CITROEN in presa straina !

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Citroen's Mystery DS Luxury Model Spotted on the Road in Paris

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/03/ci ... otted.html


Now that didn't take long, did it? Less than 24 hours after Citroen shared a pair of teaser photos of a new DS model on its Facebook pages, a blog reader stumbled upon the prototype being hastily covered up on the streets of Paris in France.
The real life shot confirms our suspicions that Citroen's new DS model has a five-door body style, while we'll agree with the folks over at News2zest that its styling looks like a mix of the Metropolis sedan and the GQbyCitroĂŤn studies, both of which were shown back in 2010.
Citroen has repeatedly said that it wants to introduce a larger premium model for select markets including China, but we're still not sure if this is the car it is referring to.
More to come, so stay tuned.

Photo Credits: News2zest via Autoblog.nl

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New Citroen C4 sedan listed & priced in China

http://www.carnewschina.com/2012/03/22/ ... -in-china/

The new Citroen C4 sedan has been officially listed on the China car market. Price starts at 106.800 yuan and ends at 147.800 yuan. The new Citroen C4, called c-Quatre in China, has an all-new fron, a new rear-end and and updated interior. The new C4 hatchback will be listed in May, both cars however will debut at the Beijing Auto Show next month.

The C4 is made in China by the Dongfeng-PSA joint venture. Power comes from a 1.6 with 106hp and 142nm or from a 2.0 with 147hp and 200nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. The new C4 will compete with cars such as the volkswagen Lavida, Volkswagen New Bora, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra.

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http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/03/gm ... point.html

GM and PSA Peugeot Citroen Appoint Members to New Joint Panel



The fast moving alliance created last month by General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen is wasting no time getting things into order as the two companies today announced the creation of a joint panel with five senior executives from each side (see the list below for the names).
The so-called Alliance Steering Committee will oversee all activities that are currently part of the alliance and explore other potential areas of cooperation
"The appointment of the Steering Committee members marks the first step for the alliance and illustrates the commitment of the two companies to begin working together," said GM and PSA in a joint statement. "It is expected that work on joint projects will commence before the end of this year."
GM agreed to buy a seven percent stake in PSA Peugeot Citroen for about US$423 million to form the alliance, which promises to return big savings for both groups, especially in what concerns their European operations.
The two automakers will form a division that will oversee joint global purchasing while they will also cooperate in numerous other areas ranging from product development and engineering, possibly even in manufacturing.



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http://www.leftlanenews.com/psa-looking ... th-gm.html



PSA looking to deepen ties with GM

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen is looking to expand its partnership with General Motors to include low-cost cars for developing regions and advanced transmission to reduce emissions.

PSA is so serious about an expanded relationship with GM that it has actually halted development of a low-cost car for developing regions, according to Automotive News. The budget-minded car, which is slated to be produced at PSA’s plant in Madrid, Spain, is being developed to compete with Renault’s Logan in regions like eastern Europe, China, North Africa and Latin America.
In addition to a budget car partnership, PSA is also looking to lean on GM for dual-clutch transmission technology. PSA announced on Friday that it has suspended development of its own dual-clutch transmission for the next seven months.
“More cost-effective pathways will be explored, in particular through the GM alliance, to provide the group with this type of gearbox,” PSA said.
PSA is also considering a tie-up with GM for the development of larger vehicles.
PSA and GM announced a partnership last month that will focus on the joint development of subcompact and mid-size cars.

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Mystery Spy Shots: Is this is the Next Generation Citroen C4 Picasso MPV?

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/03/my ... -next.html

Our scoopsters have spotted another mystery car undergoing cold weather testing at an undisclosed location in Northern Europe.

To help solve the enigma, our spy photographers told us that at this specific location, they know of two automakers currently testing their vehicles: Citroen and more recently, Qoros Auto, which is a car-start-up created by China's Chery Automobile Co. and investment firm Israel Corp.

While there's a chance the prototype could be a new model for Qoros, we'll agree with our spies that it's very likely a Citroen and more specifically, the next generation of the compact-sized, C4 Picasso MPV.

Lending credence to this is the fact that certain design elements such as the alloy wheels, the door mounted mirrors and even the window line are typical Citroen traits.

