If you thought hybrids were for geeks, then think again. The Citroen DS5 is one of a growing number of performance cars which show that petrol-electric (or in this case diesel-electric) might be the way to go.

The DS5 is the third in the DS family of MINI-inspired cars which show that flair and a passion for design isn’t purely a BMW thing. Indeed, Citroen can claim a healthy heritage in passionate design, hence the retrieval of the DS name from the company archive.

The DS5 is the flagship - and the most expensive - of the DS family costing from £22,700. In this format, though, it would set you back £30,400, but before you dismiss it as too expensive for a Citroen, consider a few facts.

It will zip to 60mph in just over eight seconds and on to 131mph (but not on the M62, of course). Yet it will return more than 70mpg on all the three benchmarks (town, country and combined).

Not a bad combination. If you add in the fact that the DS5 cabin is like a museum of modern art (well, a lot more interesting than run-of-the-mill Citroen interiors of a couple of years ago) and you can see the appeal.

And you can see why DS is credited with giving Citroen a great shove in the right direction.

OK, the DS5 isn’t without fault. I’m not sure I approve of the American-inspired push-button handbrake and there are just too many buttons for me, but they are shiny, polished buttons which nonetheless look classy. The cabin has the cossetted, wraparound style of a sports car and it certainly feels good to be in. From the outside, it’s a strange-looking beast, but no-one I spoke to thought it was ugly.

More men liked it than women, but even the females admired it for being different.

The upholstery style is new, and looks fantastic. Citroen has gone to town on making the DS5 stand out and the seats are the best in the business. Believe me, I’ve sat in most of them.

There’s decent legroom in the back, but the car isn’t as big on the inside as you might think, so three adults would be a bit cramped on the rear 60/40 split bench seat.

Boot space varies according to model choice. There’s more room in the diesel and petrol models than there is in the hybrid version. The latter takes a hit because of the batteries and motor under the boot floor.

Three trim levels will be on offer to begin with, and current Citroen owners might be familiar with the DSign, DStyle and DSport labels.

The build quality is outstanding, though, for a company which hasn’t always been held in the best regard.

The leather quality is remarkable, the dashboard materials all look and feel very upmarket, and I didn’t touch one thing during my time with the car that felt like it had been built down to a price. Impressive stuff.

The Hybrid4 system has already been seen in the Peugeot 3008. Combining the HDi 160 diesel engine driving the front wheels with an electric motor driving the rears it’s designed to give impressive economy gains over and above a normal diesel model.

There’s a dedicated driving mode for zero-emission urban driving, using the electric motor only. In the real world, the DS5 is heavy enough to make it difficult to keep on the motor alone using the default ‘Auto’ driving mode, so it’s good to keep the electric-only ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) mode activated in town as much as possible.

At £30,000, it’s pricey but if ever a Citroen was worth so much, then this is the one.

 

Citroen DS5 Hybrid D-Style

PRICE: £30,400. The DS5 range starts at £22,700
ENGINE: A 1,997cc, four-cylinder diesel unit and an electric motor generating 200bhp between them (163bhp for the diesel and 37bhp for the electric motor) 
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 131mph and 0 to 60mph in 8.3 seconds
COSTS: town 74.3mpg; country 70.6mpg; combined 72.4mpg
INSURANCE: Group 27
EMISSIONS: 102g/km
WARRANTY: Three years and 60,000 miles warranty