I still remember standing in a car park next to my Citroen C6, watching people walk past most executive saloons without a glance, then stop dead at this one’s exterior design, because it carries the visual DNA of the Lignage concept car in a way no rivals dare to copy.
Citroen C6 Design and Styling
The interior design borrows heavily from Citroen’s large Citroens of the past the DS, the CX, and the SM giving the cabin a bold, distinctive Parisian character that some reviewers still call clumsy or awkward next to conservative German styling, yet nobody denies its presence.
Little details push that flamboyance further: sliding door-pocket covers that feel like a toy, individually adjustable seats and reclining rear seats lifted straight from TGV train seating, a head-up display that throws navigation prompts onto the windscreen, and a segment-defying speed of ideas packed into one concept car.
Engine and Performance
Under the bonnet, the 2.7-litre V6 turbodiesel drives almost every one of the UK sales figures, and once you hear this HDi V6 settle from idle into a smooth hum, you understand why people call it one of the best diesel engines ever built, sharing its bones with the Jaguar S-Type, the Jaguar XJ, and the Peugeot 407 Coupe.
The 3.0-litre V6 petrol and the petrol V6 badge sound tempting, but the numbers tell a different story: 0-60mph arrives after 9 seconds, 100mph needs a patient 20 seconds, and a kerb weight of 1,900kg keeps acceleration and performance well behind a BMW 535d or a Mercedes E320 CDI.
What buyers do get, in either diesel form, is real refinement and torque delivered through a six-speed automatic gearbox with a quiet demeanor, though the Tiptronic manual-shift function has a shift pattern that never feels efficient or natural to use.
Fuel Economy and Running Costs
Fuel economy never was the C6’s strong suit; the petrol version returns 25.2mpg while a BMW 530i, part of the wider BMW 5 Series, sips fuel at a rate closer to 32.1mpg in similar mixed driving.
The diesel does a bit better at 22.5mpg, though a fuel tank still empties after roughly 500 miles of real-world range, which matters if your running costs already feel tight. Company car tax stings too, since the petrol sits in the 35% BIK band against the 30% BIK band most business users enjoy in an equivalent car, a gap that adds real money to every payslip.
Ride, Handling, and Comfort
Citroen’s hydropneumatic suspension is the heart of the C6’s comfort story, and at high speeds it rewards passengers with a genuinely wafting ride and body control that few rivals can match.
Drop the pace down to town driving or low speeds, though, and the same suspension turns into a noisier ride over rough urban surfaces, which is the honest trade-off you accept for that composed ride once you speed up again.
There is more body roll here than in older Activa suspension setups, the variable-assistance steering trades some steering feedback for ease, and drivers simply learn to live with it because the payoff at speed is worth it.
Interior, Equipment, and Build Quality
Sitting behind the wheel of my own C6, priced new at around £38,000, I found a driving position with generous seat adjustment, though the front seats lack lateral support under hard cornering.
Build quality and interior quality both sit far above older French cars, with soft-feel plastics and switchgear that feel properly built, backed by a parking radar and an in-car entertainment system that lives up to the comfort-first reputation.
I chose the charcoal interior over the cream interior because it hides marks better, though the Alezan chestnut-brown trim is worth a look, and the Sat/Nav interface in some test cars showed sluggish responsiveness.
Depreciation and Value
Depreciation is the C6’s biggest scar, and reviewers warned from day one that controlling UK supply would not save resale values on what started life at a £38,000+ list price.
Private cash buyers rarely chose a new car like this, since company car users made up most of the demand, and running costs on top of a steep new-car outlay pushed ordinary buyers away.
That said, low-mileage examples now offer real value, and choosing a used buy gives you all the individuality of the C6 without paying anywhere near the original price.
Ownership Experience
My first test drive left me cold, with remote steering and slow gearbox responses giving a strange isolation compared to conventional saloons I had driven before.
Ownership changed my mind within days, because the quietness inside the cabin and the sheer sense of occasion this car brings turned every drive into something memorable, and other owners tell me the same story. The C6 carries the lineage of eccentric Citroens like the DS, the CX, and the XM, and it stands as one of the last idiosyncratic large cars with real presence on the road.
Verdict
The Citroen C6 never wins on spreadsheet logic, since heavy depreciation, frequent trips to the fuel pump, and a company car bill higher than most rivals all count against it.
What it wins on is standout styling, real individuality, a genuinely comfortable ride, and a well-built interior that stands apart from the usual German-dominated mainstream of executive cars.
Buyers who accept its quirks with affection, rather than judge it by numbers, tend to find real happiness on the used market, where this car finally makes sense.
FAQs of Citroen C6
Is the Citroen C6 a good executive saloon?
Yes, it blends distinctive styling, comfort, and true individuality that few rivals can match.
What makes the Citroen C6 so distinctive?
Its bold, Parisian character and concept car looks give it unmistakable presence on the road.
Does the Citroen C6 hold its value?
Sadly, depreciation is steep, but that makes a used buy genuinely affordable today.
How comfortable is the Citroen C6 to drive?
It delivers a wafting ride and composed ride thanks to its hydropneumatic suspension.
Is the Citroen C6 reliable?
Yes, it’s a well-built executive car that stays dependable with regular maintenance.
