Those familiar with the Citroen brand will remember one of its most famous and best loved models, the tiny and versatile, two cylinder 2CV.
Out of production for many years now, there's still an enormous worldwide 2CV owners club, that refuses to let the iconic model die.
Citroen had an ill fated attempt at recreating the unique ambience of the 2CV, with the C3 Pluriel,but it required far too much complicated disassembly to open the car up and the Pluriel wasn't a huge success.
Citroen I believe, now has the formula right with the DS3, incorporating one of the old Deux Chevaux's best selling features. A folding fabric roof that opens up the whole interior.
The roof can be operated at the touch of a button to any position, at speeds of up to 120 kph. Citroen also offers different roof fabric colours, so owners can personalise their DS3.
You'd expect with only a four speed auto, and an 88 kw 1.6 litre engine, that performance would be mediocre. In the 'burbs, on take off from the lights, and in auto, the pace could be described as peppy, rather than punchy, but wind it out and it comes alive, zinging along effortlessly.
Hustling through tight hills corners is a real hoot. The little engine is very willing when shifted from auto to manual mode, and its tall gearing and redline of 6 thousand rpm, means second and third gears are perfect for plunging in and out of corners. In short, it's eminently" chuckable." I didn't miss the extra ratios found on most other modern cars. When driving hard there's even a "soupcon" (yes, it's a French word dear reader) of a sporty bark from the exhaust!
The DS3's ride, hints of the comfort of French cars of yesteryear and it absorbs most bumps and ruts with a smoothness belying its size.
Cruising with the roof up, there's very little outside noise. It's a quiet ride even at highway speeds. With roof open all the way, and door windows up, there's also little wind buffeting, thanks to an effective wind deflector and the side window configuration. That design also allows for the fitment of side and curtain airbags. The doors open wide for easy entry and exit.
Unlike the MINI cabriolet which has large rear and C pillar blindspots, the DS3's vision in this area is good, thanks to fixed rear quarter windows.
But, like the MINI and FIAT 500 Cabrios, and VW Beetle convertibles, when the roof is fully retracted, rearward vision in the driver's mirror disappears, as the cloth roof sits in a large folded bustle over the rear bodywork. You have to then rely on the wing mirrors. It's a mild annoyance in an otherwise exemplary design. Lock the top with the rear window exposed and it's a much better view out the back.
With the front seats at their rearmost position, rear passenger legroom vanishes. The DS3 will seat four (five at a pinch) average sized people, or two adults and three children. The manually adjusted front seats are very comfortable and hold you nicely in position.
The boot however is tiny, accessed via a mailbox sized slot.
Just enough room for some shopping, or a couple of pieces of soft luggage, but you have to do a lot of bending down to access it.
Citroen is one of few car makers that thoughtfully provide a perfume stick in the dashboard with the choice of several subtle scents to keep the interior smelling nice. The vapours waft through the air vents. It's a nice detail touch. So is the taillight configuration.
I'm pretty sure no other car on the market today has 3D lenses, comprising concentric rings. The effect is something like the graphics from the old " Time Tunnel" TV series. Vertical daytime running lights up front, distinguish it from others on the road.
I like the DS3 Cabriolet. It's a fun, funky car, full of French flair. Priced around 33K it's also great value.
Peter Sellen
While some European car manufacturers have come and gone and returned o the Australian market many times, French car maker Citroen has the longest unbroken sales record of them all.
For 90 years Citroen has sold continuously in Australia, from the versatile little 2CV, the remarkably innovative Traction Avant of the late 1940s, to the astonishing DS, with features unheard of in the 1950s.
When unveiled to a stunned and delighted public at its Paris launch, more than 12 thousand orders for the DS,were placed on that very day, such was the effect it had on jaded buyers looking for something different.
The spiritual successor to the DS (or Goddess as it became more commonly known) with its unique hydro-pneumatic suspension, is Citroen's large family sedan, the C5, one of my favourite cars and a much underrated one.
Citroen has had outstanding rally successes over the decades and remains a popular marque for rally enthusiasts, winning many accolades in the WRC series.
A few years ago, Citroen revamped its small car range with the C4 and later the DS series.
I have driven most of them and was mightily impressed.
Once regarded as " quirky," which was part of their charm, Citroen's new DS crop is still very much an avante garde style leader.
This is the DS 5, and what a stunning looking car it is. Styled like no other, in the French tradition, it's a masterpiece both outside and in. Sweeping chrome spears adorn the front fenders, matched by similar chrome treatment on the door sills.
If ever a car deserved to be called a work of art, it's the DS5.It was named Top Gear magazine UK's Family Car of the Year in 2011.
The attention to detail both inside and out is incredible. The trim stitching, fit and soft touch surfaces everywhere, just some examples.
