Biggest Flop Ever? The Citroën C6 Story
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- Опубликовано: 21 ноя 2024
- Citroën has a long history of large flagship luxury cars, from the Traction Avant in the 1930s, through the futuristic DS in the 1950s and the technological showpiece that was the SM in the 1970s. The C6 was the last in a long line of these cars. It focused less on new technology, although it had its fair share of that, but like all those other cars it had an avant-garde style all of its own, something to set it apart from the BMW wannabes of the mid-2000s. But given it was the last large luxury Citroën you can probably deduce it didn’t sell that well. Just why was that, and what relationship does it have with the second generation car that launched in China?
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Erratum: The 2nd gen C6 was based on the PSA PF3 platform. Thanks to Lucas for tracking this down (and editing English & French Wikipedia so we all get smarter).
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Just 2-3 weeks ago i made my dream come true. I purchased a V6 petrol C6 from Spain, with 96k km and absolutely every option available for this model. The car is marvelous magic on wheels ❤
I assume you don't live in Spain. What country are you in ??
Congratulations!!
@@shelbynamels973 I am from Bulgaria. Went there, and brought the car to my home.
@@valentinexristov8915nice, can I ask how much you paid for it?
@@valentinexristov8915
That must have been a very enjoyable trip in such a luxury car.
I picked up my classic BMW in Spain an drove it home. ( Belgium)
The C6, another amazing car that unfortunately didn't work out.
Meanwhile we are saddled with more and more suvs, crossovers and other unimaginative boring blobs.
And people are falling over each other to pay €60k plus for these monstrosities.
@jochenstacker7448 I had a 2018 Kia Sportage SX Turbo with AWD.
It's likely the last SUV I'll own. It was genuinely different from the rest of the market and i loved it. But it was still an suv/cuv.
Ok boomer
@@DrLoverLover I'm under 35😂😂
@@admiraltiberius1989 I just got rid of my 2006 Tucson that i had nicknamed "wobblin' wallace" due to its ridiculous sway and body roll. High winds + a pothole at highway speed could easily send it into a "toonces look out!" moment lol.
By contrast, my brother has a Dodge Ram 2500, and on a stretch of moonscape road that had the Tucson bouncing and weaving at 40mph, he was doing 75mph on it in a storm and the truck just continued laser straight. Inside the truck though we were shaken around like popcorn kernels in a popper.
I have a 2009 C6 2.7HDi Exclusive with the TGV seats. Absolute unit of a car, and the best thing in the world to do miles in. She's a keeper for me tbh.
It might've been a flop but the moment the last one rolled off the production line, the makers of the car knew it would be a classic.
Exactly my thoughts. I personally liked the car‘s shape and design s lot. Though, it lacked in excitement.
Most C6 are still virtually worthless, so not quite there yet.
@@marcelhannover3 Worthless but there's a rather sizeable community who bought these cars to be cared for and they'll be a connoisseurs car just like the CX and the XM.
@@marcelhannover3 The petrol ones are extremely expensive and rare. ✌️
@@marcelhannover3 there is DS specialists like in Düsseldorf that collected parts and scraped cars from the CX to restore them now.
Ten years ago a DS in perfect condition was 30.000 euros ,with Pallas Edition and leatherseats it was maybe 40.000 euros. Today you can’t even get an ID 19 restored for less than 25.000 . The DS are priced at 50.000/60.000/70.000 euros and the CX GTI for 20.000 is a bargain. Because the market of DS Chassis is nearly empty in Europe or outside France..
To me, it seems like a very worthy successor to the XM - maybe Citroen's worst mistake was the delay in getting it to market in time for the XM's demise. I tried the driving position in Geneva, 2005 and got the impression of a high quality starship enterprise. I don't think that Citroen failed its public, more like the public failed Citroen.
The suspension is actually very different from the one in the XM
The fluid is synthetic, the height correction is electronic (which allowed the car to lower at highway speed and raise in rough terrain), and the dampers were automatically adaptive and had 16 different positions.
It is essentially an entirely new system.
The octupus was also ditched (Xantia last one) and every corner was controlled locally. Top spec HA3+ had an extra sphere if I remember corrrectly on each axle. Had a C5 V6 for four years.
But basically the same principle
@@DrLoverLover that’s like saying a Toyota Yaris with a torsion beam and, I don’t know, a DS4 with road scan and adaptive dampers (even tho I don’t think that has multi link rear) is basically the same because they both use metal springs for suspension.
Yes they’re both hydropneumatic cars and that’s where similarities end. In that one word. Nothing else is the same. Not the front or rear axle components, the geometry isn’t even trying to do the same thing, the pump is electric and no longer connected to brakes or power steering, the fluid is different, the spheres are different, the dampers are adaptive (on top of the simple 2 state Hydractive technology).
So you can’t explain the C6 suspension and XM suspension at the same time. They’re different enough that explaining one doesn’t explain the other. It’s two separate “lectures” so to speak.
