2018 Citroen Dispatch Reviews

The wide-eyed French wonder has a hybrid HDi drivetrain from which Citroen claims fuel consumption of just 3.4L/100km.As well as saving fuel, the concept aims to cutback on resources used in its construction. The cabin is made up of just over 200 parts, which Citroen says is about half the usual number. Peugeot's sleek 308RCZ concept gives a big nod towards a future body style for the 308 family.The ultra-light 2+2 coupe uses aluminium, polycarbonate windows and carbon-fibre body parts and is powered by a 160kW 1.6-litre twin-scroll turbo jointly developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and BMW.Mitsubishi will unveil its Concept-cX compact SUV at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Concept-cX uses interior trim materials made from bamboo and other plant-based resins.The concept is powered by a new high-output, high-efficiency 1.8-litre diesel engine, featuring a variable geometry turbocharger for optimum boost control and a diesel oxidation catalyst with diesel particulate filter, and Mitsubishi's new twin-clutch sport-shift transmission which will be a key element in the Lancer Evo X.GM will show environmentally-conscious concepts at Frankfurt, including the HydroGen4 fuel-cell car, the Volt all-electric car and further adaptions of its EcoFlex technology.The HydroGen4 produces an electrical output of up to 93kW backed by a 73kW electric motor.GM claims it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 12 seconds and has a top speed of about 160km/h. It will also show off its E-Flex strategy, which combines various fuel-efficient propulsion systems in the same vehicle shape and design to suit local demands, in an Opel Corsa small car.Of the production cars being launched at the show, the Mini Clubman wagon is likely to rate highly. The five-door model has double rear doors and a suicide door on the driver's side. The suicide door, which is rear-hinged, is designed to allow passengers easier access to the back.Renault will also show a mini wagon with its Clio Sport Tourer, due to go on sale in Europe early next year.Halfway between concept and reality is the 2008 World Rally Car concept from Subaru.It is both a pointer to what the next WRC will be like and an insight into how the new WRX STI, which will go on sale in Australia early next year, will look. 

The famed DS was one, the 2CV another and the front-wheel-drive 1934 Traction Avant was something of an outstanding revelation in both looks and handling.Next month it will continue to entrench its reputation as a leading designer by unveiling the head-turning four-seater convertible concept called the C5 Airscape at the Frankfurt Motor Show.Citroen says the Airscape is effectively the spiritual successor to the DS Decapotable convertible that was built from 1958-73.Look closely, though, and you will see the new C5 sedan in the car's profile, and the front and rear design treatment.The concept has a carbon-fibre folding roof and striking styling and is crammed with innovative technology. It has a high waistline, ribbed panels, C6-style concave rear window and sleek, aerodynamic profile.The car is further enhanced by the 19-inch alloys, large air-intakes, twin chrome exhausts and long incisive headlights.The automatic folding roof has an integrated sunroof and textile lining and is designed to look and feel like a conventional canvas roof.Inside there is a sumptuous interior of dark-brown leather and chrome. The dashboard echoes modern-day Citroens and the fixed-centre steering wheel boss is taken from the C4.Citroen has also made sure the car not only looks good but is also a showcase for innovation.Fuel economy is managed by an UrbanHybrid system that includes a reversible alternator-starter and super capacitors.This system allows on-board equipment, such as the airconditioning and stereo, to be powered by energy recovered during braking and deceleration. Engine torque can be temporarily boosted when required.The UrbanHybrid system reduces CO2 emissions by 24g/km on the combined cycle. It also has stop-start technology that switches the engine off when the car is stationary, before starting it again once the accelerator is pressed.The efficient 155kW/440Nm 2.7-litre HDi V6 engine can run on bio-diesel.The engine is shared with other Citroen and Peugeot models as well as the Land Rover Discovery.In the Airscape the turbodiesel has a particulate filter, further minimising any environmental effect.The Airscape also has a traction control system called Snow Motion, which Citroen says delivers performance similar to that of a four-wheel-drive car. 

