Archive for Citroën

An Italian newspaper reported on Saturday that PSA Peugeot Citroen and Fiat are considering a potential merger, which would make the new PSA Peugeot Citroen Fiat entity the world’s number 4 carmaker. If true, it is some pretty quick progress, coming right after Fiat’s CEO mentioned the Italian company needed to find a partner to survive the crisis brewing in the automotive industry, but such haste is needed in these times.

PSA has mentioned before in the past that it preferably did not want to add new alliances, but instead wanted to deepen existing relationships. PSA and Fiat already have current co-operations in areas like commercial vans. The Fiat Fiorino, the Peugeot Bipper and the Citroen Nemo are all derived from the same project.

The two companies also have joint ventures with other companies on their own. PSA Peugoet Citroen’s recently launched SUVs are a development of the Mitsubishi Outlander while the Fiat Sedici is a Suzuki SX4.

Citroen has facelifted its Citroen C4 for the 2009 model year and has added two new engines to the line-up – the Prince engine co-developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen with BMW, also used in Peugeot and BMW MINI cars.

The VTi 120 and THP 150 variants are powered by the normally aspirated and turbocharged variants of the Prince engine respectively. The VTi 120 engine replaces the old 1.6i 16V engine and features variable valve timing as well as intake control without a throttle butterfly. The THP 150 is powered by a 150 horsepower variants of the turbocharged direct injection 1.6 liter Prince engine and replaces the normally aspirated 2.0i 16V engine in the pre-facelift car.

To promote the new C4, Citroen has produced a “facelift” of the Transformers TV commercial that was used to promote the original pre-facelift Citroen C4. This time the robot is dancing to Bee Gee’s Stayin’ Alive.

Watch the video after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of Citroen C4 “Staying Alive” Transformer TVC

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A French take on the BMW X6 will be displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show called the Citroën Hypnos. Citroën says the Hypnos combines the “dynamism of a coupe”, the “elegance of a sedan”, and the space of an SUV. The interior which you will find after the jump is even funkier, done up in all the colours of the rainbow. The concept is powered by a 200 horsepower engine (likely turbocharged) with 60+mpg and 120g/km of CO2.

Click here to read the rest of Citroen Hypnos Coupe-SUV Concept

The Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is a 7-seater version of the C4 Picasso. It is priced at RM168,000 with a 2 year or 100,000km warranty. The C4 Picasso loses its egg-like contour thanks to the third row which gives it a more traditional shape towards the rear.

It is powered by a 2.0 liter engine with variable valve timing producing 143 DIN horsepower and 200Nm of torque at 4,000rpm. The Euro 4 compliant engine is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The interior is particularly impressive especially at this price range as it features a massive glass sunroof that is laminated and tinted for anti-UV and anti-infrared properties. That combined with the panoramic windscreen and the large side windows gives the interior a very roomy and airy feel. There are air vents for all 3 seating rows, and the third bench folds down flat with a 50:50 split whenever you need the luggage space.

The second row features tables integrated into the front seats, like the ones you find in airplanes. The steering wheel features the trademark Citroen fixed hub which does not turn together with the wheel. Headlamps and wipers turn on automatically when needed.

Safety features include a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 9 airbags (2 x front, 2 x front side, 2 x side, 2 x curtain and 1 driver’s knee). There are seatbelts with warning indicators for all 7 seats to ensure everyone including the third row buckles up. ISOFIX child seat points are found on the front passenger seat and three 2nd row seats. Stability control and ABS are standard.

A comfort pack is available which adds Bluetooth handsfree, ambient lights, and a telephone kit for RM3,000. Leather wrapping on the steering wheel costs an additional RM400 while leather for the seats cost RM1,800.

Look after the jump for more photos of the Grand C4 Picasso.

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Citroen’s new Malaysian distributor Brooklands Motors Sdn Bhd has launched the new luxury D-segment Citroen C6 in Malaysia last week.

The C6’s 3.0 liter V6 puts out 215 hp DIN at 6,000rpm and 290Nm of torque EEC at 3,752rpm. It really looks quite different from any other car out there thanks to the notchback-like convex boot and the overly long front overhang. The doors are also frameless which make them quite sexy, something usually only found on coupes.

There are also a few technologies goodies in the C6 which sets it apart from the rest of its competitors, and just how the interior looks makes it fit to be called a gadget person’s car. It has a dual-mode active silencer which maintains serenity under normal conditions and improves performance under load.

A in-car entertainment system called the Citroen NaviDrive displays key information such as entertainment, climate control and navigation on a large 7 inch 16:9 widescreen LCD.

A heads-up display projected onto the windscreen displays key driving info such as driving speed and can also display navigation data. Citroen says HUDs can improve motoring safety as moving your eyes to look at traditional displays for this info can take up to 0.5 seconds of time at at speeds of approximately 110km/h this can mean 15 meters of travel or an average of 3 cars’ lengths.

