1973 Motor Road Test
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FOR : good performance
and relaxed high-speed cruising
; excellent ride and roadholding
; magnificent lights ; very
comfortable
AGAINST : over-sensitive
brakes; pronounced dive and
squat ; poor rear-view mirror ;
noisy hydraulic pump ; engine
harsh at low speeds.
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Considering that the design of
Citroen's luxurious DS range has
survived almost 20 years without
major change, there is
remarkably little to date it.
The car is still aerodynamically
superior to nearly all its
competitors, and with its new
2300 cc engine and five-speed
gearbox it has exceptional
performance for its capacity and
it offers a degree of comfort
that is not always evident in
cars costing considerably more.
Then there are the added
refinements of load-sensitive
brakes and the option of
Citroens unique self-levelling,
swivelling headlight system
which gives the DS probably the
most effective lights fitted to
any production car in the world.
Perhaps it is in terms of
refinement that the car's
relative lack of development is
most evident. The engine for
instance, is and always was
harsh and fussy when extended
and the hydropneumatic
suspension which caused such a
stir when it was introduced is
now rivalled and in some aspects
surpassed by the springing of
more conventional cars.
To take full advantage of the
car's remarkable long-distance
cruising abilities one really
requires the full Pallas" trim
(high-backed thickly-padded
seats, special thick pile
carpets with foam underlay,
heated rear window, power
steering and swivelling
headlights) for optimum comfort,
and the Bosch electronic
injection for maximum
performance. With these fitted
the price of the DS at £2811 is
nearing that of the faster
Jaguar XJ6 and is considerably
more than a Rover 3500s. In
spite of this the Citroens
charms prevail and anybody who
has the fortune to drive a DS
for long distances will
doubtless appreciate, as we do,
the qualities which have kept it
to the fore in its class for so
long.
Since we last tested one, the
engine has grown in capacity
from 2175 cc to a still modest
2347 cc. The small but
significant increases in power
and torque are reflected in our
performance figures; nearly a
second shaved off the 0-60 mph
time bringing it down to 10.4s
and the top speed rising by a
full 6 mph to a very commendable
119.5 mph. Even better standing
start figures could undoubtedly
be achieved but for the violent
tramp that accompanies wheelspin
starts.
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However, the engine has
tremendous reserves of
torque, which make
vicious use of the
engine and transmission
quite unnecessary. It
will pull happily from
as little as 1000 rpm
and the 30-50 mph top
gear acceleration (in
fifth) is nearly as good
as for the old smaller
engined four-speed
model, though in taking
12.1s the DS will be
left far behind by the
Jaguar and the Rover.
The Bosch electronic
injection displayed no
vices whatsoever during
normal running, but a
certain amount of
churning was required to
persuade the cold engine
into life. Also with the
extra performance comes
a slight increase in
fuel consumption. We
recorded an overall
figure of 18.6 mpg
compared with the 20.5
for the old car.
Five well-chosen ratios
allow full use to be
made of the available
performance and good
synchromesh gives clean
swift changes. It does
however take time to
master the action of the
column-mounted geariever
which with a strong
spring-bias to third and
fourth gears is
sometimes difficult to
position accurately,
especially on downward
changes from fifth where
one can become
momentarily confused by
the lack of feel in the
gate. Attempted fast
changes from second to
third can be troublesome
too and will sometimes
find you fifth by
mistake. The clutch is
smooth but has a long
travel. That on our test
car also suffered from
stiction in the pedal
pivot.
In the same way that
one has to acclimatise
to the soft ride and
power brakes, the
handling of the big
Citroen is an acquired
taste. Before one can
extract the last ounce
of performance it is
necessary to learn how
to set the car up for a
bend by sensitive use of
the brakes, followed by
delicate use of the
throttle, thus keeping
the car balanced through
the curve. If this
technique is employed it
will corner in a very
stable manner with
plenty of feel to the
hands through the soft
padded steering wheel.
If violent acceleration
follows clumsy harsh
braking, the DS will
revolt, by lurching off
line and going slightly
light at the wheel. The
more sensitive approach
really pays dividends in
the wet, where the
combination of good
traction from the
front-wheel drive and
excellent adhesion of
the Michelin tyres can
be used to leave many
more nimble cars behind.
The ride given by the
hydropneumatic
suspension has been the
envy of other car
designers since the day
it was introduced and
certainly it still
excels in its basic
characteristics.
