Open Road drives three unusual high-end choices that offer terrific value and driving. By Andrew Kerr
As the definition of a luxury car broadens, some unlikely names are out to carve niches in the glitzy end of the family car market. European underdogs Citroën and Skoda are among them. Two of their latest models – the Citroën C5 and Skoda Superb – recently set new standards of refinement and design for their respective brands.
Joining them is Ford’s Falcon G6E Turbo, a home-grown hero with luxury credentials that complement its particularly potent engine.
All three are distinctive newcomers that can mix it with much pricier cars from traditional luxury leaders.
The C5 comes in sedan and tourer (wagon) guises. The range is exclusively diesel and unapologetically French. Both versions are marginally smaller than Citroën’s sumptuous C6 range-topper, an exquisite car produced in miniscule numbers. But some of that flagship’s best features have flowed down into the mid-size C5 and will help make it less of a rarity on our roads.
As with Citroën’s ground-breaking designs from an illustrious past, the C5’s shape and surfaces command attention. There are a thousand talking points in the design as your eyes work back from the oversized chevron in the bonnet. The overall effect – both inside and out – is pure elegance. Nothing could be described as oddball, not even the fixed-hub steering wheel.
Key features of the top-spec C5 include a twin-turbo V6 diesel engine (shared with the C6 and Jaguar, among others), a six-speed automatic, and Citroën’s Hydractive oil and gas suspension. This self-levelling set-up helps iron out bumps and offers secure dynamics. Obvious highlights are the C5’s superlative ride quality on half-decent road surfaces and generous applications of leather and brushed chrome for the cabin surfaces you touch most often.
The entry-level car is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel which is laid-back in character and frugal, quaffing just 7.1L/100km on average. Specify the cheaper Comfort trim and you still enjoy eight-way adjustable electric leather seats (the driver’s has a massage function) which are set low in the cabin with all manner of airbags dotted about them. The windscreen is acoustic, the thick side glass laminated and the sound deadening highly effective. Motion-sensing cabin lights are a quality touch and the mood lighting is gentle.
An optional touch-screen navigation system has a hefty hard drive on which to store music and an integrated hands-free phone system with Bluetooth. A lane warning system is also available. Thankfully, the huge boot conceals a full-size spare, itself a luxury these days!
Some readers will recall the (now distant) days when driving a Skoda meant being the butt of neighbourhood jokes. Even though the Czech maker’s fortunes have done an about-turn since Volkswagen took the reins, few would have picked Skoda to ever take on established premium brands. However, the aptly named Skoda Superb is no oxymoron but a genuine class act!
Beneath the skin, it’s basically a Volkswagen Passat stretched to beyond 4.8 metres. So expect proven engineering and technology and acres of cabin space, especially for rear-seat passengers.
Like the Citroën, the Skoda has a five-star NCAP safety rating and is awash with plush interior appointments, offering outstanding ergonomics and a first-class finish. The top-ranking Elegance V6 version belts out an impressive 191kW and comes with all-wheel drive for secure handling.
The Superb looks at its most imposing from a front-three-quarter angle (where there is a hint of BMW 7-Series about it) but, to be fair, from other angles it can look a little ungainly.
Detail highlights include bright-metal surrounds for the side windows and Superb logos embedded in optional bi-xenon headlamps. A unique feature is the ‘Twindoor’ design, in which the conventional bootlid can either be opened on its hinges or remain attached to the rear window so that the entire assembly opens up like a massive hatch. This allows access to a huge load space of up to 1670 litres with the rear seat backs folded.
We jumped the gun and drove the smooth twin-cam turbo-diesel overseas, ahead of its local launch. This 125kW motor works particularly well with the mandatory six-speed DSG (dual-clutch Direct Shift transmission) that drives the front wheels. The combination delivers responsive performance, fluid handling and great cruising comfort.
Also worth considering is the entry-level 1.8-litre TSI turbo-petrol. This 118kW motor is not big on capacity but it’s no slouch either. It provides peak torque of 250Nm from 1500 rpm to 4500 rpm, and is coupled with VW Group’s latest seven-speed DSG to propel the big Czech to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds. Forget the badge and focus on the refinement, quality and practicality on offer here from just $42,990.
Many will assume that Ford’s sharp-suited Falcon G6E Turbo is a muscled-up heavyweight in true Aussie tradition. But the truth is, it’s much better than that. From the chromed radiator grille back, the G6E has a sophistication in the way it looks and drives that marks its predecessors as rough and ready. Yet this is still an enthusiast’s performance car and a genuine bargain, too.
The cracking turbocharged six has recently benefited from an array of mechanical tweaks. As part of the FG upgrade, there is a new cylinder head, revised intake, a new Garrett turbo with a quicker response, increased boost pressure, a larger intercooler, a higher compression ratio and a new exhaust manifold that frees up exhaust gas flow into the turbocharger.
The result is a mighty 270kW with maximum torque of 533Nm from 2000rpm. Open the throttle and it lunges for the horizon like a much bigger V8, the characteristic straight-six engine note accompanied by the shrill whine of the spinning turbo.
Ford has worked just as hard on roadholding without spoiling the ride, and the nose goes just where you want it to in fast corners. The variable-assistance steering is sharp and the weighting good, the 18-inch alloys fill the arches nicely and the complex new multi-link rear suspension is specially tuned for this model. Working the gears is a slick-shifting six-speed ZF auto shared with the Jaguar XF.
The revamped G6E cabin has sumptuous leather seats and is equipped with a seven-inch information display screen in high-resolution colour.
Top-notch Dynamic Stability Control, a reversing camera, and powerful premium audio with Bluetooth and iPod integration are standard features. So too are curtain and side thorax airbags, which contribute to a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
Okay, refinement levels do fall short of established luxury rivals because road and wind noise are more apparent and the motor is a bit coarse in character. But consider the premium you pay for the refinement of those silky Europeans… Plus, you can have the last laugh and save eight grand (and reduce your fuel bill) by opting for the more subdued non-turbo G6E.
But, for me, that would mean foregoing too much (safety-conscious) fun.
Open Road May/June 2009
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