Who Wore It Better: Sarkozy Or Hollande? [Citroen Edition]

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Francois Hollande has officially been sworn in as France’s new head of state, and as expected, his official car is a Citroen DS5 Hybrid4. But his predecessor may have one-upped the upstart Socialist with a choice ride of his own.

Leaving the Elysee Palace in defeat may be tough to do – less tough when Carla Bruni is the one escorting you to your new residence. But outgoing PM Nicolas Sarkozy’s exit vehicle, the Citroen C6 may be more authentically French than the DS5 chosen by Hollande – and a more appropriate successor to the DS’ namesake than the funky hatchback.

The DS5 Hybrid is a cool car on its own, but the choice of a Hybrid is an obvious pander to the anti-Sarko contingent that considers the environment just as sacrosanct as 5 weeks paid vacation. But the DS5 isn’t distinctly a Citroen, even if it does look European.

The C6, on the other hand, couldn’t be anything but a Citroen. Dynamically, it’s not a match for a 5-Series or an A6. But it is unspeakably elegant, with its long wheelbase, truncated rear deck and sloping roofline done in a much more tasteful manner than Teutonic pseudo-coupes. Put it next to an Audi A7, and the German car looks vulgar.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on May 20, 2012

    France should be pretty interesting to watch now, IIRC the election was very close and the new president isn't going to have as many fans as Sarko did when he was first elected. Incidentally I wonder if the Libyan adventure had a hand on taking him down?

  • Daviel Daviel on May 20, 2012

    I guess it's OK to smoke in the Citroen.

  • Fred I would get the Acura RDX, to replace my Honda HR-V. Both it and the CRV seats are uncomfortable on longer trips.
  • RHD Now that the negative Nellies have chimed in...A reasonably priced electric car would be a huge hit. There has to be an easy way to plug it in at home, in addition to the obvious relatively trickle charge via an extension cord. Price it under 30K, preferably under 25K, with a 200 mile range and you have a hit on your hands. This would be perfect for a teenager going to high school or a medium-range commuter. Imagine something like a Kia Soul, Ford Ranger, Honda CR-V, Chevy Malibu or even a Civic that costs a small fraction to fuel up compared to gasoline. Imagine not having to pay your wife's Chevron card bill every month (then try to get her off of Starbuck's and mani-pedi habits). One car is not the solution to every case imaginable. But would it be a market success? Abso-friggin-lutely. And TTAC missed today's announcement of the new Mini Aceman, which, unfortunately, will be sold only in China. It's an EV, so it's relevant to this particular article/question.
  • Ajla It would. Although if future EVs prove relatively indifferent to prior owner habits that makes me more likely to go used.
  • 28-Cars-Later One of the biggest reasons not to purchase an EV that I hear is...that they just all around suck for almost every use case imaginable.
  • Theflyersfan A cheaper EV is likely to have a smaller battery (think Mazda MX-30 and Mitsubishi iMEV), so that makes it less useful for some buyers. Personally, my charging can only take place at work or at a four-charger station at the end of my street in a public lot, so that's a crapshoot. If a cheaper EV was able to capture what it seems like a lot of buyers want - sub-40K, 300+ mile range, up to 80% charging in 20-30 minutes (tops) - then they can possibly be added to some lists. But then the issues of depreciation and resale value come into play if someone wants to keep the car for a while. But since this question is asking person by person, if I had room for a second car to be garaged (off of the street), I would consider an EV for a second car and keep my current one as a weekend toy. But I can't do a 50K+ EV as a primary car with my uncertain charging infrastructure by me, road trips, and as a second car, the higher insurance rates and county taxes. Not yet at least. A plug in hybrid however is perfect.
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