@@DrLoverLover The ride in town I found a lot firmer than Xantia and before.
@@Michel-r6m the three spheres per axle were actually introduced on hydractive with the XM (that’s the simple two state I mentioned earlier), and yes it was carried through into the H3+ (not to be confused with H3 which is really just following of the simple non Hydractive system, they just called it Hydractive for …reasons)
France biggest automotive flop is hands down the Renault Vel Satis. Nothing comes even close to that dumpster fire of a car. Citroën never expected to sell big numbers of the C6, unlike Renault which had deluded hopes (and investments to match).
A bag of excrements.. the worst parts of the Espace mixed with other rubbish. Everything broke on it.
Have only ever seen one Satis back in the mid 2000's. Actually seen more active Delorean's...
Unpopular opinion but I love the design of the VelSatis, weird and unique but at least they had the balls to try something new, unlike the new cars
My dad was an official renault dealer during this period. As per usual for french cars they had the balls to experiment and release some new concepts in a production vehicle. But it was paired with some awefull mistakes (the door hinges f.e.) and the car flopped. Whenever i see one today i still can't help but to check it out.
@@puripoh6582 The door hinge problem was on the Avantime do not the Val Satis.
The C6 was also a car used by some French presidents, of whom Jacques Chirac, a true Citroën lover (he used a CX before). Thank you for this recap of the C6's history! 🇫🇷
I'm honestly disappointed by the fact that it was omitted in the video, hat's literally one of the only important points of this C6 life....
I think that’s a given, it wouldn’t go down well with his public (or any other president’s) image if they used a German car, instead of a home-made French car.
What else would he drive, a Renault Vel Satis and then Latitude?? Hahahaha!! He has to choose between three poor choices.
@@pistonburner6448 As a Francophile I didn't and don't like Renaults at all (except the Alpine), this brand would years ago gone bankrupt were it not for the French government who put after the second small disagreement to much money in the company.
YESSSSS!!!! Do the C5 next. I’m sitting in my C5 right now!
The Irish State ordered a top spec C6 in 2008 for a former President as his state car. He was an elderly man and passed away before it could be prepared and delivered to him/his driver. It sat in a compound for 4 years before an enthusiast got his hands on it. It’s only used sparingly now.
Never heard that story. Was it for Hillery? I remember their family had a nice 760 GLE back in the day..
The suspension is so good they mount a TV camera on the roof to run parallel with horse race tracks TO SHOW A NON SHAKING IMAGE - no other car would be suitable.
That has been happening for years with the horse racing events in Britain, they use Citroen Wagons for camera cars!
How convenient. Just what you need
Top gear
@hearingthesmells2500 They compared it against a BMW 5 series
@@hearingthesmells2500tower block
I saw one today and it's still a spaceship from the future.
ahh, the C6! my brother and i got this as a rental when we did our portugal and spain roadtrip in 2008. ended up getting a speeding ticket for doing a 145 in a 120 (sent all the way back to us in the US). in any case, i still remember the car all these years later, the lane departure thumping in the seat, the smooth ride, how snazzy it looked...
13:50 Missed opportunity to name the concept the E-9 (as in E-neuf). I’ll see myself to the nearest exit.
👏👏👏👏👏
I've had just about E9 of your bad jokes!
Adore the side profile shot of the concept. The rear lights, the wheels, and the rear hinge doors give such a presence to it that altogether got lost in the production version in my opinion
Superb storytelling ! Maybe in sales figures it was a flop. But as a imagebuilder and flagship of technologie it was a pure winner.
I've always loved the lines and the overall design of the C6, it's a great example of the characteristic French futurism design wave.
Large Citroens have always been unique and it's a real shame their lineage didn't make it to today. I suppose a modern day equivalent to the C6 is the C5 X, but then again it's a Wagon, so it comes closer to the Break variants than the Sedans.
I have a c6 exclusive and contrary to the armchair experts it's been very reliable. Never failed to start nor left me stranded. Most mechanical parts are shared with the 407 so parts aren't too expensive in reality. It's comfortable and quiet and great for long distances. I love the fact i hardly ever see another and in a sea of all the same audi and bmw's it's a breath of fresh air.
The last great Citroen. Classic.
Agreed... I love a big Citröen, but not one like they make today... The C6 was the last of an era... Particularly as they spun off the DS brand as their luxury arm and have gone mass market with platform sharing with Stellantis...
@@MineshShah I'd consider their Picasso models their last hurrah.
@@gluttonousmaximus9048 I would include the early C4 Cactus with the air bump side bumpers also...
I really like the lines of the C6 today, but I barely paid attention to it back when it was current. Perhaps it wasn't exciting from a performance standpoint, but I'd take an early example with manual transmission and the TD - That plus that incredible suspension sounds pretty good as a vintage, stylish highway cruiser. Thanks Andy for another fantastic video!
