The Citröen C6 Was an Ultra-Quirky French Luxury Sedan

CHECK OUT CARS & BIDS!

THANKS TO THE LANE MOTOR MUSEUM FOR THIS C6!

Citröen C6 review! The Citröen C6 was a French luxury sedan -- and a very unusual one. Today I'm reviewing the C6, and I'm going to show you all the quirks and features of the unusual Citroen C6. I'm also going to drive the C6 and show you what it's like behind the wheel of this unusual car.

WEBSITE & MERCH!

FOLLOW ME!

DOUGSCORE CHART:

[lordjohnpp]

Dude you've missed a lot of cool options when you talked for this car. The head lights are turning when you are turning the wheel. There is a sport mode for the suspension if you don't want to roll so much. When you gain speed the car automatically become more stable and the wheel - more direct. There is also sport mode for the transmission and a snow mode for it too. All the seats are heated including those on the back with a separate control for each one. I'm personally own the model from 2011 twin turbo V6 3.0 liter diesel with 240 hp. and the heads-up display can show the speed and navigation information together. It has also 10 gb hard disk for music storage and of course very good sound system with 12 speakers. And for the airbags, they are 8 in total and also covered backseat passengers. There are also other things like backseats cupholders, interior lights including such for the floor also. And the external lights you wander about are just for emphasis of car silhouette at night. But you are an American we can forgive you. 😄

[jgodin]

I remember Jeremy Clarkson complained that the C6 wasn't weird enough, for a big Citroen. He said things like, "it's front wheel drive, when it should be side-wheel drive"

[NismoakaNismovsky]

Adding to what Doug already said (as a C6 and Vel Satis owner):
- top tier versions had electrically reclined rear seats
- xenon lamps move along with the steering wheel, enhancing visibility in the corners
- hood has explosive materials near the hinges and in case of hitting a pedestrian they lift the hood few inches, providing a softer hit for the pedestrian
- pneumatic suspension had a camera below the front bumper and it was helping determining how to damp a certain pothole. Additionally, the computers controlling the front axle were sending signals to the rear axle, so even if the front passengers felt a bump, rear seat occupants were even more insulated from any road imperfections

Also, Doug - this weird rear window really helps with rain :)

[sisyphus]

Living in Europe, I love how Doug takes cars that are everywhere here - our everyday cars - and tells us how quirky and strange they are. I guess those terms are relative!

[wa]

Citröen C6: "I'm the quirkiest guy around"
Renault Avantime: "Hold my champagne"

[orvarino]

As a Citroën C5 owner I can attest:
Citroën has the best solutions for problems that do not exist.

[ManAcadie]

When it comes to Quirks Citroen is hands down the winner ever time.

[deanbarnes]

I love Citroens so much!
Yes, they are weird and quirky, but in a charming way. They have so much character. They have personality.
They were so advanced but in a subtle way.

[bestattitude]

As a french guy, I've been waiting to see this review coming out ever since I saw a snippet of it at the very beginning of one of your other videos, months ago during the Caaars And Biiids advertising thing. 😁 I'm sooo thrilled you've finally released this very awaited C6 review!
As you said, the Citroën C6 is a very quirky car (even for us) and certainly one of the strangest of French cars!
French makers were never able to compete with the Germans on the upper market segments, and the C6 is one of the biggest failures in the history of the French car industry. Only about 23.400 units were made during the entire production run, which is an insanely low figure. Shamingly so. The Renault Vel Satis was another huge failure on the same segment, and both models were on sale during (roughly) the same period of time. Both were good cars, but too weird to attract E-Class and 5 Series buyers. Of course, the brand names also did come into play, as Citroën, Peugeot and Renault are just mainstream manufacturers, far from the hype and the strong reputation of Mercedes, BMW and Audi.
But still, you missed quite a few interesting features on the C6, and some things you've said are wrong. First, the wood trim is real wood. Then, the climate vents can be closed by just turning their wheel all the way down, which makes them go flush with the dashboard and kind of disappear (or blend in, if you will). Those other wheels you've turned on the sides of the center screen, they control the upper vents designed to redirect the airflow towards the windshield, allowing for a softer air conditioning experience (not to be mistaken for the windshield defroster, which is yet another thing).
Then, the head up display can indeed display the speed, the navigation directions and some other informations, all at the same time.
The higher trim levels were equipped with all-around double glazing for even better sound deadening, and with directional bi-Xenon headlights. Those higher trim levels could also come with optional electrically adjustable and heating rear seats (but then you would lose the folding capability).
Did you notice that the "infotainment" system is the same as those you would find in a Fiat, an Alfa Romeo or a Maserati? That's because PSA and Fiat Group had a partnership at that time (they built minivans and commercials in common).
And you also missed out quite a few important things in the suspension department. The 4 cylinder models came with an already sophisticated system, but the 6 cylinder models had all the bells and whistles in terms of suspension : the Hydractive with AMVAR (AMortissement VARiable = adaptive damping). This last generation of hydropneumatic suspension system is the most advanced Citroën has ever made, and it allowed for both high level comfort and excellent handling, although, of course, the C6 was no sports car by any means. It was "la pièce de résistance", truly a very refined suspension and a key feature of this car. But it was expensive to build, expensive to maintain, and Citroën no longer makes it.
The C6 is the last big sedan Citroën has built in the true "Citroën fashion" with all its weirdness (and poor reliability), and even here in France, we don't get to see one all that often. But C6s in good condition, with low mileage and with the petrol V6 engine, are becoming more and more sought after, and their market value tends to go up! Some say that this car is a future collector! I almost bought myself one, but then... nah! I rather went for an E-Class, which is my daily driver and never lets me down.
Anyway, thank you Doug for this great video! I can tell by the smile on your face, that you had a great time reviewing this very unusual car.

