irishcar.com - Citroen C5 Break at Geneva

Though as yet no decision has been made to bring the car into Ireland, Citroen's estate version of the new C5 - the Break - which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show is arguably one of the nicest estates in its class.

And from as far as we could view, the car certainly does not compromise either style or practicality to provide a load-carrier which could do duty anywhere, from the farmyard to the concert hall.

Capacity is all in these vehicles, and even with the rear seats in position the boot capacity is one of the biggest in the class, of 563 litres. This trebles with the seats down, and can be even more if the rear seatcushions are removed.

The Break also has a couple of neat ideas, one of which is a method of lowering the load cill height when the car is stationary, to make it easier to load. And if you just want to pop the shopping in the back, the rear window opens independently for access, meaning there's no need to open the whole tailgate.

Stylistically, the smooth front profile of the C5 saloon has already won Brian's positive comments. The long slope of the windscreen is a flowing shape into the roof, while the transition from saloon to estate over the rear wheels is perfectly neat, with a little waist upkick to mark the point. The view from the back shows a tailgate bracketed between bumper-to-roof vertical lights clusters.

Inside, the glovebox has a chilled compartment and is big enough to hold a 1.5-litre water bottle. Each door as two bins, one covered, and a rear console stowage compartment is removable for use as a cubby or small rubbish bin.

The C5 Break will particularly make the best use of the latest version of the company's Hydractive suspension, which not only gives a Citroen-unique kind of roadholding and attitude control, but which automatically lowers the car at speed to lower the centre of gravity and improve aerodynamics. ABS and six airbags are standard.

On mainland Europe, the Break comes with the full range of Citroen engines - the well-proven 2-litre petrol and HDi turbodiesel, and the new 2-litre HPi and 3-litre V6 petrol units. The new 2.2-litre HDi turbodiesel with its environmentally-friendly particle filter is also available.

For Ireland, we'll have to wait and see, because the wagon market here is only 10% of sales, compared to up to 50% in other countries such as Italy and Finland. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't get here.

No-compromise C5 Break
Though as yet no decision has been made to bring the car into Ireland, Citroen's estate version of the new C5 - the Break - which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show is arguably one of the nicest estates in its class. And from as far as we could view, the car certainly does not compromise either style or practicality to provide a load-carrier which could do duty anywhere, from the farmyard to the concert hall. Capacity is all in these vehicles, and even with the rear seats in position the boot capacity is one of the biggest in the class, of 563 litres. This trebles with the seats down, and can be even more if the rear seatcushions are removed. The Break also has a couple of neat ideas, one of which is a method of lowering the load cill height when the car is stationary, to make it easier to load. And if you just want to pop the shopping in the back, the rear window opens independently for access, meaning there's no need to open the whole tailgate. Stylistically, the smooth front profile of the C5 saloon has already won Brian's positive comments. The long slope of the windscreen is a flowing shape into the roof, while the transition from saloon to estate over the rear wheels is perfectly neat, with a little waist upkick to mark the point. The view from the back shows a tailgate bracketed between bumper-to-roof vertical lights clusters. Inside, the glovebox has a chilled compartment and is big enough to hold a 1.5-litre water bottle. Each door as two bins, one covered, and a rear console stowage compartment is removable for use as a cubby or small rubbish bin. The C5 Break will particularly make the best use of the latest version of the company's Hydractive suspension, which not only gives a Citroen-unique kind of roadholding and attitude control, but which automatically lowers the car at speed to lower the centre of gravity and improve aerodynamics. ABS and six airbags are standard. On mainland Europe, the Break comes with the full range of Citroen engines - the well-proven 2-litre petrol and HDi turbodiesel, and the new 2-litre HPi and 3-litre V6 petrol units. The new 2.2-litre HDi turbodiesel with its environmentally-friendly particle filter is also available. For Ireland, we'll have to wait and see, because the wagon market here is only 10% of sales, compared to up to 50% in other countries such as Italy and Finland. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't get here.	March 2001 by Trish Whelan.

No-compromise C5 Break