Test Drive Citroen C6 since 2006 Hatchback
The priority of aesthetics
Senith by the president of France is easy to get enough on the most comfortable leather seat Citroen C6. The car will slightly raise the nose, like a heavy boat, and the greatestly moves on the road ... For the completeness of the feeling you can feel in advance the record of Mosselease - very relevant musical accompaniment will succeed.
The last large Citroen sedan was XM model, removed from production a few years ago. Her fate is difficult to call happy. There were even rumors that Citroen is generally going to leave this market segment. To refute them, the French developed and showed and showed the C6 Lignage concept in 1999. Waiting for the serial machine had a long time ... Bright individuality in everything - the main feature of the French new business class. Unusual concave rear window, drowning between racks, headlight headlights resembling reptile eyes soldier, bright rear crescent lights, streamlined body forms, doors with glasses without frames. This is not just a successful hint at the famous Citroen DS ancestor, and a new style sample dramatically stands out among competitors. Actually, this was the calculation. Due to the long front and short rear, C6, built on a stretched to 2900 mm base C5, looks outwardly resembles a coupe or hatchback. But this is an optical deception: the luggage compartment capable of taking a pair of huge suitcases with plafhmy, isolated from the cabin. C6 is a large elegant sedan, which primarily offers maximum comfort. He does not claim universality, it does not look like German offices on wheels and will not push the driver's driver's ambition. But it allows you to liberate the driver and passengers even in stressful conditions of the urban movement. You understand how only doors are slammed with multi-layer side windows. Click - and silence! The city outside the window lives his life, and you are only an observer.
I adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors (too small in favor of design). Spaces and adjustments are enough even a tall driver. Seats - big, hugging buckets are comfortable as inflatable chairs. However, the back is even better: C6 created not only for those who are used to Verutet Baranka himself. The abbreviation of the rear seats TGV is a transparent hint of a French high-speed armchair, having similar adjustments, where the seat cushion is moving forward / backwards. Naturally, in C6 drives of all settings are electrical. Four-zone climate control with a smooth distribution of fluxes unobtrusively creates a comfortable temperature environment. 
From cheaper relatives of C6, the arbitrary key chain of the alarm with a discarded key. Starting the button is not provided even as an option. I start the engine and translate the selector to the DRIVE position. I remove my leg from the brake, but in response only I feel light impetus - the car continues to stand. History! I instinctively pull the hand where the mechanical drive lever should be, - a large toggle switch is detected instead with the corresponding icon. Interestingly, why the electrostructure is not dismissed automatically when the gas pedal is pressed. Independent hydropneumatic suspension HYDRACTIVE (C6 double triangular levers and multi-dimensional triangular levers) works solely soft and smoothly. Small and large irregularities perceive more with their eyes than the body. And the squeezing of the body and squat the feed before the start is forced to remember the 60s liners like GAZ-13.
The three-spoke steering wheel with a huge hub transmits a force through the power variable hydraulic. In the full-time urban modes, the steering wheel is frankly empty. And what will happen in a rapid turn? I will immediately say: those who expect from C6 manageability of the five BMW will be disappointed. Big Citroen is designed for other pleasures. But the problems does not create the driver. Hydropneumatic suspension quite successfully neutralizes rolls - a large car is practically no falls on its side when turning turns. And if you go through a bit at speed, smoothly migrates the outward turning of the rear axle. From more significant progress, ESP, working in alliance with ABS and EBD. The tandem of the gasoline V6 and the standard 6-speed automaton immediately gives to understand: do not go with us! Under any circumstances, the car does not lose the royal magnitude. Feel when switching in automatic mode occurs, it is almost impossible, and attempts to quick rebuildings are contraindicated and just dangerous. On a sharp press on the gas pedal, the C6 responds after a second, when it is already fitting off turns off ...
However, if you are very in a hurry, you can go to manual mode and click the button next to the handbrack making the suspension settings more rigid. Then the transmission honestly holds the selected transmission to the cut-off by 6500 rpm, and then, if she was glanced, smoothly includes the following. At the C6 with his long front swing at first, you feel uncomfortable at parking - all the time you are afraid to hook a low bumper skirt for the border. But a hydropneumatic suspension comes to the rescue: the car can be lifted by simply pressing the button. Upon reaching a certain speed, the electronics itself reduces the ground clearance, and on a bad road increases slightly.
On the C6 highway reminds European high-speed train - silence and steady movement in a straight line. With increasing speed, the steering wheel is poured force, remaining within the framework of comfortable philosophy. The rear spoiler automatically takes one of the three positions and together with the concave rear glass forms the flow of air, increasing the pressure force. If not to rush, laying your head, the power for overtaking is enough and in automatic transmission mode. But I personally, on the track, it was much more comfortable to switch manually. It was possible to test in action and a system warning about the intersection of the markup line, known by C5. Having found the appropriate toggle switch on the central console, I press it and carefully begin to vive the steering wheel. No effect! Determinently leaving left, really losing the strip, and immediately the vibration is wanted on the left side of the pillow.
The speed resembles the figures of blue color projected on the windshield from the driver side. The French counted that 0.5 seconds, which we spend on average, transferring a look at the instruments and back, is too much in terms of security. The front panel neat-minimalist is a small set of digital scoreboards on the screen showing the number of revolutions, speed and kilometer. In the interior decoration highlights high-quality wooden panels covered with a bluish varnish. Each door is a semicircular wooden tray that slowly leans on shock absorbers. A bit dissens with a common style central console, overloaded with small buttons, togglers and handles. To deal with them, it is difficult to strengthen it - it's hard to manage to touch with this smaller. If the wheel of the steering wheel was fixed, as on C4, part of the buttons could accommodate directly in front of the driver. Alas, C6 developed earlier.
It was not possible to warmly with the German grandees in the sportiness and wealth of complete sets. Thus, only two V6 engines (gasoline and diesel) are offered to a pair with a 6-speed automatic transmission. And therefore C6 is not a competitor, but rather an alternative to the Germans dominant in this segment. It is addressed to those who put the aesthetic (including acoustic) pleasure from the ride at the head of the corner. But here is the question - is such a consumer pay for the source of this pleasure more than A6 in a richer configuration? Prices and configuration Citroen C6
Test car in the BVA EXCLUSIVE configuration had ESP, ABS, EBD, a route computer, an electric drive, a leather interior, a multifunctional leather steering wheel with a hydraulic agent, climate control, electric mirrors and heated, 9 airbags, CD receiver. Machine with a 6-speed automaton and gasoline engine 3 L (215 hp) costs 57,000. In the SX BVA kit with a gasoline engine 3 l C6 will cost 49,900. It includes ESP, ABS, EBD, cast 18-inch Disks, emergency braking system with an emergency signaling.
Source: Motor magazine [November 2006]