Citroen has packed so much into this car. It has the equipment levels and quality, of luxury competitors at more than twice the price. Which by the way, is also astonishing..a little over 51K for this diesel and 48 for the petrol model.
What you get for your money is a list of features longer than anyone's arm and unheard of in a car at this price point.
There are three separate (fixed) moon roofs, two in front and one for rear passengers.
Their sun shades operate from a natty, sweeping overhead aircraft styled console, which also contains twin sunglasses holders and the adjust button for the heads up windscreen display, showing speed and cruise settings. There are both analogue and digital speedos.
The "watch strap" quality leather seats are hand made, and while not pillowy cushions, feel just right.
The driver's pew has three memory settings, and a useful lumbar massage function. Both front seats are heated.
The Denon sound system is among the best I have heard. 8 speakers produce outstanding clarity.
Visibility is good, from front quarter vent windows in the double A pillar, to fully glazed C pillars, the entire glasshouse provides ample 360 degree views, despite the DS5's low roofline.
Yes, there are quite of lot of switches and knobs on the fascia and elsewhere, but they're not that puzzling and it doesn't take long to work out what does what. Ambient lighting at night in the doors and footwells, adds to the car's appeal.
The 2 litre turbo diesel in this test car has 120 kw and 340nm, delivering about six litres per 100 kilometres on the combined city/highway cycles.
The DS5 weighs 1600 kilos, and acceleration is brisk, not urgent, but that's fine, most owners won't be interested in traffic light grand prix. Quiet, unfussed cruising is its forte.
The six speed auto box can be used in manual mode for more sporty driving.
The DS5 doesn't have the smooth, supple hydro-pneumatic suspension of the larger C5 and C6, and it's set up for a more sporty ride, firm, but not overly so. The steering wheel has a flat bottomed rim similar to those on Audis and is grippy and comfortable to hold.
Feel is good and I liked the a strong self centreing action of the wheel when pressing on through tight bends. The DS5 sits wonderfully flat on winding roads, with no sign of misbehaviour. Corners simply disappear without fuss. At speed there's no discernible noise from outside (except for some faint tyre noise, depending on the road surface.) nor under the bonnet. Double glazed windows with privacy glass also help to minimise outside noise. A thick, foam backed boot floor mat further dampens any NVH issues.
All doors operate with keyless entry, and windows can be raised remotely using the key fob. The boot opens at the touch of a rubber knob beneath the tailgate. No spare tyre, as if often the case, but a quick fix kit is included. Boot space is deep but not overly large, however it will satisfy most owners with its 468 litre volume. More space to be had of course, when the rear seats are folded. The DS5's xenon headlights are dazzlingly bright on both low and high beams, with superior spread and penetration. The headlights themselves turn with the steering into corners and have washers for their lenses. Under emergency braking, the taillights flash and hazard lights are activated.
Before you lay down your hard earned, on a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi, I urge you to also consider the futuristic, dramatically styled and beautifully crafted, Citroen DS5.
I can almost guarantee you will be won over.
Peter Sellen
Honda has become one of the last Japanese manufacturers to finally introduce a diesel engine in its Australian passenger car range. For all the waiting, it's been very worthwhile.
The 1.6 litre diesel in the new British built Civic is the equal of benchmark diesels from VW and Peugeot for power, torque and quiet running.
Fire up the little motor and there's little of the usual diesel clatter. It's very refined and smooth. Honda engineers have worked magic on noise suppression, using something called " Active Noise Cancellation." Two microphones in the cabin capture low end drivetrain frequencies, feeding them into an amplifier which then sends a reverse audio signal to the door speakers, reducing the unwanted noise frequencies by 10 decibels.
Impressive technology in a car that costs under 27K !
The engine produces 88 kw and 300nm. Doesn't sound like much but the delivery is something else altogether.
When taking off from a standing start and engaging second gear, a giant hammer of torque hits from just over 1500 rpm up almost to the redline of 4,500, pushing you back in the seat leaving you marvelling at the sheer grunt of the engine.
Such is the volume of torque, that on a recent blast along winding roads in the Adelaide hills, only third gear was needed to despatch even the tightest of bends before rocketing out the other side on that big fat torque wave, the engine revelling when given a bootfull of throttle.
Handling is exemplary. The Civic stayed flat and poised like a sportscar.
Steering feel through the chunky fat rim of the leather clad steering wheel is excellent.
Having driven the Civic Type R with it's kidney bashing, rock hard suspension, the ride in the Civic diesel is like a Rolls Royce by comparison. It has just the right amount of compliance to easily cope with suburban ruts and bumps far better even, than some more expensive offerings.
On the move the diesel is silent on a steady throttle, only becoming slightly audible when pushed. You will get at least 1100 kilometres from a 50 litre tankful just around the suburbs, fuel consumption averaging around five litres per 100 kilometres in city driving. Expect even better consumption on the highway. There's no danger of misfuelling.
