Citroen C6 Specifications

Overview
It is inspired by the C6 Lignage prototype which was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 1999, but differs from the concept car's styling in minor details. At the time it was hoped that the C6 would go into production by the end of 2001 as the replacement for the aging XM, which was first produced in 1989. The XM did cease production in June 2000 but the first C6 rolled off the production line almost five years later.

According to a recent (January 2009) report, based on Euro NCAP tests in 2005, the C6 is currently Europe's safest car, closely followed by the Citroën C4.

Features
The C6 is powered by either a 3.0 L ES9 V6 producing 211 PS (155 kW; 208 hp) or a 2.7 L V6 HDi diesel producing 204 PS (150 kW; 201 hp). In October 2006 a 2.2 L HDi producing 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) with FAP, four cylinders and a dual turbo was introduced. In June 2009 the new 3.0 L V6 HDi diesel producing 240 PS (177 kW; 237 hp) replaced the 2.7 L V6 HDi.

The C6 is aimed as a stylish alternative to executive cars like the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Despite its hatchback shape, the car is a fastback. It has a classic trunk and a unique to Citroën (in current production) concave rear window similar to the Citroën CX and some models of Dodge in the 60s. Citroën hopes one of its main selling points will be its innovative technology, which includes a head-up display, a lane departure warning system, xenon directional headlamps (also available on the Citroën C4 and Citroën C5), Hydractive 3+ suspension with electronically controlled springing and damping, and a rear spoiler which automatically adjusts to speed and braking.

The C6 is the first car to obtain four stars in the pedestrian test rating of EuroNCAP due to the inventive design, where the bonnet pops up a little if a person/animal is hit, thus increasing the gap between the deformable bonnet and the non-deformable engine components below.

On an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson tested the C6's Hydractive suspension by mounting a camera on it and driving it on the infield of a track while filming a horse race. Despite the bumps and potholes on the infield, the C6 managed to provide a comfortable ride and stable video coverage of the race while moving at 60 km/h (approx. 40 mph). At the same time, a BMW 5-series performed the same test, but its suspension could not keep the camera upright.

Former French president Jacques Chirac has chosen the Citroën C6 as his official car, and has been using a pre-series car before the model was introduced.

Between 2005 and 2007, Citroën manufactured 17,100 C6s;[6] at launch sales expectations across the model's lifespan were given as 20,000 per year. In July 2008 the C6 car configurator on Citroën UK's website no longer offered black as a colour choice for the popular Exclusive trim levels.

By October 2008, the manual transmission and the intermediate Lignage specification were no longer offered. Polar white was added to the colour options (replacing Deep Red). The standard navigation system, named until then "NaviDrive", was renamed "Concert Pack".

The 3.0 V6 petrol engine was discontinued in February 2009 - only the 2.2 and 2.7 HDi options with six-speed automatic gearboxes were offered, in base C6 or C6 Exclusive trim. In June 2009, the 2.7 HDi engine was replaced by the new 3.0 V6 HDi, as was mentioned.

As of 2010, only the Exclusive trim is offered in some markets such as the United Kingdom.

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