I loved mine but it ate suspension components, mainly because they were taken from. Peugeot 407. It’s also made some people sick due to its inability to settle on the motorway. But it was still awesome
Just put it in sport and no one gets seasick. And it isn't sporty either.
I am from the uss i know nothing about most of the cars you speak of, regardless i watch all of the content you produce. I love it. I never stop
The interior was very Saab-esque with it's dark night panel, the complicated cup holders and the two level armrest. To me, it's still a perfect car, the only problem was it was a Citroën and the dealership network is abysmal.
I had the V6 HDI, had a few reliability issues with the cooling system and the gearbox, other than that, amazing car.
And the rear glass was actually self cleaning, if you were cruising along at 130km/h with the rear spoiler up (was automatic, I have a video showing it) you could see water going up and down the glass and cleaning it, no need for rear wiper.
I always loved the side and rear profiles but hated the globular front. If only Citroen would make an updated version of the gorgeous CX!
I remember fondly scrolling the web for pics and videos of the C6. It was such a great time for french cars, loved the C5II, C6 and the Vel Satis. Such iconic masterpieces and it is so weird knowing that this happened almost 20 years ago.
I still miss mine. Had one (2.7 v6 diesel) for around 6 years though once it reached about 100k miles (I put around 60-70k of those on it) I started to get an increasing number of issues including a turbos and the (Japanese) automatic gear box, both sorted under 3rd party warranty. When the second turbo went not long after the first was repaired I chickened out.
Once more have a car with a head up display, but even with active matrix headlights I still miss the turning lights. Also the 'magic pillow' air con system was a second to none for comfort. You never felt the air flow unless the fan was on full, the only downside was a spot middle upper of the windscreen which would not clear unless you put the blower on the windscreen.
Had two tyre blow outs in mine. First was front left due to a pot hole on an unlit country road at night. Was powerful enough it warped the alloy slightly but only found out there was more to the bang than the sudden drop of the car the next morning when I found my C6 was drooping. The second was the rear right, and again the car was fully drivable, though on that occasion it did feel like there was a strong wind on the rear.
Bluetooth was only available on the last year of production, so mine never had it. I actually used a bluetooth speaker system clipped on to the driver sun visor. The uprated stereo system (optional on the middle spec version I had) had a useful hard drive, though I had the optional extra USB port added for playing audiobooks and MP3s.
Depreciation wise, this was what made me hunt for a 3-4 year old car as I knew I would get a bargain, however I later discovered the second hand values were only the same as a comparable BMW 5 series or Mercedes E class that was one year older.
Downsides were emissions, resulting in a high car tax when the values changed (the 3 litre v6 turbo diesel had similar performance but better economy and far superior emissions), economy was not great, and many parts were bespoke and made to order, as we found out when the specialist I used had a driver accidentally reverse in to mine. Took about 7-10 days for a replacement bumper to arrive.
Was a superb waft mobile, Performance (mid 8s to 60 and ~135 top end) were not important, you just arrived in perfect comfort and without giving a damn about what time it was.
One of the few C6’s in the US is at Lane Motor in Nashville.
Impressive looking car in person. Check it if in the area.
Citroen C6 was a love in the first sight. But it's a shame that depending on the country you live in, the maintenance cost is unfeasible
Is it really unfeasible? The cars are bulletproof and rarely break as far as I know. E.g., the crankshaft snapping fault of the Land Rover TDV6 is unlikely to happen to the TDV6 in the Citroen C6 as (presumably) nobody is using the C6 to tow horse floats or caravans. Other stuff and complexity is not too different to any other 10-20 year old premium European luxury car (like a S Klasse or 7 series) and can be DIYed as far as I know. It's not going to be as inexpensive to maintain as a Lexus LS460 or Toyota Century (not that they don't have rare faults), but no European luxury car bothers to benchmark Toyota's strict quality control and absurdly tight manufacturing tolerances as they don't need to (the full-size luxury sedans will sell [lease] anyway, at least the German ones will).
@@TassieLorenzo It is. I drive a 2007 C6 as a daily driver. 2.7 HDi. Apart from crankshaft troubles, which seem to be less frequent in PSA cars than in Jags (I think they are simply driven in a different manner), this engine has a lot of problems and breaks down frequently. Defective vacuum pumps, which often cause brake booster failure, injectors burning coils, all plastic connectors getting brittle with age and breaking constantly (thermostat housing). Parts are scarce, and engine is too big for it's compartment - all work is painful and complicated, thus - expensive.
Once I've calculated that every kilometer costs me twice as much as fuel. And I don't feel that I can safely travel for a long distance. Apart from the engine, car is perfect and trouble - free, just things that get worn or age, eg. handbrake cables, mechanical parts of suspension, brake calipers and rotors. I consider swaping engine for a gasoline V6, as it can be made and was done few times, and I cannot find a car that suits me better.
