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Citroen DS High Rider interior shots just released

April 24, 2010 at 4:46 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Concept Cars

We’ve already seen the exterior of Citroen’s DS High Rider Concept at Geneva earlier this year, but now Citroen has unveiled the interior photos. The interior door panels are trimmed with a graduated grey to gold shading that’s supposed to match the golden tone of the DS High Rider Concept car’s golden exterior paintwork. You can also spot a colour screen in the centre console and the ‘Hybrid’ badge just below the gear stick. Look after the jump for the rest of the interior shots.
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Citroën pays homage to China with Metropolis concept

April 20, 2010 at 1:58 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, Citroën, Concept Cars

Citroën should be one of the few remaining carmakers who believe that concept cars must deliver shock and awe above all – their recent creations like the GTbyCitroen, Revolte and the Survolt from Geneva look like beings from another planet. Their latest concept, Metropolis, takes all that wackiness and puts it in a limo body.

The French carmaker says that the Metropolis “pays homage to China’s extraordinary development” and reflects China’s “avantgarde status, grandeur and vitality”. What? Created by Citroën’s international design team – based in Shanghai since 2008 – the Metropolis will be on show in the French Pavilion at the 2010 Expo in Shanghai from 1st May to 31st October this year.

The Metropolis’ silhouette is imposing (5.3m long, 2m wide, 1.4m high), blending taut lines with smooth surfaces. Up front, the sculpted wings and kite-shaped grille hint at recent Citroen concepts. The headlamps have an “imperious and steely look” according to its maker. At the rear, there’s an active spoiler and Citroën’s signature concave rear window. Wrapping up is a ‘Pearl Silk’ body colour that changes under different light conditions.

This car is a plug in hybrid which consists of a 2.0-litre V6 petrol and a 7-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. At low speeds, the limo runs in zero emissions mode, its electric motor developing a continuous 55 bhp, peaking at 95bhp. At steady speeds, the engine provides 272 bhp and 375 Nm. When additional performance is required, both sources combine for 460 bhp and 430 Nm of torque channeled to all wheels. The Metropolis sits on Citroën’s Hydractive suspension, of course.

More pictures after the jump.
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Mitsubishi sells 100,000 i-MiEVs to a single buyer?

March 10, 2010 at 12:40 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Mitsubishi, Peugeot

Yes, that’s true, and the buyer in question is PSA Peugeot Citroën. Mitsubishi has announced the signing of a “Final Cooperative Agreement” that will see the French giant purchase 100,000 units of the i-MiEV electric car. PSA will market the rebadged i-MiEV as the Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero. Both French badged cars will go on sale in Europe by the end of this year, starting with their domestic market.

This sealed deal comes just after both parties failed to agree terms for a capital alliance in the style of Renault and Nissan. Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko and PSA chief Philippe Varin met at Geneva and jointly released a statement that a capital tie-up would not be realistic although both companies would continue to expand business ties.

Besides this latest deal, which would help Mitsubishi achieve better economies of scale for an expensive project, PSA also bases its Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser on the Japanese maker’s Outlander SUV.

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GQbyCitroen – design brief by GQ magazine

March 9, 2010 at 2:32 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Concept Cars

The GQbyCitroen concept is a concept car styled by GQ magazine’s editorial team and executed by Citroen’s design team, including Mark Lloyd, the man who was responsible for the new Citroen DS3′s design. If this is the case shouldn’t it be more like a CitroenbyGQ rather than a GQbyCitroen?

In any case, the car looks like a 2-seater to me. It’s just a concept so Citroen can probably say whatever they want in terms of what’s powering it but in this case they’ve chosen a plug-in hybrid system based around a 1.6 litre direct injection turbocharged inline-4 – probably the same 1.6 litre Prince engine found in nearly all of their cars now. 0 to 100km/h is quoted to be 4.5 seconds while CO2 emissions are just 80 g/km of CO2.

Despite the car being released somewhere around the Geneva Motorshow, the car was never shown at the show. Does a physical versions exist? Look after the jump for more shots of the GQbyCitroen and a ‘making of’ video.
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Citroen DS3 Racing – anti retro Mini Cooper S rival!

March 8, 2010 at 3:11 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, Citroën

The first ad I noticed once touching down at the Geneva airport was one for the Citroen DS3, which had the headline “anti-retro”. We all know that the DS3 is pitched as a rival to BMW’s Mini, and the ad is clearly a jibe in the direction of the bug-eyed car.

I understand the DS3′s appeal for those who either don’t “get” the Mini’s retro looks or simply look at it as a fashion fad. With creative design typical of Citroen and a modern, classy cabin, we reckon that it will do very well in Europe.

At the Geneva show, Citroen Racing (Citroen’s STi/RalliArt) paraded the DS3 Racing that’s set to go on sale in the second half of 2010. Limited to 1,000 units, the DS3R comes with plenty of carbon trim – on the front bumper, lower body trim, wing extensions, door side mouldings and spoiler, to be exact. The grey showcar was nicely contrasted with orange on the roof, wing mirrors, grille and rims (18-inch, looks really wicked) and wore some funky decals. Orange and carbon are also repeated in the cabin, which has a high-quality feel to it.

Citroen took the 1.6 THP engine (as found in our Peugeot 308 Turbo) and boosted output to 200 bhp, while torque is up from 240 Nm to 275 Nm. The gains were achieved by “optimising powertrain components”, modifying the turbo, remapping the ECU and adding a sports exhaust system. With these figures, the DS3R will outpace a Mini Cooper S, but will it outpoint the Brit in the bends?

