Citroen C6 car review
Model tested: Citroen C6 2.7 HDi V6 Exclusive Auto saloon
Price as tested: £34,749
(Buy used Citroen C6)
Range price: £28,188 - £34,749
Insurance group as tested: 17E
Insurance group range: 15E - 17E
CO2 emissions as tested: 230g/km (Tax band G, £400)
CO2 emissions range: 199 - 266g/km
EuroNCAP result: *****
Date tested: November 2008
Road tester: Stuart Milne
Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 77%
The Citroen C6 is the spiritual successor to the Citroen DS; a 1950 technological tour-de-force, which was built fifty years ahead of its time.
Like the DS, the Citroen C6 blends French design flair with interesting innovations, all wrapped up to form a unique – and quirky package.
It’s a car perfect for those who refuse to follow the norm. We spent a week with one.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor
The Citroen C6 looks totally unlike anything else on sale today. It blends genuine Gallic style, with a form that combines a modernist look with a retro feel. The C6’s appearance turns every short journey into an occasion; partly thanks to the car’s rarity. The front wears Citroen’s trademark double chevron grille-cum-logo and has a pair of small headlamps either side. The long bonnet gives way to a long, sleek roofline, which drops into an altogether curvier rear. The bootlid has a spoiler which pops up at speed, and the boomerang-shaped rear lights are worth a particular mention.
9/10
Style or practicality is the choice when it comes to the interior. The darker trims are certainly the more passenger friendly, but the lighter ones really show off the Citroen C6’s design excellence - if prone to showing grubby marks. There’s a minimalist design which is a refreshing change from the Germanic feel most manufactures aspire to. The driver has simple LCD dials in front of the large steering wheel, and a head-up display which beams basic information into the windscreen. There’s a large screen in the centre of the dashboard, providing information on the navigation, audio and heater controls. The centre console has too many buttons for ease of use, and is among the only marks against an otherwise brilliant interior. Even the slide-down lids for the door bins are a work of art, blending wood with chrome to excellent effect.
9/10
The Citroen C6 has an excellent amount of cabin space, although rear passengers may find the car’s sloping roofline reduces headroom. The boot’s usefulness belies its 488-litre dimensions. Access is restricted by the concave rear screen which creates a semi-circular shaped bootlid. The C6 comes with park sensors - which also has a visual element in the car’s screen - and is necessary due to its girth, and the way the bodywork slopes away on its corners.
8/10
The ride/handling balance is very much tilted to the former. The Citroen C6 offers stunning ride comfort at speed, where it is also wonderfully refined; even when specified with a diesel engine. Its low speed ride isn’t quite as good, although still better than most of its rivals. Undulations on A-roads and motorways are dealt with through the C6’s soft hydraulic ‘Hydractive’ suspension. This allows the car’s suspension to raise and lower at the touch of a button, or activate the ‘Sport’ mode. The steering is light, but lacks much feedback. The C6 is a car that refuses to be hustled at speed, preferring to waft along at a moderate pace. Those seeking knife-edge thrills should look elsewhere.
8/10
The Citroen C6 is available with a choice of one petrol and two diesel engines. The 205bhp 2.7-litre HDI model we tested is fitted with the same engine as found prestige models such as the Range Rover and Jaguar XJ, and is refined, powerful and reasonably fuel efficient. This engine allows the C6 to despatch 62mph in 8.9 seconds before reaching 143mph, largely thanks to an impressive 325lb/ft of pulling power. The other diesel, a 173bhp 2.2 HDI which produces 295lb/ft of pulling power, and will cover 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds before reaching 135mph. The 215bhp 3-litre V6 petrol offers up a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds, before reaching 143mph.
None of the engines offer scintillating performance, but make for excellent, smooth cruisers.
7/10
The cheapest Citroen C6 is priced at more than £28,000, and the range-topper we tested tips the scales at almost £35,000, which pitches it against some very impressive rivals. Citroen is well known for its discounts, so don’t expect to pay these prices. Depreciation is likely to be the biggest cost, with the C6 shedding around two thirds of its value over the first three years/36,000 miles. Insurance groups start at 15, but shouldn’t be too costly for the typical buyer. Road tax will be costly though, with the 2.2 HDI emitting 199g/km of CO2 placing it in tax band F, which currently costs £210 a year. The 2.7 HDI and 3-litre V6 petrol emit 230 and 266g/km respectively, which both attract a £400 band G bill.
5/10
Citroens don’t have the strongest reputation for reliability, although the C6 feels like a solid machine; if not matching German levels of build quality. However, we tested two C6s, and both suffered hydraulic fluid leaks, which rendered the power steering inoperable, and the car undrivable.
We spoke to Citroen, which said these was an "isolated" incident, and pointed to improvements in customer satisfaction surveys and a reduction in the costs to the company to repair its models under warranty to back its claim.
4/10
The Citroen C6 is one of the safest cars on the road, scoring full marks for adult and pedestrian protection and dropping just one mark for child protection. All models a pop-up bonnet to deflect pedestrians away from the solid engine block, ABS with electronic brake force distribution and emergency brake assist, electronic stability programme and traction control; driver, passenger, driver’s knee, side and curtain airbags; whiplash-reducing active headrests and lane departure warning system.
10/10
The Citroen C6 is available in three trim levels: C6, Lignage and Exclusive. C6 comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome interior trims, velour trim, dual zone air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, front and rear electric windows, three-way electric driver and passenger seats, multi-function screen and trip computer, automatic xenon headlamps, automatic wipers; electric, heated and folding door mirrors, dimming rear view mirror and a rear windscreen blind. Lignage adds 18-inch alloys, half leather trim, five-way electric driver’s seat, head-up display, front and rear park sensors with audible and visual warnings, dimming door mirrors and headlamp washers.
The range-topping Exclusive also receives full leather trim, five-way electrically-adjustable front passenger seat and heated front and rear seats. Our test car was also fitted with the optional Lounge Pack which features electrically-adjustable ‘TGV’-style seats.
9/10
The Citroen C6 is the perfect car for those determined not to follow the norm. It can cut a dash alongside cars costing three or four times as much, thanks to its radical styling and wonderful ride comfort and refinement.
8/10
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