@@TassieLorenzo This is the reason I said “depending the country you live in” because when you take a South American situation, where I live, you can buy a C6, but the availability of spare parts varies depending of the model sales, so, for C6, a car that was sold here officially, you will spend more time with the car parked waiting spare parts instead of driving. I had a Xantia in this exactly situation some years ago and unfortunately other brands take more care with the parts availability than PSA. But it is a very nice car, obviously a great choice for an European, but not here.
A big fan of horrible but interesting big French Luxo barges ever since my father had a Renault 25 that was a brilliant car yet so many problems. The C6 or C5 of the same era would be a dream car with the hydro suspension. Currently own a 407 with all it's weird styling and idiosyncrasies. Love it. Great video.
What a beautiful car. Greetings from Cologne in Germany. Michael
Frenchman here. Once upon a time Citroën was a great brand manufacturing unique vehicles. Nowadays it's just another brand of the Stellantis group that manufactures mainstream cars like umpteen others. Welcome to our bland new world of automobile clones.
My dad and I went to a motor show in either 2006 or 2008, and sat in a C6. We both loved it and over subsequent years it still occasionally comes up on conversation as something he fancied the idea of owning. Alas, even with a Jaguar engine, nobody was interesting enough to drop £40,000 on a Citroën by then. The DS was a fading memory and people associated Citroën with teenagers in superminis and caravan towers in C5 estates. Not exactly an Audi/BMW/Mercedes-like image. More's the pity, because I _still_ fancy the idea of driving around in a C6.
Jaguar engine? 😂
@@DrLoverLoverJaguar used PSA engines at the time which were also in the C6
A truly beautiful car. Here in Aust I think only about 30 were sold. It's a stunning classic with a real presence.
My dad owns a C5 from 2005 since I am a little kid, it is by far the most confortable car I've ever driven, can't even imagine the C6 ride
I own both a C5 and a C6 and the C5 is already nice but the C6 is soooooooo much more comfortable, you won't believe it until you experience it! Amazing car
For me, the main problem with the C6 was the disappointing, inconsistent and downright awkwardly designed dashboard. Everything that had looked so promising in the concept car was done wrong here. The roof above the center display should have been round in any case, whereas the cross-section of the control panel should have been less convex, roundish and inflated. The horizontal should have been emphasized more strongly and a visual focal point should have been created in front of the driver. In addition, the production car lacks interesting materials and valuable details on the dashboard. With the hefty prices that Citroen charged for the C6, customers simply expected more than the C6 offered.
Considering it was competing with the BMW E60, that still looks great and somewhat modern today, I understand that a French blob was a hard sell
It's French, what do you expect though? Surely part of the charm of owning a French car are precisely all the "because French" compromises built in? 🙂 E.g., in the Mk3 Renault Megane RS, the central speedometer is borderline illegible (even before the white writing on a grey background colour combination), the digital speedometer often washes out with glare and way the cluster is reclined away from the driver, the steering wheel buttons don't light up, the cruise control buttons are randomly scattered around the cabin, one can go on! The rival S-Klasse or 7 Series may have a more logically designed interior, but I'm not sure it makes for a more reliable (or more interesting) 15-20 year old used full-size luxury car to own, repair and drive than the C6!
This car was soo fucking sexy. I remember seeing as a teen in Australia at one of the rare Citroen dealers here(when I somehow convinced my Mum to buy a C4 another Citroen I loved with the weird steering wheel) and thought it wasn't even from this world, I have been obsessed with it since to this day.
The last true Citroen imo.
Sexy?
The C5X7 that ran to 2016 isn't a great deal different, suspension pretty much the same, only slightly smaller and if equipped with all the options fairly luxurious.
@@jayartz8562 yeah but it's boring looking.
@@DabDabGoose I think it looks great.
I worked for Citroen when the C6 was released and for the duration of it's production run. I was in Fleet sales and fleet managers would not touch it with a barge pole due to it's depreciation and residual values especially with leasing options. I do not think that the car should have flopped at all, but that Citroen badge compared to it's German counterparts and the badge snobs, well it was doomed for those two reasons.
After 52 years and 17 Citroens I hanker to own the last true Citroen the C6.
We have a number in the car club members in Sydney. Fabulous touring car in Australia.
Another great video. I adore big French execs, especially the C6, very underrated. My favourite is the XM and yes, of course I’ve watched your video of the XM. Fantastic channel, thanks for making.
One of my dream cars, after owing a Opel Omega B2, A Jaguar X type, a Lancia Thesis, a Citroën C5 X7 and now a Renault Laguna 3.
I never owned one, but the Citroën BX diesel was a nippy motor with excellent MPG and entertaining road holding. It was practical, too. I've not seen a BX on the road for at least 20 years.
The old C6 telephone 📞 was so that you could call to your chauffeur to give directions or complain about something. (“Turn on the heat”)
Nah. It was a shower. 😉
When do we get the Alpina story? 🎉 The founder changed race tracks recently.
No plans right now.
