Citroën C6

Citroën C6
Manufacturer	Citroën
Parent company	PSA Group
Production	2006–present
Predecessor	Citroën XM
Class	Mid-size luxury car / Executive car (UK)
Body style(s)	4-door fastback
Layout	FF layout
Transmission(s)	6-speed manual 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	114.2 in (2900 mm)
Length	193.2 in (4908 mm)
Width	73.2 in (1860 mm)
Height	57.6 in (1464 mm)
Curb weight	5006 lb - 5147 lb (2271-2335 kg)
Designer	Jean-Pierre Ploué

Citroën C6 side view

The Citroën C6 is an executive car produced by the French marque Citroën since 2006.

Overview

It is inspired by the C6 Lignage prototype which was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 1999, but differs from the concept car's styling in minor details. At the time it was hoped that the C6 would go into production by the end of 2001 as the replacement for the aging XM, which was first produced in 1989. The XM did cease production in early 2001 but the first C6 rolled off the production line almost four years later.

Features

It is powered by either a 3.0 L ES9 V6 producing 211 hp (155 kW) or a 2.7 L V6 HDi diesel producing 204 hp (150 kW). In October 2006 was introduced yet another engine, a 2.2 L HDi producing 173 hp (125 kW) with FAP, four cylinders and a dual turbo. The C6 is aimed as a stylish alternative to executive cars like the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Despite its hatchback shape, the car is a fastback. It has a classic trunk and a unique to the C6 concave rear window such as the one its ancestor the Citroën CX used to have. Citroën hopes one of its main selling points will be its innovative technology, which includes a head-up display, a lane departure warning system, xenon directional headlamps (also available on the Citroën C5), Hydractive 3+ suspension with electronically controlled springing and damping, and a rear spoiler which automatically adjusts to speed and braking. The C6 is the first car to obtain four stars in the pedestrian test rating of EuroNCAP due to the inventive design, where the bonnet pops up a little if a person/animal is hit and skids over the car. On an episode of Top Gear, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson tested the C6's Hydractive suspension by mounting a camera on it and driving it on the infield of a track while filming a horse race. Despite the bumps and potholes on the infield, the C6 managed to provide a comfortable ride and stable video coverage of the race while moving at 60 km/h (approx. 40 mph). At the same time, a BMW 5-series performed the same test, but its suspension could not keep the camera upright. [1]

The C6 and the President of France

Former French president Jacques Chirac has chosen the Citroën C6 as his official car, and has been using a pre-series car before the model was introduced. By using a Citroën C6, Chirac follows a long tradition of French presidents using Citroën cars :

• Charles de Gaulle was famous for his Traction Avant, and later his DS.
• Georges Pompidou commissioned two modified SM 4 door convertibles by Chapron, which remained in service from 1972 to 1995
• Valéry Giscard d'Estaing oscillated between the CX and Peugeot 604, since early CX's had insufficient rear headroom
• François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac both drove CX's as their personal transport
• Chirac used a CX when celebrating his election in 1995, he has also been driven in the SM limousine to an EU meeting.

External links

• Official UK C6 microsite
• EuroNCAP test results