For starters, the standard front and rear tracks have been widened by 30 mm and the DS3R sits lower by 15 mm. Stiffer springs, retuned shock absorbers and “specific steering mapping” for a more precise helm have been added as well. To cope with the added grunt, Racing spec brakes have been installed – four-piston calipers up front and drilled discs for the back. Also, the switchable ESP system has been tuned for “extra vitality, sportiness and driving pleasure” – in other words, it’s less restrictive.

We’re bound to see more of the DS3 in the sports pages, as it will replace the C4 as Citroen’s WRC machine – the French brand is a five-time WRC champion and is defending both driver and constructor crowns with rally king Sebastien Loeb.

Live images from Geneva and official gallery after the jump!
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Citroen DS3 Racing limited to 1000 units

February 20, 2010 at 5:12 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News

Here’s a hotter version of the Citroen DS3 that the French company will debut at the Geneva show in early March, limited to just 1,000 production units. The car is rather unimaginatively called the Citroen DS3 Racing and gets its 1.6 litre BMW-PSA Prince engine boosted up to 200 horsepower, up from the original 156hp unit installed in the stock DS3. Torque gets upped to 275Nm from 240Nm.

Citroen achieved the 200 horses with remapping the turbo and ECU control, “modified and optimized powertrain components” (oh such detail) and installed a special tail pipe and exhaust muffler. To cope with the extra power, brakes have been upgraded to 4-pot calipers at the front and all four wheels get new discs, including drilled discs for the rear.

The steering has also had some updates to be more “precise” and to suit the new larger tyros. The suspension gets stiffer springs, adapted front and rear shocks to handle the increased power, front and rear track gets widened by 30mm, and the car gets lowered by 15mm. Finally, the ESP programming has been updated to suit the new components.
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Citroën DS High Rider info and images released

February 13, 2010 at 2:41 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Cars, Citroën, Concept Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel

We previously posted a single teaser image of a Citroën concept, and here’s more information and images released by the French carmaker of its Geneva showstar. Called the DS High Rider, it’s supposed to “represent a bold and radical vision of the future, combining compact dimensions with generous internal volumes, dynamic performance, sophisticated style and consummate quality,” according to Citroën.

Typically Citroën, the DS High Rider’s windscreen soars over the heads of its front occupants. The muscular appearance is also brought by the high waistline and 19-inch alloys, while the bold front end features gaping air intakes, long headlights and defined ridges along the bonnet. Citroën says that the roof is covered with a “coated textile material”, whatever that is. Dimensions are 4.26m long, 1.82m wide and 1.48m high. To get a mental picture, that’s the same width as a Honda CR-V, but 20cm lower and 26cm shorter than the Honda.

Under the skin lies a ‘Full Hybrid’ drivetrain that combines PSA’s acclaimed HDi diesel engine with an electric motor located on the rear axle. Citroën says that the DS High Rider has fuel efficiency and power of an HDi diesel engine with the ecological benefits of an electric vehicle. More pictures after the jump.
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Citroen teases the DS4 concept?

February 12, 2010 at 10:06 am By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Citroën

What you see above is believed to be a teaser image of the Citroen DS4 and many are saying that it is a concept instead of a production-ready version. This vehicle, concept or not is said to be based on the company’s C-SportLounge concept that was shown back in 2005. Unfortunately we have nothing more to share with you at this moment but we know that Citroen will unveil the DS4 at the Geneva Motor Show which will take place next month. Stay tuned!

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Plush new Citroën seats for the Gunners!

February 5, 2010 at 1:46 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Citroën, Laughs

At times, it’s good to lighten up a little, take our mind off government policies, impending fuel price hikes and overpriced cars, that’s why we’re sharing this with you. Citroën has been the “official car” for Arsenal Football Club since 2008, and the French car company recently placed new luxury pitch-side seats at the North London club’s Emirates Stadium.

I always wondered why footballers would want to watch their teammates in tight Recaros, but these red Citroën seats with the Arsenal crest actually look really plush – I wouldn’t mind them in my living room (by now you must have guessed which team I support). Designed by Loughborough UK based Auto-kit International, the 40 seats are wrapped with top-quality leather. Gunners boss Arsène Wenger said: “We are delighted with the new Citroën dugout seats, which are a real improvement and very much in keeping with the overall stadium design.”

Seen here are Thomas Vermaelen, Manuel Almunia, Craig Eastmond and Eduardo. Perhaps they should spend less time on PSPs and train harder for this Sunday’s must-win match against Chelsea! A closer look at the new chairs after the jump.
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Peugeot-Citroën recalls Aygo’s French sisters

February 1, 2010 at 2:04 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Citroën, International News, Peugeot, Toyota

PSA Peugeot Citroën has announced a recall of about 90,000 Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 cars following Toyota’s 1.8 million car European recall which includes the Aygo. The city car triplets of Aygo, 107 and C1 were jointly developed and roll off the same plant in Kolin, Czech Republic. Should the Aygo have faulty accelerator pedals, it’s likely that its French sisters are affected too.

A spokesman for Peugeot Citroën said that he was not aware of any injuries caused by the problem in the vehicles it is recalling, which were made from 2005 to mid 2009.

Meanwhile the New York Times quoted Toyota president Akio Toyoda as saying: “Customers bought our cars because they thought they were the safest. But now we have given them cause for grave concern. I can’t begin to express my remorse.”

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