Citroen DS5

Citroen DS5

Average. It's an interesting go at being an alternative executive, but not quite good enough to avoid being just a big posh French hatchback.

The DS5, the third car from Citroen's DS premium sub brand, is actually the first to veer into premium territory proper. It's one thing giving small and family hatchbacks the facade of being premium, but the executive market is a dragon's den - and dragons, as you know, shout "I'm out" the second they think they're being fooled.Sure enough, Citroen's premium proposal is flawed - but not as deeply as you might expect, nor for the reasons you probably think.Look at the pictures and you may wonder what's premium about the DS5 - it's a big, fussy hatchback. But in real life the shapes and creases of the DS5 add up to a car far more visually arresting than most three-box saloons.Inside it's even better, with a cabin cosily swathed in dense, spongy plastic, silky, top grade leather and beautifully machined metal trim. The aeroplane-inspired headlining-mounted switches look great too, although they eat into headroom significantly.There is, in parts, an irksome 'style over substance' feel to the way the cabin is laid out. Some of the buttons are placed in opposition to modern automotive convention, and the rear screen is a letterbox to the outside world.Rear legroom is at a premium too (as opposed to being premium), making the inside feel more like a family hatch in terms of space; it'll be more difficult for those in the back to love the DS5 than those up front.But the biggest issue the DS5 suffers from is a drivetrain one. Of the two available - a 197bhp 1.6-litre THP turbo petrol and a diesel-electric hybrid setup - neither feels particularly suited to an executive car.The petrol needs too many revs to get going, and is thus not a relaxing experience, while the diesel Hybrid4 system - clever as it is - frankly feels under-developed at its worst. The automated manual gearbox regularly seems in a kerfuffle, pausing while it works out how it should be coordinating the two motors.The system puts a 36bhp electric motor on the rear axle, which can power the car solely for a short distance (though rarely does), or can act in combo with the 161bhp HDi diesel. The result is a tax-avoiding 99g/km CO2 emissions with a tyre shredding 369lb ft or torque.Problem is, it neither feels as responsive nor quick as it should. And it's noisy.And then there's the ride quality. Citroen is a past master at making cars that waft, so it's surprising that its latest executive car doesn't. It's eager around corners - unexpectedly fun, in fact - but at lower speeds it's always at the mercy of potholes, thumping down into them with alarming abruptness.All-in-all, however, none of the DS5's negatives are bad enough to ruin its eccentric appeal.