French Design Appeals

The first ever Citroen DS manufactured in 1955 pretty much set the benchmark in futuristic design. It was the highly advanced hydra-pneumatic self-levelling suspension which established its fame. When it was launched at the Paris Motor Show the company took 12,000 orders on the first day.

To celebrate the 50th birthday of the DS in 2005 a procession of 1,600 of them drove past the Arc de Triomphe as a stark reminder, if one is needed, of ardent French nationalism. Five years later the company reintroduced the nomenclature with the relatively small DS3 and it won the Women's World Car of the Year supreme award in 2011 among many other accolades. The DS4 model followed - and to prove how pragmatic the French are in not bothering with fancy car names - along came the DS5.

If there's an overall description of the DS5 it's a combination of a coupe and an estate car, or an executive car that suits the family. Aesthetically the designers have cleverly managed to make this 21st century DS carry some of the distinctive DNA of the first DS but in modern guise. Traces of the aviation-inspired design of the original can also be found inside this new DS5 with its two centre consoles, one of which is on the roof.

The 1.6 litre engine is turbocharged, fuel injected, economical and very efficient. Seats (always superbly comfortable on French cars) come in leather for both the diesel and petrol versions.

The DS5 is a beautifully crafted touring car. A couple of (male) motoring writers have whinged a little about the steering 'under pressure' while probably trying to thrash the thing into submission. What's wrong with the delight of being able to drive competently and comfortably in a well-designed automobile without having to take it to its limit?

The Citroen is certainly an upmarket car but when compared to a few rivals price-wise (Audi A4, BMW 320i or Lexus iS250 for instance) you'd make a bee-line for the DS5 at $6,000 less than the Audi which is the lowest price of those three examples.

Besides which, the Citroen looks and feels different to the German brands and is not nearly as bland as a Lexus. It's French. Some sort of design uniqueness is expected and vive la difference.

Take Next Right

Anyone who has driven solo and tried to navigate using a paper map knows it's practically impossible. Thank God for Tom Tom, one of the many automotive GPS navigation devices now in general use.

From a screen the size of a small book you can be directed to anywhere in the world. On one occasion, wanting to go to Bay View Road in Paihia, we could have driven to Bay View Road in San Fransisco if the Citroen DS5 was amphibious. Is a Tom Tom or any navigation device worth the investment in a rural region like this? Yes indeed. Try finding country side roads on your own and or even roads in small rural towns.

The Tom Tom is a boon for Auckland since street signs are notoriously absent. Or try finding Lake Rotoiti signs on Rotorua's main drag. If you don't know it's on the way to Whakatane, where would you end up? Not having a Tom Tom at the time meant having to ask a policeman.

Automotive navigation systems can include points of interest like cash machines and gas stations, some even say where speed cameras are positioned. Golf carts can have these GPS systems giving course maps and distance measurements to the green and there's a Tom Tom sports watch with an inbuilt training tracker.

Yes, iPhones have navigation apps but try reading them when you're driving. The Tom Tom is far superior.