In any case, the next Picasso, which could be revealed as early as the 2012 Paris Motor Show this fall, will use the same platform as the latest C4 and DS4 hatchbacks and of course, share the same lineup of four-cylinder petrol and gasoline engines, with a hybrid model also being a strong possibility.

Photo Credits: Carpix for Carscoop

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http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/03/re ... in-uk.html

Refreshed Citroen C1 Goes on Sale in the UK, Starts from £7,995

The cosmetically and mechanically updated Citroen C1 has reached British shores where it will go on sale next week on Monday, April 2, with prices starting from £7,995 for the base three-door model, rising to £10,545 for the range-topping VTR+ five-door variant.
To mark the city car's launch in the UK (but only until the end of April), Citroen is offering buyers a £1,000 'Citroen Reward', meaning OTR prices start from £6,995.
All variants are powered by a tweaked 1.0-liter three-cylinder petrol engine with 68-horsepower, which returns an improved fuel economy of up to 65.7mpg UK (54.7mpg US or 4.3lt/100km) on the combined cycle, and CO2 emissions of 99g/km with the manual gearbox.
The range-topping C1 fitted equipped with the Electronic Gearbox System (EGS) delivers up to 62.8 mpg (52.3mpg US or 4.5lt/100km) and 104g/km of CO2.
There are three trim levels available, including the VT, the VTR that adds daytime running LEDs, air conditioning and electric front windows, and the VTR+ with 14-inch alloy wheels, Citroen's Connecting Box (Bluetooth & USB socket), front fog lights, leather steering wheel and dark tinted windows.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/28/peug ... egments-a/

Peugeot suggests expansion of ties with GM into other segments and technology

The ink is only just dry on the contract detailing the collaboration between General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen, and already there is talk of going further. GM purchased a seven-percent stake in PSA to form an alliance that would work together on platforms, small and midsize cars, and MPVs and crossovers, the aim being to strengthen the positions of PSA and Opel. Plans include moving the Opel Corsa to a Peugeot platform, while the Citroen C5 and Peugeot 508 move to GM platform technology.

Peugeot had announced the €220-million development of a dual-clutch transmission that was to be built at its Valenciennes, France factory but just shuttered the project saying it might get them from GM instead. The company also spoke of developing a new small car with GM for the Latin American market.

Another development has been the rearrangement of factory closures. When the deal was announced analysts said that the real issue for Opel and PSA was surplus plant capacity, but one report in Reuters said that plant closures wouldn't be affected by the tie-up. Apparently that's not the case, with an unnamed source telling Reuters in a second story that plant closures were a piece of the deal from the beginning. Peugeot has announced that it wouldn't produce a new small car at its plant in Madrid, Spain, but it won't detail its plant closures until after the French presidential election later this year.

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http://www.leftlanenews.com/citroen-rev ... china.html

Citroen revamps Jetta-fighting C-Quatre sedan in China

France’s Citroen was present on the Chinese market before a majority of the foreign automakers who are currently competing there. In spite of that advantage, in the last few years the company has lost a significant amount of market presence to competitors such as Volkswagen.

A part of why Citroen’s Chinese arm has declined is because of an aging lineup that still includes the ZX, launched in Europe in 1991. To quickly and temporarily remedy the age issue, the French automaker is progressively revamping most of the models it sells there.

The latest Citroen to get a new look is the C-Quatre sedan, the company’s best-selling model in China. The C-Quatre is essentially a last generation C4 hatchback with a conventional trunk. Even the name is the same: “quatre” means “four” in French, but since the number four is synonymous with death in the Chinese culture, Citroen opted to spell the word out.

The redesigned C-Quatre benefits from a new chromed grille that puts it more in line with Citroen’s premium DS models and gives the car a more upscale appearance. The headlights are more aggressive, and the rippled hood is reminiscent of the larger and more expensive C5.

On the inside, the C-Quatre stays largely unchanged and it keeps the interesting fixed-hub steering wheel that has since been phased out in Europe. The car comes standard with six airbags, xenon headlights, and a backup radar.

The C-Quatre is powered by the same four-cylinder engines as the old model. The entry-level offering is a 1.6-liter that puts out 120 horsepower, and customers who want more grunt can opt for a 2.0-liter rated at 143 ponies. Both a CVT and a manual transmission are available.

The redesigned C-Quatre will make its debut next month at the Beijing Motor Show. It is worth noting that the current generation of the C4 will be introduced in China later this year.