I saw it for the first time in Paris about 10 years ago. Fell in love with it, to me it was one of the best looking modern cars that I've seen. It still is. Sadly, I've never ridden in one.
One of many (semi)luxury french cars that I have a lingering irrational lust after (the equally gorgeous and avant garde sale failure Renault Avantime being another of those. Every time I spot a C6 (does not happen that often), it is immediately crowned "Car of the Day" - surely, I won't see anything cooler than that - Simply gorgeous. If I had unlimited finances... - sigh -
I sat in a C6 /once/ and felt like I was back in our old 80's (original cylindrical gauge era) CX 24 Pallas. Which is a good thing. It felt very Citroen.
I would absolutely love a C6. Unfortunately they aren’t old enough to import yet
Thanks for the video. This is a car that always intrigued me, as I hardly ever saw one whilst on my travels in the UK. I saw a photo of one in a magazine and it looked absolutely stunning. After watching your video, I know now why I have hardly seen any. Thanks again. 👍🏻🚗
Thanks for doing my (and probably countless other people's) suggestion!
My parents drive a 2014 Citroen C5 sedan,and I have to say it is a great car,even if it has no hydropneumatic suspension. Still very comfortable nonetheless. My dad actually wanted a C6 ,but unfortunately all cars for sale of this model in the region were in questionable condition,and with the unreliable 2.7 diesel too. They ended up settling for the C5,which was recently imported from France and had only 100 000 kilometers on it. It was a much better choice at the time (2020). The pearl gray paint looked (and still looks) brand new. It has the 2.0HDI diesel,which along with VW's 1.9TDI is one of the most reliable diesel engines in this class. Needless to say, it's a great car. Even if it's a bit "usual" by C6 standards. Thank you for reading my personal big Citroen story!
Yeah, I've had a few people suggest it.
How random, I saw one of these driving near my place in Brisbane, Australia last week, probably haven't seen one in more than 15 years, as they were very rare here... and then you release this video!
Great video! Having owned a c6 for a few years in the uk. I can say the ride was a little bit crashy in town which was disappointing. It was amazing on motorways and dual carriageways. The bigger problem was that a lot of Citroen dealers didn’t really want to work on them. Parts were getting hard to source and fuel and road tax meant it was nearly as expensive to run as a Range Rover. Still loved it and might import a petrol one from Japan.
14:20 Pretty sure that design did inspire the first new DS car - the DS5. A bit of a hybrid between the 9 concept and the SportsLounge
15:00 Early-to-mid 2023 saw the CDM Citroen C6 get a MASSIVE price drop in Hubei - where the local plant is. Basically the price of a Honda Accord cut down by the price of a Honda Fit. Then it turns out it was basically a desperate attempt to clear old parts and stock cars from all the way back to 2021. While it got a lot of orders and scalpers, ultimately that batch of "new" cars would be the last C6 units from the factory.
I remember seeing this debut on TopGear in the 2000's... such a beautiful car IMO. Didnt get it here in the States sadly.
Well done as always!!
The last family car I bought was a Renault Vel Satis, because I couldn't get a C6 for the same money. Now, 7 years later, I'm thinking again about whether I should part with the Renault for the Citroen. Both are underrated, practical, economical and comfortable touring cars. And even the reliability is very good, at least with the Ph2 Vel Satis.
I spent a fair amount of time visiting Paris in the 2000s and recall Citroen C6s often waiting outside ministry buildings as if they were used as chauffeured cars for ministers or those on government business. I thought they were very stylish and sleek looking vehicles. The state car market was obviously not enough to keep the C6 in the range.
Your stories are fabulous, and remind me of quality William Woollard and Chris Goffey reviews. Every time i see a car i fancy i click on Big Car to see a professional outlook 🤛💪👍
I'm that generation I suppose.
A general comment - I ma most impressed with the thoroughness and complete history which you are able to display in a most entertaining way. Bravo, sir!
Such a shame, I loved its line, but yes, it was a Citroen and didn't have the cache. My best friend's father-in-law was one of the Peugeot/Citroen designers in the early 1980s, among other British unique carmakers. He told me some interesting stories about the XM's unique back window and finding Talbot's 309 blueprints, the last life-size design car known to history. Happy to share them with you.
You, sir, have splendid voice and qualities of speech. This Canadian 🇨🇦 loves listening to you.
I love the C6 design. The only disappointment was, that the interior of the production car was nothing like the one of the concept. Especially the steering wheel in the production car looks boring and misfitting but the dashboard and instrument cluster isn't good either.
Still, I wished it was more successfull. The world is incomplete without a big citroen.
Had one and loved it.If you tried to go down country roads quickly, the back end would come out quicker than a Peugeot 205 as soon as you backed off the throttle.
The first time i saw one was when it was released, a black one driving passed st Pancreas station in London very early in a morning with no traffic...It was stunning.
