DS 5 2015 facelift review ~ station of gear

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21 May, 2015 2:45pm James Batchelor

Flagship DS model ditches Citroen badges and gains a facelift, more tech and chassis tweaks. Can it become a truly premium effort?

The original Citroen DS was one the most momentous car launches in history. Following its debut at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, Citroen was deluged with 12,000 customer orders on the first day. And it’s the DS that created the archetypal of image of what a Citroen should be – groundbreaking, innovative and distinctive.

While the DS 3 and DS 4 are clearly derived from the Citroen range, the DS 5 is something unique, and this updated version is the first new product from a standalone DS brand that’s broken away from the Citroen mother ship. For now, it’s the pinnacle of what the premium French brand can offer.

We drove the top-spec Prestige model powered by a brand new 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel fitted with stop-start. With 148bhp it’ll hit 62mph in 10.2 seconds, return 68.9mpg and emit just 105g/km, giving it an attractive BIK rate of 19 per cent for company car buyers, and free road tax for the first year and £20 thereafter.

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While it’s a little loud and at odds with the DS 5’s refined nature, when matched to the six-speed manual gearbox, it’s brisk enough, keen to rev and is expected to be the best seller. All the other engines in the range (a 162bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol, a 118bhp 1.6 diesel, a 178bhp 2.0 diesel and the 197bhp 2.0 Hybrid 4x4) have been tweaked to be Euro 6 emissions compliant and the dim-witted robotized manual gearbox has been ditched in favour for a slicker six-speed auto.

The biggest revelation, though, is the ride. The old DS5 had all the style of a typical French limo but didn’t have comfort levels to match – it was just too hard no matter what size of wheel you went for. This time around, DS has listened and opted for softer damper rates meaning the DS 5 rides just the way you’d expect – it’s floaty and manages to glide over the worst of potholes, but not at the expense of lurching body roll.

Speed humps and large bumps do still thump through the cabin though, but overall it’s a big improvement – and it’s backed up by a hydraulic steering system that’s meaty and accurate enough and is on par with the latest, more comfort-orientated Ford Mondeo.

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It’s at the front where the biggest styling changes have been made. There’s a brand new grille that does without any Citroen badges and instead proudly wears the DS logo – another one sits on the bonnet. A chrome grille surround leads to stylish new headlamps that include halogen or xenon bulbs and LED daytime running lights, and there are Audi-like ‘scrolling’ indicators in the front bumper. At the back, the chromed ‘Citroen’ has been removed leaving just the DS badge.

Apart from this, the design team have left the DS 5 untouched so the distinctive chrome ‘sabre’ on the front wing, floating roof and characteristic curves and creases remain. Our only complaint is that the simpler grille design is at odds with the rest of the extrovert exterior – but it still makes a Mondeo look positively plain.

On the inside the changes are even fewer. The boldly styled dashboard with its aircraft-inspired switchgear is just as wacky but now has 12 fewer buttons. Functions like navigation and media are now controllable through the touch screen in the centre of the dash, adding some sense to the slightly haphazard arrangement of the controls.

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Mirror Screen, allowing you to connect you Android or Apple smartphone, now appears as standard and a new ‘MyDS’ app that, among other features, allows owners to ‘find’ their DS 5 if they lose it in a car park. Apart from that the interior is the same – good quality soft touch plastics, lovely metal finishings and characterful roof-mounted switchgear.

The problem is it still all feels a touch claustrophobic, especially in the rear where space is tight due to the sloping roofline. The boot is a good shape with 465-litres of space (just 325-litres in the Hybrid model) – but that’s still down on the Mondeo (541-litres) and the VW Passat (586 litres).

Over the outgoing model, new DS 5’s trim range has been slimmed down. There’s now the choice of Elegance and Prestige (and for a short time a special 1955 edition) with prices starting at £26,795 for the Elegance THP 165 petrol and rise to a steep £34,890 for the Prestige Hybrid4.

There’s a large options list to dive into too, but even the entry level Elegance is well-equipped – keyless entry and start, rear parking sensors, sat nav and Mirror Screen are all standard features.

However skeptical you are about DS’ chances of competing with established premium brands, the DS 5 is a decent improvement over the old model. Thanks to suspension tweaks it rides more like a big French car should, and is a step in the right direction for DS’ aspirations. The future looks promising, it’s just a shame DS hasn’t launched its new brand with an all-new model, instead choosing to update a car that has never wowed UK buyers. Doubts over the car’s residuals are a major drawback, and it's not cheap, but overall this is the car the DS 5 should always have been.

DS 5 Prestige BlueHDi 150
Price: £29,560
Engine: 1.6-litre 4cyl diesel
Power/torque: 148bhp/370Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
0-62mph/top speed: 10.6s/127mph
Economy/CO2: 68.9mpg/105g/km
On sale: Now

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