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http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/04/ci ... itain.html => 23 de poze

Citroen's New DS5 Goes on Sale in Britain, Prices Start from £22,400

Following a prolonged advertising campaign, Citroen’s third addition to the DS range, the new DS5, has finally reached UK showrooms.

On-the-road prices start at £22,400 for the entry-level DSign with a 1.6-liter diesel and rise to £32,200 for the range-topping DSport Hybrid4 version. There are three trim grades named DSign, DStyle and DSport.

The DS5 has five full-size seats and up to 465-litres of boot space, and is offered in Britain with a choice of four Euro V engines including a 200hp 1.6-liter turbo petrol, the e-HDi 110hp and HDi 160hp diesels, and the new 200hp diesel electric Hybrid4.

All engines are mated to manual, automatic or EGS six-speed transmissions. Detailed pricing follows below.

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Ford and PSA Peugeot-CitroĂŤn End Cooperation on Larger Diesel Engines

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/04/fo ... n-end.html

Twelve years and more than 20 million engines after the Ford Group and PSA Peugeot Citroen began jointly developing and producing two displacement families of diesel engines (1.4-litre to 1.6-litre, and 2.0-litre and above), the two companies announced today that they would stop making the larger powerplants.

Even though most will find it hard to believe, both carmakers said that the decision had nothing to do with the recent tie up between PSA Peugeot Citroen and GM.

"This decision has nothing whatsoever to do with GM," a Peugeot spokesman told Reuters. "It is not linked to the alliance plan."

Ford and PSA will each develop its own family of larger diesel engines with a displacement of 2.0-liters and above, but will continue to cooperate on the smaller units.

"This decision has no impact on the current production of the existing jointly-developed engines, or the derivatives planned for Euro 6 emissions legislation which comes into effect from 2014" the two automakers said in a joint statement.

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http://www.carnewschina.com/2012/04/07/ ... n-beijing/

The new Citroen C4 shows up in Beijing

First time for me, to see, the new Citroen C4, called c-Quatre in China. The facelifted c-Quatre was listed on the China car market two weeks ago. Biggest change compared to the old car: a big fat new chrome grill and even more chrome in the bumper. Chinese car buyers like chrome, so Citroen gives.



The c-Quatre is made in China by the Dongfeng-PSA joint venture. Price for the sedan starts at 106.800 yuan and ends at 147.800 yuan. The new c-quatre hatchback will be listed in May, it wasn’t at the show. Power comes from a 1.6 with 106hp and 142nm or from a 2.0 with 147hp and 200nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.



Changes at the back less impressive, bit o’ chrome here and there and new light units.



Car attracted a lot of attention and sales persons actually sold one while I was taking these pics.



New interior with fancy chrome parts on the steering wheel. From this pic I will now highlight two more things:



A friendly old woman…



… and a massive chromed stick. How do you think, the women and the stick, will fit together?

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http://www.carnewschina.com/2012/04/11/ ... -in-china/

Citroen plans aggressive expansion in China

Citroen wants to expand aggressively on the China car market, and they want to do so with the DS-range. The attack starts with the DS5 which will be listed as an import on the Chinese car market sometime around the middle of this year. Second car to come is the DS3 and third the DS4, both will be listed as imports near the end of this year.

In 2013 Citroen wants to start local production at the new Chang’an-PSA joint venture. Again, the DS5 will go first, followed by the DS3, DS4 and in possibly in 2015 by the massive DS9. Engines: no diesels in China so the DS-ses (not including the DS9 here) will be powered by four engines: 1.6, 1.6 turbo, 2.0 and a hybrid based around the 2.0. Citroen will show all DS-models at the Beijing Auto Show later this month, including the DS9 concept car.

Via: 163.com.

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http://www.leftlanenews.com/details-lea ... tible.html

Details leak out about Citroen’s upcoming DS3 convertible [Update]

Rumors of Citroen launching a convertible version of the popular DS3 premium hatchback have been circulating around the auto industry since the car made its debut in 2010.

The French automaker has rarely talked about the car, but it appears that it is incredibly close to production.

Earlier this week, Citroen invited the employees of its Poissy, France, factory to a party meant to celebrate the second anniversary of the DS lineup. The brand’s top brass told the employees that they would be shown a very special car.