Excellent video. Like the quiet, informative and detailed style of this channel. C6 a magical concept redolent of the DS23 era, but society had changed too much to accept that being different is now seen to be a weakness. No character, predictability and slow, boring evolution is the future. What a shame. Who will look back and be inspired by the design tour-de-force and originality of an Audi?
A fantastic insight into the C6. It's a car I would love to own as a Citroen Enthusiast but scared to take the plunge. I drove a C5X for my channel a few days back and I think this is a sucessor to the C6 in some ways.
I got both, C6 and C5X. C5X is a comfortable car but standard coils can't really beat hydropneumatic suspension, no matter how much hydraulic cushions/dampers you put on to them. Then again, XM is waaay more comfortable than C6 IMO.
I am so so happy your latest video is of the C6!
For the SM you shouldn’t have shown the US version. The original with the 6 headlights behind a car-width glass cover and the inner lights swivelling is so much better. The US never understood this car.
Missing the C7 name, I heard a story from within Citroen/PSA that there were plans for a large coupé based on the C6, that would have been the C7, but these plans never were followed up seriously. I think the idea was even lingering for some time, but there was no way to convince PSA.
At this point I must admit I have a Citroen XM, the Y4 facelift as a V6. And yes, I do use it as a daily! What a wonderful car, still reliable, still in comfort and sportiness unbeaten.
I also must admit my life philosophy is “Women should be curvy and cars should be square!”
I love my XM being left field, but it is not only unusual, it is super functional, with 5 doors (little child and a pram) and the way it drives. I love hatchbacks, but Citroen doesn’t. The XM is a hatchback, but it has the so called “13th window” under the tailgate to avoid rear passengers getting a draft. Why did they not carry this on in the C6?
But this is where I start getting its design. I must say even as a Citroen fan, when the C6 came out, I hated its curvy looks and tiny, slim headlamps. When the C6 was launched, I would not have wanted it because it was ugly.
But isn’t exactly that how something special starts? A car that is neither ugly, nor nice, has no character and can never grow on the fan!
Years later I get it in a huge style! It may be roundy, but it looks so different to anything BMW, Audi, Merc! It’s not only that, Citroen again was well ahead of their times. The C6 has this small digital instrument panel. This is maybe not a first, but it is maybe the first car with head up display standard and the entire dash designed around a centre sat nav! Today this is standard, but Citroen had that 20 years ago!!!!
It may not have a tailgate, but Citroen already added that 13th window to the XM and the C6 rear window is concave, reminding on the CX.
It goes on: That Chinese C6 is a VW Passat, and here VW is a synonymon for boring! Sadly (my personal taste) I have to say the same about the DS9. Just why? The Peugeot 508 looks far more interesting and sporty than the DS9. The DS9 to me looks like a VW or Hyundai. The real surprise: in that trio of cars for me the nicest is the Citroen C5 X! It may look comparatively cheap, and it doesdn’t cost much indeed, but it is a car that can’t be sorted into the norms, is it a sedan, is it a hatch, is it an estate, maybe 5-door coupé? The C5 X is not beautiful first sight, but it is functional, it has the rear door wedge kink as the XM…. Maybe PSA (Stellantis) does not everything right. But in that trio, the DS9 bores me to tears, the 508 is the nicest, but I have a feeling the C5 X is the one I remember and love the most in 20 years time!
The C6 is not my style. But it is A style. And nowadays suddenly I see it as a car that could replace my XM! Only thing is, what was Citroen’s strength could now be their problem. The C6 was too ahead of its time. Too many electronics. The V6 HDI is known to be a troublesome and expensive to maintain engine. I keep having the feeling looking after my XM V6 gives me the better daily!
And a question I do indeed have: Where do Hydropneumatic large Citroens stop? What makes the XM so great is that it is comfy as well as sporty. No car on standard suspension can combine that ever! I guess the same with the little sister Xantia, after 5 year XM it is no coincidence for me the Xantia Activa is still the best car in the Elch test after 25 years, when the tested Xantia did not even have ESP and still beats Ferraris and Porsches!
My XM does not have a brake server for the brakes run over the HP! With the C5 that was changed, the C5 had the fantastic HP but had conventional brakes and lost the potential to be a hooligan driver with it. I guess it is the same with the C6?
Even Citroen fans are arguing, “what was the last great Citroen?”. Some say when the DIRAVI steering went. My XM doesn’t have that, but she is still so, so great. It may not be what the Citroen HP stands for, but try to find the apex of a corner with a stiff, never fading brake pedal and a suspension that is not at all impressed or unsettled by bumps on the entry! Sorry, a Citroen with a break server, no thanks at all! Does the C6 have a brake server, or does it have proper brakes?
That aside: maybe the biggest judgement is, I hated the C6 when it came out. But having that lovely XM now since years, if I ever have to replace her, it is either another XM or a C6, the C6 was the perfect XM replacement! Maybe not 100% my style, but everything else simply is drop dead boring!
