Citroen C6 I – a “spaceship” like the French president’s
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Citroen C6 I – a “spaceship” like the French president’s

Cars Citroen, especially business class, have always caused surprise. In Russia, the latter quickly transformed into hostility. Okay, controversial design – you can still get used to that. But the technical component…


The suspension looked especially suspicious. Even many Citroen cars from the 90s had hydraulic suspension. Yes, not just pneumatic. And only a few knew how to repair it.

However, it is not all that bad. The Citroen hydraulic suspension turned out to be reliable and repairable – if you know how to do it, of course. But still, it is difficult to sell any car of this brand, even a common one, in Russia.

Citroen C6 I – a “spaceship” like the French president’sThe rear of the Citroen C6 is especially unusual. Photo: youtube.com

Especially when it comes to such an exclusive as the first generation Citroen C6. Yes, there is also a second generation, which debuted in 2016 – a couple of years after the model ceased production.

Moreover, the Citroen C6 was even officially sold in Russia. They were, however, poorly bought – there is information that only 124 cars found their first owners in our country. Apparently, they were “taken in” by the appearance, comfort level and size. In any case, you can’t call such people anything other than aesthetes.

As for prices on the Russian secondary market, the Citroen C6 is expensive, despite the fact that it was produced from 2004 to 2012, that is, the car is quite old. They ask us for it from 950 thousand to 2 million rubles. There are few offers - about 5, so there is not much to choose from.

Appearance and body


It is difficult to meet a Citroen C6 on Russian roads. Therefore, the owner of such a car will invariably attract curious glances. Of course - the car looks somehow very cosmic, unusual.

From a distance, the Citroen C6 appears long and fast. Photo: youtube.com

There is a feeling that the designers made a show car, and then took it and sent it into serial production without any significant changes. You can’t say that the car is beautiful or ugly – it’s just an acquired taste and unusual.

The fastback body length is 4,9 meters. The most ridiculous thing is that the Citroen C6 is related to the C5 and Peugeot 407 models. The platform was simply stretched a lot.

As for the safety of the body on the used market - this is Citroen. This brand has never spared money on anti-corrosion treatment and high-quality paintwork. At least for the business class and above. Therefore, "bugs" for this model are a rare phenomenon.

It is difficult to find corrosion, even after an accident the body is well preserved. But you should not buy cars that have already been in accidents and were left with "battle wounds". It is very difficult to find body parts for the Citroen C6 in Russia. And it is not so easy to bring from abroad. Of course, everything can be solved, but it is better to take care of the body, optics and original glass. All this is very expensive.

Salon and electrical


Many are used to the fact that Citroen cars belong to the middle price category at most. But the C6 is not like that, when it first debuted, they were offered at a price of 50 to 60 thousand euros.

The leather in the Citroen C6 interior is high-quality and wear-resistant. Photo: youtube.com

Accordingly, the interior of this car is luxurious. Among the "unusual" things here are:

✅ Frameless doors
✅ Wooden semicircles-inserts from the inside on the "cards"
✅ Projection of display readings onto the windshield

The latter is certainly not exclusive, but even now such a solution is found only in the most expensive cars, such as the Chevrolet Corvette. Cars intended for the EU market even have voice control of the on-board computer and radio. A road marking monitoring system is also provided.

The seats are comfortable. And even though they don't have developed lateral support, it still doesn't prevent you from getting comfortable there. But the passengers in the back row will feel the best of all. There are two separate heated seats. It's not for nothing that French presidents rode in these cars.

As a rule, the Citroen C6 interiors are in excellent condition. But the abundance of electronics, especially French ones, is a time bomb. Therefore, you need to check everything thoroughly before buying.

The most comfortable seats in the Citroen C6 are in the back. Photo: youtube.com

But even this will not save you from some design flaws. For example, the Citroen C6 dashboard can suddenly fail. And quite spectacularly – with smoke. Most likely, you will have to change it entirely. And you still need to find this in the EU countries, it is unlikely to work in Russia.

There is, of course, a theoretical possibility of finding a master who will resolder the panel. But the probability that the service station will undertake this is slightly greater than zero. Perhaps on specific forums dedicated to Citroen, you will be able to find an enthusiast or specialist.

Engines


Under the hoods of Citroen C6, you can mostly find diesel engines. But that was in the EU countries. In Russia, we preferred petrol power units, and on the used market now, for example, there are only such ones.

Engine 3.0 V6 ES9A, or more precisely, 2,9. It comes from the late 90s, was installed on various cars of PSA and Renault concerns. For example, on Peugeot 607. The engine is quite simple and resourceful, easily "steps over" the mark of 300 thousand kilometers of run.

This is what a 2,7-liter diesel engine looks like under the hood of a Citroen C6. Photo: youtube.com

Power 211 hp. It’s not that the power unit gives the car explosive dynamics, but it took 9,4 seconds to reach “hundreds” when it was new.

Standard problems of the V6 ES9A engine in ascending order:

✅ Candles
✅ Coils
✅ Lambdas

All this is due to low-quality gasoline. So you shouldn't fill it with AI-92.

The diesel engines under the hoods of the Citroen C6 were different, but due to their rarity in Russia, we will not go into details. We will only mention that there are three of them.

The 2,2-liter HDi DW12BTED4 power unit is reliable and common. The only serious problem is crankshaft bearing rotation. This happens due to untimely oil change. Moreover, you need to choose viscosity according to SAE at least W40, and better W50.

The 2.7 HDi DT17ED4 and 3.0 HDi DT20C diesels are much rarer. The three-liter engine is the fastest in the lineup. With it under the hood, the car accelerates to the first "hundred" in 8,5 seconds.

The Citroen C6 has only one petrol engine. Photo: youtube.com

Engines are reliable, but rare in Russia. Therefore, repairing them in case of breakdowns is expensive. Because of this, previous owners start the power units. And that's how they get to the new owners...

A naturally aspirated petrol engine is definitely recommended for purchase. But its fuel consumption in the city is from 15 liters - you have to put up with this.

Other technical features


Gearboxes in Citroen C6 are mostly automatic. "Mechanics" was only paired with the weakest diesel engine - 2,2 liters.

The automatic transmission here is AM6, better known as Aisin TF-80SC. An excellent unit that was installed on various cars - from Opel to Mazda. It does not cause any trouble if you change the oil at least once every 50 thousand kilometers.

The Citroen C6 has a large trunk, but the opening is small. Photo: youtube.com

But age and high mileage can lead to malfunctions. More often, you have to change the gaskets and seals. Then the clutch kit and the hydraulic unit. The latter, by the way, can be overhauled, although service station mechanics often claim the opposite.

The Citroen C6 has an independent hydropneumatic suspension. There are seven spheres there – one more than the C5 model. The suspension automatically adjusts to the road surface. The higher the speed, the lower the car. If necessary, the car can be forcibly raised by 190 mm.

The Citroen C6 has 17 levels of suspension stiffness adjustment. It is adjusted automatically depending on a number of parameters such as speed, acceleration, cornering.

The Citroen C6 has a specific dashboard. Photo: youtube.com

The suspension is reliable, as always with Citroen, but the main thing is that it is serviced on time. You should not buy a car with problems in this area - otherwise expensive repairs are guaranteed for the next owner.

But the Citroen C6 suspension consists of more than just hydropneumatics. There is also a subframe, a lot of levers, supports, anti-roll bars... A suspension inspection at a service station is mandatory when buying such a car.

So is the Citroen C6 worth buying? Only for those who are delighted with its appearance. It is far from a universal car with a high cost of ownership.
Would you risk buying a Citroen C6?
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