Cars will inevitably be taxed according to their exhaust emission ratings, the Australian motor industry has conceded.Conservationists are calling on South Australia to take the lead in slapping a tax on vehicles where the fee rises according to the amount of emissions. The tax would be at new-sale time or on annual registration renewals.The Motor Trade Association acknowledged the growing interest in vehicles that are less harmful to the environment.“At some point, governments will tax vehicles on their emissions and greenhouse gas,” MTA state executive director John Chapman told The Advertiser .“We are not advocating that, but it will come.”Mr Chapman said the swing to smaller cars and the flattening off of large-car sales was due to motorists' concern about fuel economy.“People are more environmentally aware and wanting to know how we can reduce the (environmental) footprint and what they can do,” he said.Mr Chapman said motor vehicles were only a partial contributor to greenhouse gases “but our industry needs to be concerned about these issues.”Some countries already have vehicle taxes depending on each model's carbon dioxide emissions.In Australia, each new car must carry a sticker on the windscreen showing its officially-rated fuel consumption in litres/100km and its “greenhouse” C02 emissions in grams/km. The latter figure determines levels of taxing overseas.The Conservation Council in SA wants a similar system here.“It has to be user pays,” said council chief executive Julie Pettet. “If you are responsible for pollution you are going to have to pay.”Ms Pettet said such taxing should not be just punitive but also reward those doing the right thing such as using public transport. She added the taxes should be a federal activity.   Top-rated Toyota Prius: 1.5-litre petrol and electric (4.4litre/100km)Fiat Punto: 1.4-litre petrol (5.7)Peugeot 207CC: 1.6-litre petrol (5.8)Citroen C3: 1.6-litre petrol (6.2)Mercedes-Benz A150: 1.5-litre petrol (6.7)Holden Astra: 1.8-litre petrol (7.4)Honda Civic: 1.8litre petrol (6.9) 

The C5 is one of the best value premium cars on the market, occasionally some cars such as this one tend to slip under the radar.Every now and then something will be booked into the test garage and you automatically think why has this been so stealth-like? The Citroen C5 is an example, which uses the upgraded 2.2-litre diesel assisted by twin turbochargers.This is a $50k sedan loaded with charm, sophistication, economy and performance.Frankly it has a lot of boxes ticked and for $53,990 represents value-plus at the entry end of the premium sedan market.Together with smart looks the C5 is an effortless drive around town and on the highway.You literally feel like you've just plonked yourself down into your favourite armchair or that cosy pair of slippers that has served well in the chilly months.If the C5 is not the cushiest ride in the $50k-plus saloon segment, then whatever is has well and truly evaded the radar and will never reveal itself.The ride comfort is supreme and there is little that will not be soaked up by the neat Hydractive suspension that uses an automatic self-levelling feature.The Hydractive 3 suspension is the piece de resistance of the C5 that cushions lumps, bumps and imperfections with almost perfect efficiency.Even if you were suffering from a bruised tailbone it would still feel like you're on a magic carpet ride.The C5 is reflective of all things that have made Citroen one of the world's most innovative car makers.Memories of the DS of the mid-1950s, which brought self-levelling, hydraulic, hydropneumatic suspension to the European masses, are revived. The Hydractive 3 suspension adjusts the ride height of the C5 according to road speed.Variations of up to 15mm at the nose and 11mm in the rear give greater controllability foremost and also can help fuel efficiency through better aerodynamics.Ride and handling are outstanding and while there remains a slight delay in power production, once the turbos spool-up the C5 becomes extremely responsive.This new turbo system is based on two fixed geometry turbochargers of identical size. Each one supplies around half the air input required at high engine speeds.This extends the operating range of the turbochargers and improves engine performance at both high and low speeds.At low revs, below 2700rpm, only one turbocharger is working. This low inertia turbocharger delivers almost instant response, as well as providing up to 40 per cent more torque than the previous 2.2 HDi engine.At engine rpm over 2700, the second turbocharger kicks in to supply the increased air intake required at higher engine speeds.At your disposal is 125kW of power but where this C5 gets its kick is that a relatively massive 400Nm of torque is available from as little as 1750rpm.Fuel mileage with this diesel remained at 8.1litres/100km in a test, which combined about 240km of slow city running with 200km of highway work.Inside there is plenty of leather trim and the layout of the controls and design of the dash and surrounds remain smart and clean.There are rear seat child restraint anchor points and safety locks on the rear doors.Nothing about the C5 2.2-litre HDI is underwhelming.This car is on the pace in all the key areas. Attention to detail is impressive to the point where the side windows are laminated, blocking out road noise coming from passing traffic.The good thing is that the equipment list is packed with that much stuff that there remain only a few items left to option.If you fancy tarting up your C5 there is the SatNav and phone package for $4000, the electric sunroof for $2000 while metallic paint is available for $750.In summary the C5 is one of the best value premium cars on the market. Citroen C5 2.2-litre HDI$53,990Engine: 4 starsSmooth and creamy with heaps of low to mid-range torqueTransmission: 4 starsSix-speed auto offers good kickdown and is well matched to the motorHandling: 3 starsSteering can be a bit vague but offers good body control in the bendsSafety: 4 starsHas about as much electronic and passive gear as is possibleValue: 4 starsPerformance (check), economy (check), equipment (check), safety (check) Tech specsBoody: 4-door sedanEngine: 2.2-litre, 16-valve, 4-cylinder twin sequential-turbo dieselTransmission: 6-speed auto with sequential functionPower: 125kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 400Nm @ 1750rpmDimensions (MM): 4743 l, 1780 w, 1476 h, 2750 wheelbase   Verdict For: A massive statement in getting most things right not-the-least, ride qualityAgainst: Still uses old-style tiller and not the fixed hub steering wheel which is now a trademark of CitroenOverall: 4 starsA magic sedan with loads of value 