The Civic 's filler neck will only accept larger diesel fuel nozzles.
The Civic diesel is only offered in Australia with a 6 speed manual gearbox, which could hurt sales somewhat, with Australian drivers largely preferring autos to manuals.
As an example, Peugeot's first diesel cars were manual only and they sold very few. But when an auto option was imported they were snapped up. That said, because of the wide spread of torque of the Civic diesel, you can skip a couple of the lower gears for around town work, minimising the effort of shifting gears. The gear ratios themselves are quite tall. Fifth and sixth are really only suitable for the open road. You'll only need third or fourth for city driving.
The seats in the Civic are large, covered in a lovely soft material, supremely comfy, well padded and bolstered, and keep you in place well, when the going gets winding.
The dashboard is a two piece affair, with the digital only speedo housed in a sweeping curve above the lower part, which houses tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges.
Externally the Civic is real looker, stylish, and sleek. There's a reasonably generous boot, with a full sized spare tyre.
However the turn indicators at the rear are tiny and hard to see in daylight.
Rearward vision is hampered a bit by the split window design but it's far better than the rear blindspots in the CRZ driven prior to this test. The Civic diesel has a reversing camera for added safety.
Honda Civic sales in Australia for October 2013 are down about 400 on the same month the previous year, but year to date almost four thousand more were sold than in 2012.
There's no question Honda has delivered a quite outstanding performance diesel for its first offering in Australia.
I strongly recommend before buyers look at a Mazda 3,Toyota Corolla, or perhaps Hyundai i 30, a lengthy test drive of the Civic DTiS is a must.
Nice one Honda.
Peter Sellen
The Honda Jazz has been on the market in Australia since 2008, and is one of a handful of roomy, stylish and peppy light cars, ideal for a city runabout. It's in the same class as Toyota's Prius C hybrid.
Honda has enlarged on that successful formula with the release of the Jazz Hybrid. Using a slightly smaller engine (1.3L) to the 1.5L in the CRZ, the Jazz Hybrid brings even better fuel economy than the standard petrol Jazz, despite being 70 kilos heavier, thanks to the battery pack.
Under way though, there's little to complain about.
The Jazz Moves off with reasonable urge, and even more when the right foot is fully planted. The electric motor then joins the 1.3 litre petrol engine to provide more than adequate forward motion. The CVT transmission( as is the way with all similar gearboxes) flares to higher revs and the car speed then catches up . It's not annoying and once used to it is a very smooth gearbox. The driver can lock the CVT box in lower gears for extra downhill engine braking.
The interior is stylish as before and functional and although the dashtop is hard plastic, it doesn't reflect into the enormous windscreen.
Features include auto climate control, electric windows, cruise control, blue tooth connectivity and a decent sound system.
The Jazz Hybrid carries over the original car's extremely tight turning circle, ideal for inner city work.
On the open road the petrol engine is running almost all the time. In the 'burbs on a steady or trailing throttle, the Hybrid's energy meter shows a steady charge going to the battery. Put the foot down and the petrol engine kicks in for more urge.
The Jazz Hybrid averages around 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres in the city. You should get about 760 kilometres from its 40 litre tank around town, and that's very good indeed.
On the open road expect consumption to fall to 4.5 litres/ 100k.
Just to remind you of the mechanical wizardry going on up front, the speedo, changes from blue, indicating the petrol engine is operating, through to green when running at it's most efficient. A neat party trick. The sharp angle of the Hybrid's tiny bonnet means you won't see anything of the front of the car beyond the lower edge of the windscreen. That's fine, but a gentle nudge of the garage wall will give owners an indication of how much room they have to play with when parallel parking.
The ride on the Jazz Hybrid is only average, you'll feel most suburban ruts and bumps, but after all it is a light car. The seats however are very comfy, and there's plenty of headroom for rear seat occupants, and lots of cubbies for loose items and odds and ends. Wide opening doors make for easy entry and exit.
The Hybrid does have a flaw however that owners might find a tad frustrating. On hot days when the car is stationary in either normal or ECO mode, the idle stop feature kicks in to save fuel. But the air conditioning compressor also stops functioning, and if you are sitting for any length of time you will quickly start to feel the heat.When the petrol engine automatically restarts, so does the A/C. On most other cars with this "idle stop" feature, it can be overridden with a dashboard button. You can't on the Hybrid, there's no override to keep the engine ( and a/c ) running.
The Jazz Hybrid sells for around 23 thousand dollars and is therefore the cheapest Hybrid you can buy. Small diesel powered light cars will give similar or even better mileage, so it's up to your personal eco bent to decide which system is right for you.
Peter Sellen.