In the room where the party was held was a massive cardboard box. Employees were divided up into little groups, and one by one each group was allowed to take a glance at what was hiding in the box. As it turns out, the mystery car was none other than the convertible version of the DS3.

It goes without saying that cameras and telephones were absolutely forbidden, but a couple of people who saw the car reported what they saw to France’s Blog Automobile.

“Take a DS3, add a Fiat 500C-like canvas roof, keep the rear spoiler, stick a chrome band on the trunk, and you’ve got a DS3 convertible,” said one employee.

The French automaker has not released any technical information about the car, but a document leak reveals that the entry-level model will be powered by all-new three-cylinder gasoline engine. Thanks to the use of a small turbocharger, the mill is rated at 82 horsepower and 87 foot-pounds of torque.

It is worth noting that the three-banger will also be found in the Peugeot 208 and the Citroen C3.

The other engines will be essentially the same as the ones that are found in the DS3 hatchback. The lineup will include two gas engines and a 92 horsepower turbodiesel unit.

Citroen’s response to the leak.

It comes as no surprise that Citroen got word of the information that leaked out yesterday about the upcoming convertible version of the DS3.

After calling both the general public and auto journalists “extremely indiscreet,” FrĂŠdĂŠric Banzet, Citroen’s general director, confirmed in a video interview that the DS3 Cabriolet will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next fall.


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http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/04/i- ... pt-in.html

I Am NumĂŠro 9: Citroen’s DS Concept in Detail with Over 120 High-Res Photos



Over the past few weeks, we managed to gather bits and pieces about Citroen’s newest DS concept study and now, we not only have more than 120 high-resolution photos to share with you, but we also have all the details in advance of its world premiere at the Beijing Motor Show on April 24.

Previously believed to be named the DS9, the French study is called the NumĂŠro 9 concept, though Citroen makes it clear that it belongs to the DS lineup.

Citroen says that the NumĂŠro 9 introduces the more chic and premium DS lineup to Chinese consumers before the company launches its first DS products onto the market later this year.

More importantly though, Citroen states that the NumĂŠro 9 refines the brand's design language and signals the styling cues of the next three DS line models including a C-segment premium sedan (think Audi A3 Sedan), an SUV and a D-segment (mid-size) executive saloon.

As you can see, Citroen is all hyped up about its DS line, which currently consists of the DS3 supermini, DS4 compact hatch and the larger DS5, and all for good reason as it has notched up more than 200,000 sales worldwide just two years after launch.

Citroen doesn't say if the NumĂŠro 9 will result in a production model, but the French carmaker's executives have previously confirmed the brand's intentions to build a flagship model.

The NumĂŠro 9 is a follow up to the impressive 2010 Metropolis concept, which was also shown in China. However, the new DS study sports a shooting brake body, while at 4.93m (194.1-inches) long and 1.94m (76.4-inches) wide, with a 3m (118.1-inches) wheelbase, it's also more compact in dimensions than the 5.3m long (208.7-inches) Metropolis. Nevertheless, it's still longer and wider than a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

The French brand claims that it provides plenty of room for rear occupants, adding that the three glass areas in the roof creates "a welcoming, friendly cabin ambience".

Citroen tells us that we should take special note of certain design elements such as the new front-end with the sculpted, 3-dimensional grille surround that flows into the full-LED headlights, as well as the floating roof underlined by chrome trim and the glazed side surfaces flowing into the rear window, as these styling cues will appear on the next DS models.

Under the hood, Citroen says that the NumĂŠro 9's hybrid powertrain can combine a conventional petrol or diesel engine (depending on the market) with an electric motor on the rear axle that develops 70hp and torque of 200Nm, and which has the added benefit of offering four-wheel drive.

The electric motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in three and-a-half hours from a normal domestic socket providing a range of 50km (around 31miles) in all-electric ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode.

The model that will go on display at the Beijing Motor Show is fitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine (shared with the BMW Group's Mini brand) developing 225hp (165kW) and 275Nm of torque.

Together, the combustion engine and electric motor can produce up to 295hp allowing for a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 244km/h (152mph).

According to Citroen, if the driver makes use of the car's pure electric mode, the NumĂŠro 9 returns up to 166mpg UK (1.7lt/100km or 138mpg US) over a combined cycle.

Needless to say, the NumĂŠro 9 is fitted with a traditional hydraulic active suspension.


