The new Citroen C5, which makes its debut in Australian showrooms Saturday September 6th 2008, will be available only with advanced turbo diesel engines as the French carmaker commits itself to using sophisticated technology to cut fuel consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

"The advanced diesel engines offered by Citroen in the new C5 offers all the performance, response and refinement required of car in the prestige category and, at the same time, use significantly less fuel and produces much lower levels of carbon dioxide," says Miles Williams, General Manager of Citroen in Australia. "Given this combination and the wider range of diesel engines in the new Citroen C5, switching to an all-diesel range was an easy choice."

With the first generation C5, Citroen has been a standard-bearer for advanced diesel engines in Australia, with the diesel share of Citroen C5 sales quickly rising to 85 per cent as the new engines became available. The remaining petrol share was largely accounted for by the 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine, which had no diesel counterpart. In the new Citroen C5, Citroen now offers the new 2.7 litre Twin Turbo diesel V6 which, with 150 kW and 440 Nm of torque, offers the performance and responsiveness commensurate with a range topping model, combined with the fuel economy and emissions of much smaller petrol engines.

The availability of the V6 HDi engine has also encouraged Citroen to offer Australian buyers a six-cylinder version of the Citroen C5 Tourer, the latest in Citroen's long line of renowned wagons. In the previous model with nearly all owners opting for diesel, Citroen did not offer a six-cylinder wagon, something that is now rectified with the new V6 diesel.

"While our commitment to low fuel consumption and emissions with the decision to go all-diesel with the new Citroen C5 is the lead story for the new C5, the advanced diesel engines are just part of the story of the new Citroen C5," says Mr Williams. "From its dramatic all-new styling, to its wealth of equipment and features, as well as its benchmark safety standards and the legendary ride comfort that is a hall mark of all Citroens, the new C5 is an outstanding addition to the Australian car market in all areas."

In recent years Citroen has created an exceptional range of new models that have been both praised and rewarded for their visual appeal, accomplished design, environmental credentials, innovative technology and reassuring safety features.

The new Citroen C5 is the latest in an acclaimed range of cars renowned for their styling, from the C2 and C3 small cars, via the C4 and its people mover brother, the C4 Picasso, to the range topping Citroen C6. Even Citroen's commercial vehicles, the Berlingo and Dispatch have a level of styling appeal that is more often absent from their rivals. Added their good looks, Citroen has also provided benchmark performance in safety, with the C6 lauded as the safest car tested by EuroNCAP, not just for occupants but also for pedestrians with its active bonnet safety system. Citroen has also ensured that their products also offer excellent value for money and high levels of standard equipment.

Now Citroen is making prestige motoring even more alluring as it introduces the brand new C5. Benefiting from a completely new approach by Citroen's designers, the spacious C5 is the successful combination of French flair with Teutonic-like levels of quality, coupled with the highest standards of comfort, innovation and in-car technology for which the Citroen is renowned.

The all-new C5 conveys a real sense of prestige, with its state-of-the-art design in a classic, thoroughbred Saloon body. The C5 will strike a chord with drivers looking for a vehicle with status, stylistic individuality and the levels of performance and reliability expected of a hard-working vehicle.

Exceptionally well equipped, it comes with a long list of features that could add thousands of dollars to, or may not even be available on rivals. These include eight way electric front seats with driver's seat massager, self-levelling suspension, automatic electric parking brake and directional headlights, whilst every model in the range comes with at least seven airbags, ESP with traction control, leather upholstery, automatic air-conditioning, speed limiter, cruise control, Adaptive Front-lighting System and Citroen's unique fixed hub steering wheel.

With its long, sleek body, sculpted lines and high waist, the C5's striking styling gives it a true sense of status. The front of the car is characterised by large air-intakes and long incisive headlamps that flank the prominent chrome chevrons and assert the C5's identity. From the rear, the distinctive concave window and two-part boomerang lights give it a purposeful, determined impression.