I have always loved it. There was one around the corner from where I live, often parked next to a 1st gen Bentley Continental GT.
Just gotta say the 05 C6 looks like an Altima. Thanks for the video.
Hey there Big Car! Please do the Citroen C4! It’s a very successful Citroen model and it’s also very successful at the Rally tracks!
I have the opportunity to borrow one of these cars from a friend of mine back in the day when the C6 was still new and shiny. It was necessary for me to drive to the other side of the state (I live in Victoria Australia).
It was necessary for to drive to a town called Mildura on a family emergency. Mildura is a seven hour drive from where I live in Melbourne. I basically drove from Melbourne to Madeira transacted my small personal business but back in the car filled it up at the BP petrol station and drove back to Melbourne. One hour on the ground and 14 solid hours in the car. I think it's the longest drive I've ever done in my life in one go. The C6 was a truly incredible car to drive it had a ride better than any other vehicle I've ever driven and when I stepped out of the car I did so refreshed and comfortable without even a hint of stress on my back. It's a tragedy that the C6 didn't take off it was a truly Landmark vehicle.
I had an original 2003 C5 1.9TDI & I absolutely loved that car, it was quick enough (relatively speaking), it was extremely comfortable, roomy, practical, handled.. Okay ish, as long as you didn't get too spirited & very fuel efficient.!
It did have its little foibles though, it used to do a little dance in the carpark.. Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, etc, etc.... 😂 😂 😂
I can remember seeing loads of other C3's doing exactly the same dance.!
I got it when it had 31,000 miles on the clock, kept it for 8 years when it had 98,000 on it & then the suspension went on it, my local garage told me it would be at least a couple of grand to fix, (along with a few other jobs) so I donated it to my local fire service as a training car. (I've actually done that with a lot of my old cars)
I was a bit disappointed because I did hope to keep it a few years longer, but at least it served a useful final role.!
(I have the pictures of it after they'd practiced using the jaws of life on it... Not a pretty sight).!
Funny story.. I'd only had it about a week, I was coming home late at night along a new stretch of road that was striaght, wide & with very fast long sweeping turns, so I decided to see what it had in it.... I saw the speedo approaching 125 when all of a sudden the biggest red stag I'd ever seen jumped out in front of me.!!!
I barely had time to take my foot off the accelerator before SMASH, CRASH, SHATTER.!!!
I was covered in an explosion of glass, then a blast of fresh air & the headlights went out.!
I jammed my foot on the brake & somehow stopped on the centre line..
Living in the Scottish Highlands, hitting Deer is not an uncommon thing by any means (I've hit 5 so far in the 30 years I've been driving & I've honestly lost count of the near misses, they really are a serious menace) so although I was a bit shocked, I was able to quickly asses the situation & decided to get the car as close to home as I could..
It was obvious that the car was seriously damaged because of the fact that something (the front right wing) was catching the tyre, steam was pouring out the radiator, along with the windscreen having a huge hole in it & the headlights being out..
I limped home, parked up, went in & poured myself a few HUGE drams while having glass picked out my hair.!
I was white as a sheet & didn't stop shaking for hours.!
I went out the next morning & simply couldn't believe the devastation I saw.!!!
It ended up needing a front bumper, radiator, both headlights, a bonnet, both front wings, a windscreen, a dent pulled out the roof & A pillar, both right doors & glass, a huge dent pulled out the right quarter panel, quarter glass, a right rear light cluster & a new rear bumper.!!!!!!
I paid £9,000 for the car a week earlier & it now needed £5,500 in repairs.!!!
I'D ONLY HAD IT A BLOODY WEEK.!!! 😲 🤯
Fortunately the insurance paid out immediately.
The garage told me it was literally a borderline write off.!!!
The (Arnold Clark) garage also pulled the well known trick of charging the insurance company for OEM parts while they actually fitted aftermarket parts.!! so you could clearly hear the difference between shutting the left doors & the new right doors.... B#stards.!!!
Anyways, I can tell you... I bloody well slowed my roll after that.!!!
And I developed a whole new level of respect for the local Scottish wildlife.!
As for the Stag... The last I saw of him, he was nothing but a bag of minced meat on the side of the road.! 😉
Thank you for this interesting report.In my opinion the C6 is underrated.I like it.
Greetings from Germany
Just got this in my recommended. I'll be honest, I couldn't care less about French cars because of their bad reputation of breaking down quickly and costing a lot to maintain, but my God what does it look good! If you were to drive that around in the city, you'd absolutely catch someone's attention with it! Unlike the lazy Cyberpunk-esque electric cars and bloated SUVs which all look the same, this car even today looks and feels truly unique and futuristic.
What a shame that it never took off, it looks very lovely!
You know, this is the second best part from owning this car. People always stare and look into the car! They almost never seen it in person, and they are so curious. First best part- You are one of the few maniacs that are crazy enough to purchase this car. And people do realize that. Oh, and also it rides good yeah 😀
I have admired the cars of the Citroen brand since my teens, starting with the classic DS. I never owned a Citroen, but until the take over by Peugeot, it was a very innovative company that definitely thought "out of the box" not only in styling but also engineering.