The car also features the Hydractive III+ suspension system, which is an electronically controlled suspension which can vary different settings like damping and height. For example, the car’s height will always remain the same no matter how many passengers or luggage are loaded into the vehicle. Height is also automatically adjusted according to speed and road condition to optimise comfort, ground clearance and fuel consumption.

A Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) warns the driver via vibrations in the seat if he accidentally leaves his lane by monitoring the white lines marked on the road via infrared sensors built into the front of the vehicle.

Priced at RM398,000 it offers an alternative to the likes of the “mainstream” A6 the E-Class and the 5-Series. The other luxury D-segment competitors are the S80 and the Jaguar XF.

Click here to read the rest of Citroen C6 luxury sedan launched in Malaysia

Citroen has added a new petrol engine to its Citroen C-Crosser SUV (rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander), complementing its existing 156hp 280Nm 2.2 HDi offering. The new Citroen C-Crosser 2.4i is powered by Mitsubishi’s 4B12 GEMA 2.4 liter engine producing 170hp at 6,000rpm and 226Nm of torque at 4,100rpm. It is mated to a CVT gearbox, though a 5-speed manual is also available.

We may see Peugeot and Citroen badge engineered versions of the Mitsubishi i MiEV in the European market, much like PSA Peugeot Citroen’s deal with Mitsubishi with the Outlander, resulting in the C-Crosser and the 4007.

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi Motors have started a joint study that will last several months to examine the scope a potential cooperation to produce small electric-powered vehicles designed for city and urban use.

The study will also involve the feasibility of shared production sites for components for electric vehicles. This announcement comes just after the beginning of the construction of a new jointly owned factory in Russia.

Citroen’s Unmistakeably German ad campaign for the new second generation Citroen C5 by Euro RSCG highlights the “Teutonic” qualities of the new Citroen C5. It further strengthens the fact that the typical “German-ness” of a car is something very desirable. Even when the Ford Focus was launched, ad campaigns delivered the message “European styling, German technology.” The Citroen ad features a traditional Bavarian bar and grill, sections of the Autobahn, and the historic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Watch the Citroen C5 ad after the jump.

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The new second generation Citroen C5

Click here to read the rest of Citroen C5 – Unmistakeably German Advertisement

Citroen has announced that it will start using the BMW-PSA Prince engine, which comes in normally aspirated 120 horsepower form and turbocharged 150 horsepower and 175 horsepower form, and the engine’s first usage in a Citroen car could be in the second generation Citroen C5. It’s sister marque Peugeot already uses it in the Peugeot 207 and the Peugeot 308, which are B-segment and C-segment hatchbacks respectively.

The normally aspirated Prince engine is called the EP6 internally by Peugeot and features variable valve timing and Valvetronic variable valve lift, while the 150 horsepower turbocharged version is called the EP6DT, and the 175 horses version EP6DTS. The turbocharged versions do not have Valvetronic, but feature direct injection and a twin scroll turbocharger.

Large cars with small displacement engines that have forced induction to boost power output are no stranger in these days, as even the large Volkswagen Passat can be equipped with the 1.4 liter TSI engine.

The Citroen C5 currently comes with two petrol engines and four HDi turbodiesels – a 127 horsepower 1.8 liter petrol, a 143 horsepower 2.0 liter petrol and multiple turbodiesels from a 110 horsepower 1.6 liter inline-4 up to 208 horsepower V6. The top of the pops 175 horsepower turbocharged 1.6 liter Prince could slot in as the top of the range petrol engine, equipped with a ZF 6-speed quick shifting automatic.

Related Posts:
The new Citroen C5

Citroen has unveiled it’s brand new Citroen C5 in both sedan and stationwagon body types. It will go on sale in the UK early 2008 onwards. The C5 is the second largest Citroen after the large D-segment Citroen C6.

Innovative features include a second generation fixed hug steering wheel, a seat back massage function and a choice of suspension setups thanks to the Hydractive 3 Plus suspension system. You can also specify it with Citroen’s new NaviDrive system which features a 7 inch LCD display and lets you control functions like a built in GSM phone, audio system and satellite navigation. There is also an optional automatic electric parking brake and hill-start assist. The Citroen Hydractive 3 Plus self-levelling suspension system features continuously self-adjusting spring and damping rates. Two preset modes are available – Comfort and Sport.

The new Citroen C5 is longer and wider than the model it replaces, with the sedan measuring 4780mm long, 1860mm wide and 1450mm tall. The estate is slightly longer at 4785mm, but other dimensions remain the same.

There are two petrol engines and 4 HDi turbodiesel engines. The petrol choices include a 127hp 1.8 liter engine and a 143hp 2.0 liter engine. The oil burners consist of four units – a 1.6 liter HDi 110, a 2.0 liter HDi 138, a 2.2 liter twin-turbo HDi 173, and a 2.7 liter twin-turbo VGT HDi 208, with the first three being inline-4 units and the largest one being a V6. The numbers indicate power output in horsepower. These HDi units are fitted with a Diesel Particulate Filter System.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New Citroen C5 unveiled in Paris