Current Citroen C5 to be last car from brand with hydropneumatic suspension – report

The current-generation Citroen C5 will reportedly be the last car from the French brand to be offered with the company’s iconic hydropneumatic suspension system.

Anonymous sources have told Reuters that PSA Peugeot Citroen will cease production and development of the plush-riding suspension setup when the current C5 ceases production.

The move is believed to be part of a cost cutting drive launched by PSA CEO Carlos Tavares. Early in 2014, both the French government and Chinese automaker Dongfeng injected 800 million euros ($1.1 billion) each into PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Citroen’s hydropneumatic suspension setup is manufactured in-house, and the company reportedly still supplies small quantities to a few luxury marques, including Rolls-Royce.

The company’s hydropneumatic suspension features a hydraulic pump and suspension spheres filled with pressurised nitrogen. Introduced with the 1955 Citroen DS (above), the system is famed for its ride comfort.

Although it has been an iconic part of the brand’s history, the company has elected not to install it, even as an option, on models that have been developed for the DS range, which is gradually being spun off from Citroen.

“[CEO] Tavares has made it clear that there are now other systems that can do just as well,” one source who spoke to news wire said. Another source is quoted as saying that Citroen will “still aim to be best for comfort”, but will do so without its in-house technology.

According to Reuters, Citroen produced just 10,000 hydropneumatic-equipped C5s last year.