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Category: Citroen

  • Renderings: Citroen C3

    Renderings: Citroen C3

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    The next-generation Citroen C3 will go on sale from the end of next year and here is one of the first rendering of the small French car. According to company sources, this rendering is very close to the production model except for the alloy wheels.

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    On sale since 2002, the current C3 marked the company’s spearhead in reviving the French brand thanks to a design that took inspiration from the populous 2CV. The next-generation will have to do its best to match the latest models’ design which were well acclaimed by the press.

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    The next C3 will share its underpinning with the 207 and will grow , of course, in size in all dimensions. Like the 207 it will be available in various variants but they won’t compete directly with the 207 versions. Peugeot focus on estates while Citroen favours MPV. The C3 will offer a small MPV which might become one of the hottest vehicles in 2009 thanks to an appealing design. It will the first variant to be launched on the market at the end of 2008 while the three and five-door models will be launched at the beginning of 2009.

    Secrecy surrounds the exact spec of the small car but it is rumoured that it will feature a large panoramic windscreen while the three door version will be coupé-biased and will be available with a two-tone paint scheme. Like the Fiat 500, the C3 coupé will allow customers to personalise the interior with gloss paint panels.

    Source: Worldscoop

  • 2008 Citroen ZX Fukang

    2008 Citroen ZX Fukang

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    A previous post reported an interview given by PSA CEO Christian Streiff about the revised Fukang model and here are the latest specs. The Fukang is a compendium of ’90s technologies and design with a Gallic taste.

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    On the outside, the car still looks the same as it did in 1991, when it was first released in Europe, but it adopts a new paint scheme likely to be trendy in the US. On the inside, nothing has changed, even the antediluvian stereo system has joined the party, but the seats and plastics trimmings adopt like the exterior a colour that would fit in an American car.

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    The biggest changes concern the engines which are now compliant with the Euro 5 regulation. The Fukang is available with a choice of two petrol engines, a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre.

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    We can, of course, laugh at the idea of a 2008 Citroen ZX entirely similar to the original model launched in 1991, but for the Chinese customer, it means that Citroen had more than fifteen years to make the car reliable and unbreakable. At a time when Chinese car makers compete on prices to sell their models, reliability is not their priority. But, the threat might not come from the Chinese manufacturers but from other big players like Toyota which put two cars in the top ten for November.

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  • Citroen ZX Fukang to be revamped

    Citroen ZX Fukang to be revamped

    FukangThis is not a dream. Citroen sells its ’90s compact ZX model in China and has announced that it will revamp the car next year. PSA Peugeot Citroen CEO Christian Streiff has declared that the group has strong ambition on the Chinese market. From 200,000 vehicles in 2006, PSA plans to deliver 450,000 vehicles in 2009. Fortunately, Fukang means health and prosperity in Chinese.

    Secrecy surrounds the future specs of the car, but PSA CEO said that car will be offered for less than £5,000. Is the ZX the right model to succeed on the Chinese market? Nothing is sure. History proved that the ZX Fukang has never been a success. Originally sold in China in 1992, the sales suffered from a market which grew slower than the expectations. When it finally started its boom in 2000, the Citroen model was to old to seduce Chinese consumers eager to buy the latest models. Citroen quickly launched a more modern ZX called Elysée, but sales still slumped. PSA increased its sales thanks to new introduced Peugeot models in 2004.

  • Citroen to unveil the new C5 at Brussels Motor Show

    Citroen to unveil the new C5 at Brussels Motor Show

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    Citroen will officially unveil the next generation C5 at the Brussels Motor Show which open sits doors on the 15th of January. Choosing the Belgian motor show might be a smart move for the French carmaker. Indeed, Opel/Vauxhall unveiled the Corsa model at the new London Motor Show eighteen months ago, and it proved to be a smart choice. Citroen will likely get more press coverage at the Brussels Motor Show than the Geneva Motor Show.

    With the new saloon, Citroen hopes to make a major coup and hopes the current model to become a forgotten page in the automotive history books. The new car will go upmarket thanks to a new appealing design that will try to combine the company’s new design form language with the quality of German cars. Unfortunately, the latest Picasso showed that Citroen failed due to weak engines. At this stage the engine range is still unknown, but one does not expect big V6 engines under the bonnet.

    For the first time, the entry-level versions will not be featured with the traditional hydro-pneumatic suspension. They will be equipped with a conventional suspension in order to keep the price down.

    The future C5 will be available with a choice a two bodies for launch: a saloon and an estate. Later, Citroen will launch a convertible version derived from the C5 Airscape concept car unveiled at the last Frankfurt Motor Show.

  • Citroen C6 to become Chirac’s new favourite ?

    Citroen C6 to become Chirac’s new favourite ?

    C6_3kar_av Revealed at the last Geneva Motor Show, in a dimly lit area of the stand, the executive Citroen will go on sale next September. Citroen has taken the risk of granting its 4-door saloon (yes, it’s not a hatchback) a special styling recalling the CX. Besides, this 491cm-long car will be fitted with the latest evolution of Citroen’s famous hydraulic suspension. Inside, a head-up display and a Lane Departure Warning system helps the driver, and like the DS, the C6 has directional headlamps. In addition to all this, the equipments match the highest standards of the category. Besides, the passengers will be protected by nine airbags.

    Under the bonnet, only 2 engines will take place in a first time: the PR 3.0 V6 delivering 215bhp at 6,000rpm (already on the Peugeot 607 and Renault Laguna) and the 2.7 twin turbo HDI V6 delivering 208bhp at 4,000rpm that has been co-developed with Ford. Despite their qualities, I don’t think these engines will be sufficient to compete with Mercedes, Audi or BMW. Besides, prices are expected to start at £30,000 while the hi-tech cockpit doesn’t show the same quality level as that of an Audi A6, Mercedes E-Class or Lancia Thesis. It does not even exude warmth or pleasure, with cold fabrics and central console commands that are identical to a 407’s. Some details seem to have been neglected, like this Parker screw on the external side of the door panel.

    Citroen hopes to sell 20,000 copies of its C5-based saloon a year. A bit optimistic…

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    Oddly shaped rear end…C6_3k_ar

    Neglected details

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