Citroen C4 2011 revealed

First pictures of the second-generation C4 show a compact five-door hatch which is more elegant than today's car, but not as funky radical in design as Citroen's latest DS3.  It is expected to have a similar price point as the current car - which starts at $26,990 - but will get a much bigger push for Australia to try and reach critical sales mass.

The car has a new look and is also longer, wider and taller than the current C4. Citroen says its 408-litre boot is the biggest in its class.  Among the new technologies in the car - although final Australian specifications are yet to be set - are blind-spot monitoring, cornering lights, cruise control and speed limiter with road speed memory settings.

On the green front, the C4 will be available with micro-hybrid drivetrains including stop-start to cut CO2 emissions to as little as 109 grams/kilometre.  Michelin energy saver tyres are fitted and green materials make up 15 per cent of the components in the car.

Citroen says the car will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October and local sales will begin in the first half of 2011.  The C4 is intended to revitalise the Citroen brand but also provide the mainstream sales base for the DS models, which will stretch the brand in new directions across every size and price category.

"Of course it's important. It's the core model for Citroen. The critical thing is having a car that maintains the unique Citroen spirit but is more acceptable and accessible to a broader group of customers," says Edward Rowe, spokesman for Citroen Australia.  "Right-hand production gears up in January and our build is about three months later. So it will be around a May-June launch for us."

Citroen has just revamped the C4 Picasso people mover for Australia, has a new C5 and is moving into the DS family soon with the hot DS3 sports coupe.  Rowe says it is part of a new-model push intended to grow support for the brand, particularly on the DS front. But he warns against assuming the DS cars will all be like the DS3.

"What we haven't had in the past, and we will have this year, is the DS range. The DS range offers a different facet to the model it is associated with - so the DS3 is the sporty version, and with DS4 it's a crossover vehicle," he says.  "When it arrives, DS5 will be something different. So don't assume every DS model will be a sporty three-door. It will be something different again."

Rowe says the model growth is vital for a brand which still battles to win buyers, particularly in the small-car arena.  "That segment is so competitive now. The premium end of the small-car sector has become a lot more competitive, and it's also more price competitive.

"If you go back to where we were with Citroen when Ateco took it over, we only had one model. Then we brought in the Xsara and it has steadily grown from there. We are expecting more from the new C4."