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

DIMENSIONS
Length: 4.93m
Width: 1.94m
Height: 1.27m
Wheelbase: 3m

WEIGHT
Total laden weight: 1,500kg

PLUG-IN HYBRID DRIVETRAIN

1.6 THP petrol engine developing 225hp (165kW) / torque of 275Nm
Electric motor on rear axle: power of 70hp / torque of 200Nm
ZEV mode: range of 50km

PERFORMANCE AND CONSUMPTION
0 to 1,000m: 25.3 seconds
0 to 62mph: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 152mph (244kph)
Consumption: 166mpg (1.7l/100km) over a combined cycle MVEG
CO2 Emissions: 39g/km

AERODYNAMICS
CdA: 0.61

RUNNING GEAR
MICHELIN tyres 245/35 ZR21

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http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-to-r ... plant.html

Toyota to replace Fiat at PSA joint-venture plant?

An unlikely source has revealed that Toyota could be holding talks with PSA Peugeot Citroen about a plant-sharing operation in the northern part of France.

Speaking with La Voix du Nord, French president Nicolas Sarkozy let slip that Toyota is at least considering sharing a production facility with PSA Peugeot Citroen in the country’s northern region.

“Sevelnord will be OK,” the French president said, referring to PSA’s Sevelnord plant. “My understanding is that there’s a deal in discussion with Toyota for light commercial vehicles.”

PSA currently jointly operates the Sevelnord plant with Italian automaker Fiat. However, Fiat has announced plans to exit the plant in 2017, leaving PSA without a production partner. Toyota might be looking to take Fiat’s place, but the Japanese automaker has so far refused to respond to Sarkozy’s comments.

The Sevelnord plant, which employs about 2,800 workers, produces the Peugeot Expert, Citroen Jumpy and Fiat Scudo delivery vans.

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http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-very-int ... gines.html

GM “very interested” in Peugeot diesel engines

The diesel market is booming in the United States, and it appears that General Motors is hoping to get a piece of the pie.

At a press conference held yesterday at the Beijing Motor Show, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said that his company is “very interested” in the HDi turbodiesel engines that are built by its new partner PSA Peugeot Citroen.

The automaker did not mention why it wanted Peugeot’s diesels. Some industry analysts speculate that General Motors is looking for engines to install under the hood of Opel and Vauxhall models in Europe. This would allow the cash-bleeding divisions to keep the money that they would otherwise spend on developing their own engines.

A second option is that General Motors might want to equip some of the models it sells in the United States with Peugeot’s HDi engines. The four-cylinder HDis come in a variety of flavors, including 1.4- and 1.6-liters, and some feature gas-saving micro-hybrid technology such as automatic start/stop.

Whichever route is picked, more information will be available in the coming months.

At the same press conference, Akerson also mentioned that PSA is interested in some of General Motors’ technology, but no further details were given.

Over the past several years, PSA has collaborated with Ford to design and build turbodiesel engines. Earlier this month, the troubled French automaker announced that it was going to put an end to its collaboration with Ford on diesel engines that have a displacement of over 2.0 liters.

If General Motors does end up using HDi engines in its own products, many forecast that PSA and Ford will put an end to their collaboration altogether.

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http://www.carnewschina.com/2012/05/02/ ... uch-money/

Citroen C4 Aircross crosses into China for too Much Money

The Citroen C4 Aircross has crossed the line and stands now firmly on the Chinese car market. Price starts at 219.800 yuan and ends at 279.800. That is Big Money indeed, the C4 Aircross is imported into China, there are no plans for local production but Citroen will use the Dongfeng-PSA dealer network for distribution.

The C4 Aircross sister, the Peugeot 4008, will cross the Chinese border soon as well, both cars are based on the Mitsubishi ASX. Power comes from a 1.6 with 115hp and 152nm, mated to a 5-speed automatic, or from a 2.0 with 150hp and 198nm, mated to a CVT. Buyers can choose 4×2 or 4×4.

Well, this doesn’t look too good, the Aircross is far too expensive. Chinese car buyers are prepared to pay more for an imported car if that car offers something special. This Aircross does not. There is a lot of locally made competition on the market that cost some 25% less and the Aircross and offers the same size and space. Furthermore, the Aircross (and later the 4008) is seriously underpowered in a market that is right now asking for more and more power.