|
| C6 gamble fails to pay off |
|
|
| Tuesday, 11 December 2007 | |
 It is often hard not to sound pleased when talking of the misfortune of a rival, even though it is bad manners to do so. Many motorcar manufacturers face this problem when they talk about the Citroën C6. Launched at the end of 2005, after years of speculation, the big Citroën was aimed straight at the mid-level luxury saloon class dominated by the Germans. Its price, at over €50,000, put it against such rivals as the Audi A6, the BMW 5 series and the Mercedes E class. Citroën said its research had confirmed there was a market for another competitor in the field and it was confident that it had the right package of power and luxury in the C6. Now it looks as though the gamble did not pay off. Very few C6s have been sold. “They are very, very disappointed.” said the representative of another French brand. “I have heard that there are some concessions which are struggling to sell one C6 in a year.” One reason why the crowing is probably not too loud is that the other French makers, Renault and Peugeot, are also having difficulty with the luxury sector. At Renault (like Citroën) they decided to put their eggs in the luxury basket by going for a very distinctive style with the Vel Satis. Likened by the unkind to a London taxi, it has an upright posture, and although cheaper than the C6, also fails to sell in high numbers. Now it is the second-hand bargain of the moment for anyone with between €10,000 and €15,000 to spend and who wants a large, comfortable, powerful car full of the latest technology. Over at Peugeot, the large 607 got off to a slow start, with early problems with the electronics and a range of motors which did not match the car very well. Six years down the line the car is very good and is the best selling of the luxury French cars. But it looks anonymous, is outsold by far by the Germans, and there are mutters that it will not be replaced. “People just do not want large saloon cars any more.” said another professional. “They prefer to ride in 4x4s which cost as much if not more but which they think give another image.” A quick test of a “nearly new” C6 showed that the car does not deserve to sink without trace. The car had the 2.7 litre V6 diesel, jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ford, which drives through an electronic six-speed automatic gearbox, and was in the top range “exclusive” trim. Although less radical than the “aircar” concepts which were shown in the run up to the launch of the C6, the styling is still distinctive, with a long nose and a curving roof line emphasised by silver trim strips on the dark colours. The fancy back light clusters and concave rear window also let you know this is something special. To drive, the engine and gearbox combination are very well matched, with plenty of torque at low revs giving a kick in the back sufficient to believe the 0- 100kph time of 8.9 seconds (0.3 seconds better than the larger petrol V6). It is the Citroën suspension, a refined version of the famous DS suspension of the 1950s, which steals the show. On the soft setting, and really there is no need to move to a sport setting, you hardly feel any bumps apart from manhole covers which seem to be designed to make all cars jar. For those who have driven Citroëns in the past, there are little touches, like the way the digital speedometer has a similar typeface to the “rolling drum” speedometer used on the DS and BX, which connect with the past, along with ingenious doors for storage spaces which show the designers are still at work. The speedometer is repeated in a “heads up” display in the windscreen, something which is not as distracting as it sounds, and worked well, even on a late autumn morning with slanting sunlight. Everything was very well put together, and the car, although it had 25,000 km on the clock, did not have the slightest squeak or rattle. With all the extra equipment, and enough leather to stock a shoemaker’s shop, the car is heavy at 1.8 tonnes, although relatively frugal for a car of its size with a mixed consumption rating of 8.7 litres per 100 km. There remains though the question of price. So few new C6s have been sold that they are very rare on the second-hand market. New, the version tested would have cost €55,853, and buying second-hand bought that down to €43,400. You will probably need time to explain to the kids why you bought the car instead of that little flat in town…. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
| Drive to help women boost their UK state pensions |
| Further to recent articles in French News about women's pensions, the UK Department of Work and Pensions has issued a press release explaining that "women pensioners could boost their state pension or even be in line for a windfall payment under special terms. | |
| Read more... |
| Total donates money to Burmese victims of the Nargis cyclone |
|
€1.3 million donated to victims of the Nargis cyclone in the Irrawaddy Delta. |
|
| Read more... |
| APRIL FOOL! |
|
"CITIZENS’ UPDATE" French News April 2008 Sign your car insurance slip...." This was our April Fool's Day hoax. Then we heard that it might have been fact. Now we're sure that it is a hoax. Apologies to any readers who have been unsettled in any way. |
|
| Read more... |
