot capacity gobbled up my large suitcase and two other small bags easily, along with a few other trinkets I may have purchased along my road trip.
As impressive as the C5 seems, a few things left me wanting more on my journey. Citroen should include ventilated seats and a memory function at this price. They aren’t crucial features but something someone tends to expect at this price point. Secondly, the touch screen seems slow to respond, and operating it while driving is tedious. The layout seems confusing, and the screen is easiest to use when plugged into Android Auto or Apple Carplay. However, you will have to exit it each time you wish to change the AC settings, which can become annoying after a while. My third gripe is with the tires that do a decent job on the straights but squeal each time you decide to take a corner.
My fourth and final gripe is with the auto stop-start system, which tends to prematurely cut off the engine even before you’ve come to a complete stop. I went through many tolls and slow-moving traffic along my journey, so you can imagine how annoying it can get when the car tends to cut off the engine each time your speed comes under 20 kmph. Despite all these gripes, I’d still sum up my experience as comfortable and enjoyable.
I look forward to testing the C5 in and around the streets of Mumbai to see how well it fares in the urban jungle.
