 Is Jaguar doomed? |
Citroën’s new flagship C6 model, a pretender to the Jaguar market, will glide onto UK roads early next year, and the company has now announced prices for the range as well as revealing specifications.
The French company sees the C6 as a successor to the CX and DS models. As you'd expect, it's stuffed with kit to offset the natural disadvantage of not having a premium badge on the nose. It includes modern features such as head-up display, active bonnet, hydropneumatic suspension with electronically-controlled springing and damping, speed-sensitive air deflector and laminated side windows as standard on most models.
There will be three trim levels – C6, C6 Lignage and C6 Exclusive – available with a choice of two Euro IV engines: a 215bhp 3-litre V6 petrol powerplant or a new Twin Turbo 2.7-litre V6 HDi diesel unit. Both will be mated to automatic six-speed gearboxes. Naturally, in the interests of finding another excuse to bung out a press release, Citroën was saying nothing about the kinds of performance that said engines might generate. That comes later.
Entry-level prices start at £29,500, with prices for the C6 Lignage, named after the original concept car, starting at around £31,500. The range-topping C6 Exclusive is expected to cost up to £38,000 for the diesel.
The body shape consists of a long bonnet, extended front overhang and short rear overhang, with a large windscreen and frameless doors. At the front, the large, chrome-plated chevrons are flanked by clear-lens headlamps. Alloy wheels are standard, as is the automatic, speed-sensitive air deflector.
Citroën said that, by pushing the wheels 2.9 metres apart and building the car on one of the longest wheelbases in the sector, its designers have provided one of the roomiest cabins in the class. For a glide-like ride, the C6 range gets the Hydractive 3+ suspension with electronically-controlled springing and damping along with laminated side windows to help filter out wind and exterior noise.
The C6 Lignage models will feature front and rear parking sensors that alert the driver, both audibly and visually, to the proximity of obstacles. Safety will be enhanced by the dual-function, directional xenon headlamps, which make for better night-time visibility around corners.
The C6 will pioneer safety features such as an active bonnet, said Citroën. In the event of a pedestrian impact, the bonnet automatically pops up to create a cushioning effect between the engine and the bonnet itself.
All models get nine airbags, electrically-operated front seats, an MP3-compatible audio system with colour screen, alloy wheels and automatic operation of the headlamps and wipers.
All models will come with automatic, dual-zone air-conditioning, equipped with "a unique soft diffusion system that favours a uniform blanket of temperature-controlled air over cold blasts". An electric push button parking brake replaces a conventional handbrake, freeing up space between the driver and front passenger.
The head-up display projects key driving information, such as speed and navigation details, directly onto the windscreen, reducing the need for drivers to look down and take their eyes off the road ahead.
Buyers of the top-of-the-range C6 Exclusive get luxury fittings in the form of wood and chrome around the cabin along with heated front and rear leather seats.
A new generation NaviDrive system, with voice recognition, provides access to a hands-free telephone, colour satellite navigation and 6-CD autochanger, while the specially designed JBL hi-fi system, with 10 speakers and an amplifier, should provide top sound quality. A departure warning system, which alerts the driver to unintentional lane changes, will also be standard on the C6 Exclusive.
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