| First Drive | Bedfordshire, England | Citroen C5 Tourer |

Citroen introduces the new C5 Tourer for customers who require more luggage space and greater versatility than the C5 saloon can offer. Citroen has added lots of thoughtful touches, which suggest it understands the needs of the estate car buyer. Large estates have always been French speciality; does the C5 Tourer uphold the tradition?

In the Metal

First impressions are of a more expensive, higher-class machine than the dumpy old C5. The new car is good looking car, large headlights and prominent chrome chevrons giving it a bold face. If you replaced those chevrons with four interlocked rings it could almost pass for an Audi. Presumably this is the idea Citroen's designers had in mind, but it does mean that the car looks less typically French than big brother C6 or for that matter Renault's rival Laguna. For the Tourer, the C5 saloon's distinctive concave back window is lost to a neat estate rear end that has the family look of the C4 Picasso and echoes of the older Citroen Xantia estate.

What you get for your Money

The C5 Tourer is available in the same three trim levels as the saloon: SX, VTR+ and Exclusive. There is a price premium of £1,100 for the estate body but in return you get a car that is 5cm longer and 3cm taller than the saloon. With the rear seat up, that equates to 505-litres of boot capacity (66-litres more than the saloon); fold the back seats flat and that increases to nearly 1,500 litres.

Just as important as the new purchase price is the resale value - traditionally a weak point for larger Citroens. Used car experts, CAP, predict good residual values for three-year old C5s, second only to the VW Passat among nine key rivals.

Driving it

The interior of the C5 Tourer displays as much class as the exterior. The driving position is superb, the seats are comfortable and even visibility - so often a problem with modern cars - is good.

The HDi engine is smooth, quiet and strong. Because it is so refined it is easy to run right round to the red line. Thankfully the six-speed gearbox ensures there is always a gear suitable for the circumstances. Without the aid of a stopwatch there isn't much to choose between the 2.0- and 2.2-litre engines for performance. However, the larger engine would probably cope better when the C5 is fully laden.

Ride and handling are good. With Hydractive 3+ suspension the ride is supple and the handling surefooted. It was difficult to determine what the Sport button does, as it did not ruin the ride when switched on and in normal mode the handling remained unaffected. Steel sprung C5s do not ride as smoothly as the Hydractive cars, but some people may prefer the more conventional feel.

Powerful, sensitive brakes might not be to everyone's taste. The C5's brakes are like that and sometimes pull you up more abruptly than you intended. For panic situations there is the backup of brake assistance that applies the brakes fully when the car detects the driver is initiating an emergency stop.

One thing lets the C5 down - the instrument dials are difficult to read. The small, red-coloured pointers are difficult to interpret quickly whilst driving. At least there is a clear digital readout for speed.

Citroen made bold claims for class-leading levels of noise suppression. As previously noted the engine is a quiet companion; wind noise is also muted and even the coarse concrete of the Millbrook high-speed bowl didn't raise too much road rumble.

Worth Noting

To make loading and unloading easier you can (on C5s fitted with Hydractive 3+) raise or lower the suspension with a button inside the tailgate. The C5 resumes normal ride height automatically when the rear door is closed. Hydractive suspension also means self-levelling - so the back wheels don't disappear into the arches when the car is fully laden. The electric tailgate can be calibrated so that it only opens as far as space will allow, which is useful to stop it crashing into a low garage ceiling. Remember, however, that only the most expensive models enjoy these refinements.

A nice touch, available on the entire C5 range, is Citroen's unique soft diffusion ventilation system. Inherited from the C6, it circulates fresh air without directly blasting the occupants, as is often the case with conventional vents.

Summary

The new Citroen C5 Tourer is priced competitively, enjoys a range of powerful, yet refined and frugal diesel engines, won't break the bank to tax and has the look and feel of a premium-priced vehicle. It might not set the world on fire but, in its own modest way, it is a pleasing car to drive. It looks like Citroen has come up with a winner and a fitting heir to the legacy of great French load luggers of the past.