Citroen unveils DS5 in Shanghai

Citroen has lifted the curtain off its hotly awaited DS5 model at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show. It has been revealed that the DS5 is the French manufacturer’s first vehicle to feature a hybrid diesel powertrain.

The Hybrid4 system will give the DS5 a power output of 200 hp for all four of its wheels, along with electric power for emission-free driving. Also included will be an ‘acceleration boost function for the open road’. Total CO2 emissions will amount to 99g/km.

The innovative vehicle design of the DS5 features what Citroen call ‘pioneering architecture’ with a compact body (4.52m long, 1.85m wide), the driving position of a GT car, a sport wagon’s boot (465 litres) and the access and modularity of a hatchback. The car will be aimed at the executive segment, particularly customers ‘looking for a truly bold and assertive car with a resolutely modern approach to vehicle design.’

The DS5’s flowing exterior is full of sleek lines with bold wheel arches housing alloys available from 16 inches to 19 inches. The distinctive DS front-end seats chrome ‘sabre’ inserts which stretch from the headlamps to the windscreen while the wide rear-end contains twin tail pipes and six light guides. 

Few details of the DS5’s interior have been released so far. Citroen will say that a near-vertical steering wheel and wide central console will feature while most of the important buttons and switches will be found on two consoles; one low down and one above the driver’s head. A Head-Up Display and ambient red and white lighting are also to be included.