When time is called on the Citroen C5, it will also mark the end of Paul Magès’ famed hydraulic suspension. According to Reuters, the six decade-old system – which made its debut on the Traction Avant in 1954 but was more noted for its application on the DS of 1955 – is set to be canned.
Sources told the news agency that PSA/Peugeot-Citroen, in a bid to cut costs, is saying adieu to the suspension. According to these sources, CEO Carlos Tavares has made it clear that there are now other systems that can do just as well and that hydropneumatics cost a lot for not much benefit.
The report added that sales of hydropneumatic Citroen C5s dwindled to about 10,000 units in 2014, and the Hydractive 3 suspension accounted for only a small share of overall production at the group’s component plant in Caen, Normandy. Another notable user is of course Rolls-Royce – the factory will still supply pneumatic spheres to RR for its applications.
Strikingly, the system’s retirement comes just as PSA is shaping up the new DS range as a stand-alone luxury brand concentrating on sedans and SUVs and playing up the new range’s connection with its legendary ancestor. The flagship DS5 is equipped with dampers built by ZF, which feature preloaded linear valves (PLV) for more linear damping and a longer compression stroke.
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Citroen has just shot themselves is the head. The Hydractive suspension is the thing that makes a Citroen a Citroen. Without it it’s just another French car. I really hope they make a successor to the C6 or a DS5 with the Hydractive suspension.
I still have my 2003 C5 with said suspesion & it is way more comfortable than any mainstream BMWs, Mers & Audis.
I thought Camry is most comfortable car nowadays
Camry is comfortable for a conventional car. The C5 Executive used Hydractive, which is on another level (though they stiffened it up a bit… but you can buy different spheres to tune the suspension… it says a lot if the tuning parts for the car are meant to make it even softer!). The other user of this tech (licensed from Citroen) is Rolls Royce. So that’s the level Citroen used to operate on. Mercedes uses similar tech (but AFAIK inferior) in their S class, if you pay a bit extra, and some Japanese brands experimented with it too, but they only offered it on their most expensive models, so it isn’t common.
continous control systm.
its how close to the set point.
used to drive the c5 for 6 months.
citroen mmg ohsemm!!
Why would you buy a Citroen when the reason to buy one is gone? Other systems that can compete with it? Go tell Rolls Royce. Apparently they are not as good, otherwise surely Rolls Royce would be using them.
Now… there are indeed alternatives, like ECASS, but those systems cost more than a normal car, and rather big, heavy… it’s meant for the military version of the Hummer H1 for example.
So… the DS5 is proof Hydractive isn’t necessary anymore? It just has a regular dampening system, nothing new. It can’t stiffen up in corners, it can’t raise the ride height or lower it, depending on what is needed, it can’t level the car, … . And in the 70s Citroen had worked on a hydractive version that leans the car into corners, like a bike, thus enabling higher cornering speeds, more comfort for the passengers, … surely if they had continued work on it they could have it by now.
That would be such a shame! Cars are becoming more and more of the same, from a technical point of view. Mainstream cars all ride the same and new-car buyers only have to compare brochures and select the car with the most gadgets and peak (HP/KW) power. This makes me sad as an engineer. I can’t believe Citroën has neglected the system as much as they did the last few years. It was sort of phased out as it was hardly promoted or available.
The ride of a well maintained Citroën with HP suspension is just “magnifique” and certainly not old fashioned as some say. Come on; Air and hydraulics working together in active controlled dampers! This, the technology itself and the reputation for making the most comfortable suspension there is…. every other brand would just dream of having a unique selling point like this and Citroen is throwing it away! The complete marketing staff at Citroën should be fired if they can’t sell this. This all in a time where the demand for less harsh rides finally picks up after years in Europe.
This is really a disappointed decision and also an idiot decision. In Malaysia, with Hydrative 3, what else cars can beat the C6 or C5 in term of comfort with the price below RM500k? the hydrative suspension is the trade mark for citroen. Please remain it… PSA..
Below 500k? The only competitor is Rolls Royce, which uses the same system.
This is really terrible news for us Citroen enthusiasts! I have owned 8 Citroens, DS, GSs, GSAs, BXs and C5 and was planning to buy the new DS. However, the new DS is on springs and thus is no different from other cars! I doubt whether I will consider it anymore. A Citroen on springs is really no Citroen, it is like a crocodile without teeth!