Unfortunately, unlike
its smaller and more
heavily damped relative,
the GS, the big car does
suffer from big changes
in pitch under hard
acceleration and
braking. This is barely
noticeable when
travelling at a
reasonable pace on main
roads and can be cut to
a minimum by delicate
use of the brakes. In
heavy traffic, however,
the continual change of
attitude during
stop-start manoeuvres
becomes rather
irritating.
The virtues of the ride
are further heightened
by the sumptuous,
armchair-like seats,
which are fully
reclining and have a
generous range of fore
and aft adjustment as
well as a tilting
cushion which allows you
to find the position of
optimum support for the
thighs. The attractive
and functional brushed
nylon covers fitted to
our test car are
standard equipment with
the Pallas package.
Intelligent overall
design with a wheel at
each corner of the car,
and the lack of
transmission tunnel
leave a large and
uncluttered leg space
for the rear-seat
passengers, who lounge
in equal comfort to
those riding in front.
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Although basically a relaxing
car, the DS does suffer from its
own unique assortment of noises.
Apart from the harsh engine note
and the panels it excites into
vibration, one notices an
occasional sigh from the
self-levelling system as the big
car sinks or rises to its job.
Then there is the faint
rat-a-tat from the hydraulic
pump which sounds like a very
distant machine gun. Wind noise
is very low up to around 80 mph,
after which it becomes little
more than a distant whine.
The cars minor controls are
quite accessible, with two
column-mounted stalks for the
effective wash/wipe system and
for the non-cancelling
indicators/horn on the right and
a short multi-position one for
the complex lighting system on
the left. The latter takes a bit
of learning and it is advisable
to become fully conversant with
it before setting off for a
night drive. Other switches for
the rear demister, heater
blowers (one for each side of
the -car) and incredibly
brilliant interior light system
are laid out in rather bitty
auxiliary panels across the
dashboard.
A very effective heating and
ventilating system is controlled
by a separate panel mounted
under the centre of the dash.
Strong ram pressure feeds the
well-designed face-level vents
in each corner of the fascia,
though the added noise
discourages one
from opening them fully.
A quick look under the bonnet
is likely to prevent most owners
attempting their own
maintenance, for the engine is
barely visible under the mass of
pipes, hoses and leads. We
certainly had considerable
trouble tracking down the
dipstick and would not like to
have to search much deeper. The
spare wheel and jack are very
accessible, however, and are
located ahead of the engine.
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PERFORMANCE
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CONDITIONS
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Weather
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Fine,
overcast :
wind 0-10 mph
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Temperature
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36-42° F
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Barometer
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29.3 in Hg
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Surface
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Damp tarmac
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MAXIMUM
SPEEDS
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mph
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kph
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Mean *
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119.5
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192.2
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Best
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119.7
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192.5
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* Mean of
opposite runs
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Terminal
speeds
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At 1/4 mile
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78
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125
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At
kilometre
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99
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159
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Speed in
gears (at 6000
rpm) :
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1st
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32
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51
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2nd
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54
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87
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3rd
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79
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127
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4th
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108
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174
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ACCELERATION
FROM REST
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mph
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sec
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kph
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sec
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0-30
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3.5
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0-60
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4.7
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0-40
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5.2
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0-80
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7.4
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0-50
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7.4
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0-100
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11.2
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0-60
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10.4
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0-120
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16.0
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0-70
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13.8
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0-140
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22.6
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0-80
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18.3
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0-160
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33.0
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0-90
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24.5
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Stand'g km
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32.4
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0-100
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33.6
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Stand'g 1/4
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17.6
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ACCELERATION
IN TOP
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mph
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sec
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kph
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sec
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30-50
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12.1
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60-80
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6.7
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40-60
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11.1
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80-100
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6.9
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50-70
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12.0
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100-120
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8.4
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60-80
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14.3
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120-140
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10.6
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70-90
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16.4
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ACCELERATION
IN 4TH
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mph
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sec
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kph
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sec
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20-40
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8.9
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60-80
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4.9
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30-50
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8.2
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80-100
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5.6
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40-60
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7.8
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100-120
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5.8
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50-70
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8.9
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120-140
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6.6
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60-80
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9.5
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140-160
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11.1
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70-90
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10.9
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80-100
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15.6
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Speedo
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30
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40
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50
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60
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70
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80
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90
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100
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True mph
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28
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37
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47
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57
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64
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75
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82
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95
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Distance
recorder
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3 per
cent fast
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WEIGHT
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cwt
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kg
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Unladen
weight*
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26.8
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1362
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Weight as
tested
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30.5
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1550
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* With fuel
for approx. 50
miles
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Performance
tests carried
out by Motor's
staff at the
Motor Industry
Research
Association
proving
ground,
Lindley.