Once saw a black one in Central London, it looked beautiful. I suspect its a great car.
I really enjoyed this one. The C6 is one of those cars that always catches your eye on the road. I'm very tempted to get one.
Almost twenty years after its launch it is still a stunner of a car! A classic from the get go.
Saw one today, parked a couple of streets down the road from my place. I've seen it parked in the area a few times. It looks amazing inside...acres of leather.
I have a C6 for the last 10 years and love it and it does turn heads
Especially since the takeover of Chrysler and Alfa you really do wonder why the heck they never made ONE really good RWD platform. Throw in a ZF 8-speed, an inline 6 and a V8, some PHEV, and some stunning design: One American (fat muscle), one Italian (sporty and curvy) and one French (hyper chic…like the new Peugeots or Renaults), all with really good proportions and reliable tech (screw getting too connected and assisted).
But that ship has sailed, now all is going somehow electric and this is opportunity will be forever lost.
I grown to like how it looks over the years. There is one near where I live, I see it almost daily. It has beige interior and looks really nice.
C6 might have been a commercial flop but still an instant classic and will be revered long after the last BMW 5 series has long gone.
Smooth ride, sleek transportation.
The C6 had this weird look that you either love it or completely hate it, but its killer was reliability, the car was a nightmare to own.
Nice video as usual 👍🏻
so was a Range Rover
I have a Land Rover Discovery and it’s the most unreliable car I’ve ever owned.
I have read nightmare stories about the 2.7HDi but my petrol engine has been reliable for the last 15 years.
Very great and interesting video. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks a lot.
Absolutely stunning car.
I have always lusted after one.
Fun fact: RUclips was founded in February 2005. Presentation of the C6 was in March 2005. So the C6 was prtobably the first new car you could watch reviews of on YT.
RUclips didn't really take off until maybe 2006-7. In 2005 it was really just a community video sharing thing
The C6 looks amazing it looks like today's cars but better😊😊❤❤
One of the very few cars of this class that i'd be happy to own. This, the MK1 VW Phaeton 3.2 TDI and the mid 2000's Honda Legend.
honda legend fared better against C6 in a comparison though
@@yudhabagaskara98 I'm sure it probably did. They're old cars now and the appeal is more of a novelty than about which one is technically better than the other. I enjoy the distinct engineering and clever quirky design ques more than the performance or prestige really.
The effective replacement (the DS9) is giving the C6 a run for it's money for most disastrous Citroen product. I believe they have sold fewer than 5000 in 4 years of production.
I never thought C6 was so rare. I see them every week.
I know it’s nowhere near the same era or design but for some reason the numero 9 grille sparked memories of the GT by Citroen concept, wish they had a market to justify that, it was so good looking
#9 what a car, I’m surprised the design hasn’t been brought by another car brand it look amazing
The interior design wowed me, the seat layout was gorgeous.
They are considered classics already. They go for double or more or an equivalent A6, E class or 5 Series. I love the huge wood pieces on the doors. This car so special, has a real sense of occasion. Every trip in the car is fun, as long as it keeps working. A true DS successor. They really don't make 'em like this anymore.
They should have built the Metisse! That was one sexy looking car.
I used to really like these c6 , concave rear window 6 cylinder engine and lovely looking, where did they go ?.
Got one running around in my hoods in western Helsinki, Finland. A very cool car that no-one knows about.
Can't help thinking that Toyota & Nissan were onto something when they created separate premium brands.
Successful in the USA but not really in the UK. How many Infiniti do you see here ?
Or Honda/Acura.
Actually. Only really Toyota/Lexus caught on over here.
@@Rapscallion2009 Or Xedos!
@@andrewwaller5913 They only started selling them recently
Infiniti dropped the ball in the 2020s
I remember admiring theses cars when they were new. Oh how I wished these cars were sold new in the states! They seemed so exotic, but I guess it was a matter of the forbidden fruit effect: after all what fails in the UK usually fails in the US (Though not necessarily the other way around.)
It’s one of the best looking modern Citroens in my opinion.
Love the C6. Would have a good one if I could find one.
Citroën introduced the C6 concept car in the early 2000s but didn't put it into the production until five years later, wearing lot of people's patience. My father's best friend was a lifelong Citroën aficionado, starting with DS in the 1960s then a series of CX in the 1970s and 1980s before switching to XM in the 1990s. He had leased almost all of the CX and XM due to his corporate position. When the lease for his XM came to end, he was offered either Xantia or Xsara as C5 and C6 weren't ready. The pitiful Xantia and Xsara soured his long-time relationship with Citroën. He switched to Audi A6, which he continued to drive to this day. The Citroën sales centre even offered him a free C6 for a week when it was finally released to the public, but he flatly turned the offer down.