[marcosperezotero]

Doug, you forgot to talk about some features, like the "active front hood" that the C6 has. This car has a special hood hinges with a pyrotechnic charge that in case you hit a pedestrian, rises the rear part of the hood to minimise the injuries to the pedestrian.
This C6 also has directional xenon headlights, wich turns with the front wheels when you are cornering
It also has frameless windows with laminated glass in all four doors

[artemkatelnytskyi]

Citröen really lives up to its slogan, "Creative technology".

[gregthompson]

Doug, I own one of these. Along with a S 55, a 740 2000, and a Audi S8. The C6 is the smoothest to drive. It’s quite, cheap to run, it floats. The Head Up display DOES show speed and nav at the same time. Mines travelled 270, 000 ks and is still a pleasure to drive.

[erikgranqvist]

The highest setting on Citroën hydropneumatic suspension also means you have zero suspension. It becomes rock hard at that level. About reliability: Citroëns suspension was actually quite good. They held together way better the just about any air suspension out there. My twin brother is a Citroën nerd.

[madearl]

With regards to handling, German magazine auto motor und sport did a comparison with the BMW 5 series, and the C6 was actually so much quicker on the test track that they felt the need to write an op-ed on how this is not a real Citroën any more what with all the sportiness. I've been owning a C6 for 11 years, bought new, and this car continues to amaze me. It's not built for traffic light duels, it's one of the best cars for long Autobahn or highway journeys. It does 240 kph, and at 160 kph my wife can still adjust her make-up, that's how good the suspension is.

The styling is somewhat art deco with a theme of straight lines and half-circles plus citations from former styling icons in the Citroën family, like the DS, the CX, and the SM. I think it's gorgeous. It's a car built for the Citroën enthusiast, of which unfortunately there weren't enough. It does not have the aggression cars of that market segment usually display, it has elegance and understatement.

[Firebolt]

Doug has been incredible this year, really stepped up a level, if that was even possible. Keep it up Doug!

[airsoftcliff]

I am french and I have this car. This car is the most comfortable car in the world (she has some awards for that, for real !). This car was not à big success, but in the future she will take à good value. 👍 I paid my car about 8% of it's original price (in good condition)

[dr_skipwith]

I've never heard a more funky seat belt chime in my life. Had me grooving.

[khalidacosta]

I think Doug missed a few features out. The C6 was the only car that combined Peugeot's AMVAR system with Citroen's Hydroactive system. The dampers AND suspension was adjustable, over 50 times per second. The wallowy ride is what gives it comfort... but if Doug pushed the "Sport" button, the dampers AND suspension would stiffen to give it far more cornering prowess... courtesy of it's all aluminium front double wishbones and multilink rear... with all aluminium subframes. This is to simplify the suspension, it's far more complex, the hydropenumatic system can actually reduce body roll massively when in sport mode and also helps you change a wheel too! Other notable facts is the car has cornering headlights, which swivel when taking bends. All the glass is double glazed to reduce road noise. The infotainment system will automatically dial the authorities and give the position in the event of a crash, which it even has a battery backup system! Of course, if you pop a simcard into it, then you have a full onboard phone too. HVAC system has individual automatic vent control for passenger and driver, which works superbly. There's far more but all I can think of right now. How doug drived it without pushing the sport button... is beyond me... this is a french car, the sport button actually makes it sporty, unlike modern german cars which just makes the exhaust louder!

[AlbertSpice]

That "hidden" door pocket is so good I'm surprised more companies don't implement them into their cars. This would look so good in something like a RR or a Bentley.

[TheCat]

That audio control behind the steering wheel is very common for french cars, Peugeot and Renault also have it. It's actually very comfortable and easy to use once you get used to it. My dad had a C5 for 13 years and it also had a lot of the c6s features. I found the adjustable height of the suspension to be very cool altough if you raised the height, the car would automatically go back down if you drove above 50 kph. Also the dashboard was huge, it had like 8 dials and instruments. It also had a lot of equipment for a car from the early 00's like automatic wipers, rain sensors, automatic ac, a colled glove box... most of the stuff we can today get only as extra option and in top trim packages.