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GENERAL
SPECIFICATION
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ENGINE
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Cylinders
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4 in line
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Capacity
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2347 cc
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Bore/stroke
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93.5 x 85.5
mm
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Cooling
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Water
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Block
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Cast iron
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Head
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Aluminium
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Valves
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OHV
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Valve
timing
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inlet opens
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1° btdc
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inlet
closes
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43° abdc
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ex opens
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39° bbdc
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ex closes
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3° atdc
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Compression
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8.8: 1
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Induction
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Bosch
electronic
injection
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Bearings
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5 main
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Fuel pump
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Electric
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Max power
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130 bhp
(DIN) at 5250
rpm
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Max torque
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144 lb ft
(DIN) at 2500
rpm
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TRANSMISSION
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Type
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Manual, 5
speed, column
change
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Clutch
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Diaphragm
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Internal
ratios and
mph/1000
rpm
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Top
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0.78/22.4
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4th
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0.97/18.0
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3rd
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1.32/13.3
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2nd
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1.94/9.0
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1st
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3.23/5.4
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Rev
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3.15
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Final drive
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Spiral
bevel 4.37: 1
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BODY/CHASSIS
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Construction
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Unitary
frame with
bolt-on panels
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Protection
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Electrophoretic
primer and
paint
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SUSPENSION
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Front
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Equal
length
parallel
wishbones with
self-levelling
oleo-pneumatic
struts and
anti-roll bar
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Rear
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Trailing
arms with
self-levelling
oleo-pneumatic
struts and
anti-roll bar
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STEERING
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Type
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Rack and
pinion
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Assistance
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Yes
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Toe-in 2-4
mm
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Camber
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0 - 1/4"°
neg
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Castor
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1° 42'
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Rear toe-in
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0-2 mm
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BRAKES
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Type
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Disc/drum
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Servo
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Yes
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Circuit
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Divided
front and rear
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Rear valve
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No
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Adjustment
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Self-adjusting
on front only
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WHEELS
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Type
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Steel 5 1/2
J
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Tyres
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185 HR 380
Michelin XAS
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Pressures
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29 f, 26 r
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ELECTRICAL
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Battery
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12 v
60 ah
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Polarity
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Negative
earth
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Generator
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Alternator
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Fuses
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10
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Headlights
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4 x 55 w
halogen,
self-levelling
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COMPARISONS
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Capacity cc
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Price £
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Max mph
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0-60 sec
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30-50* sec
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Overall mpg
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Touring mpg
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Length ft in
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Width ft in
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Weight cwt
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Boot cu ft
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Citroen
DS 23 EFI
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2347
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2545
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119.5
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10.4
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12.1
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18.0
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-
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15
11.5
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5
11
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26.8
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11.8##
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BMW
2500 #
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2494
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3518
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113.5
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11.9
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4.4
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17.5
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23.5
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15
5.5
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5
8.75
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26.5
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12.3##
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Ford
Granada 3000
GXL #
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2994
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2229
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108.1
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11.3
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4.2
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19.0
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23.5
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15
3
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5
10.5
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27.3
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13.0
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Jaguar
XJ6
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4253
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3071
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124.0
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8.8
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6.5
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15.3
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19.0
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15
9.5
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5
9.25
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33.2
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10.5##
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Mercedes
220
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2197
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2898
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99.6
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13.3
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9.0
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17.7
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21.7
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15
4.25
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5
9.5
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25.2
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13.9##
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NSU
Ro80
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1990
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2949
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112.6
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14.2
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9.7
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15.3
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20.2
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15
8.25
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5
9.75
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23.5
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-
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Rover
3500S
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3528
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2207
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119.0
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9.3
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8.1
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19.3
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23.6
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15
0.5
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5
7.25
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26.1
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9.3
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Volvo
164 FI
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2979
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2957
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112.5
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8.8
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7.5
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17.7
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-
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15
6
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5
8.5
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26.9
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13
5##
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* in
top (kickdown for
BMW and Ford)
# automatic
transmission
## measured with
boxes, not
suitcases
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Make : Citroen
Make:Citroen Makers: S. A. Andre
Citroen, 133 Quai Andre Citroen,
Paris, 15e,
Model : DS23 Pallas EFI
Concessionaires: Citroen Cars Ltd,
Trading Estate, Slough, Bucks.
Tel: Slough 23811.
Price: £1887 plus £394.69 P.T.,
equals £2281.69. Extras fitted to
test car: electronic injection
£263.41; Pallas finish £265.83;
metallic paint finish £28.53.
Total as tested £2839.46
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| © 1973 Motor/2012
Citroėnėt |
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