Being top of the class is just as important for carmakers as it is for school students.Which is why the failure of the Honda Civic hybrid and Skoda Fabia to score the maximum five-star rating in the latest European New Car Assessment Program results may not please their parents.Both small cars achieved a four-star rating out of a possible five, which is above average but not excellent.By comparison, there are plenty of other five-star small cars available, including the latest Peugeot 207, Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Citroen C4 and Fiat Punto.For the Civic and Fabia, the devil is in the detail.The Fabia lost a point for containing dangerous structures in the dashboard, which presented an injury risk to adult occupants.It also lost two points for child protection and scored two stars in the ever under-performing pedestrian protection category.The Civic hybrid lost a point for adult protection because the driver's airbag did not prevent the dummy's head from connecting with the steering wheel.However, it performed far better for child protection and pedestrian protection.The Civic hybrid is the second environmentally concerned car tested by Euro NCAP.The first was the Toyota Prius in 2004, which managed a five-star score for adult occupant protection. The latest results have been eagerly anticipated because European fleet buyers and consumers are increasingly seeking vehicles with lower CO2 emissions and higher safety scores, to benefit from the growing use of tax incentives.Euro NCAP's secretary-general, Adrian Hobbs, says consumers may ask themselves whether high safety scores and a hybrid powertrain can go hand in hand.“Honda and Toyota have shown they are rising to the challenge in their efforts to meet concerns about safety and global warming,” he says. “It is now up to other manufacturers to follow in their footsteps.”The front-impact test is conducted at 64km/h into an offset deformable barrier, the side-impact test at 50km/h, the pole test 29km/h and the pedestrian tests 40km/h.

Citroen's C4 HDi is even more efficient these days.It is without doubt one of the most frugal diesel passenger cars to reach our shores.This is a fine package with smart, globe-like looks extending to a comfortable and well laid-out interior.The C4 is now armed with a trick transmission called EGS (Electronic Gearbox System).It comes with an extra cog (sixth) and as such is even kinder at the bowser than the manual equivalent.But the EGS is a devil of a transmission to use if you try to treat it like a normal automatic, which of course it is not.Let it change itself and it lurches and becomes clumsy.You almost find yourself screaming at the shifter, “change any time you like as long as its sometime today”.But the fact is this transmission needs driver intervention to smooth it out and enable it to become user-friendly.Use either the shifter or the paddles mounted on the fixed hub steering wheel and a little throttle discipline, gear changes are lightning fast and almost seamless.On this test of over 600km, the C4 was using about 5litres/100km, according to the onboard computer's figures. It is far superior to the manual C4 diesel, which we compared and tested last year, it finished at 6.25litres/100km after over 400km of testing.There is a sport button which tightens up shift changes for a sharper drive.This gearbox is clever, bit of work, but some would argue that it may be a bit too clever for its own good. Simply leaving it as a automatic device brings out its weakness. It is frustrating and at times can take the driver by surprise at low speed.A case in point was in a multi-storey car park going up a small ramp to another level, when the EGS decided to change from second to first with the car virtually coming to a stop in the process.It is not a gearbox for those who just want to turn the key, press the throttle, and be done with it. Driver involvement is required and once you learn the little idiosyncrasies it is quite an enjoyable little jigger.Inside, Citroen have nailed the ergonomics with user-friendly controls which are easily accessed. It is a comfortable cabin and the ride is cushy.The C4's handling is OK, although the steering feel is not as perfect as rival European hatches.Brake pedal feel is strong and the stopping performance is quite impressive in emergency situations.This is a well rounded package with lots of active and passive safety equipment.For those seeking the frugal alternative without forsaking fruity performance, the C4 HDi EGS is worth discovering. Citroen C4 1.6litre HDi EGS $30,990Engine:  4 stars Develops strong torque from mid-rangeTransmission: 3 starsA bit clumsy in auto modeHandling: 3 starsBrilliant ride, steering a little vague at timesSafety:  3 starsWell kitted out with active and passive gearvalue: 3 stars$1k more than the equivalent manual could be contentious to someTech specsBody: 5-door hatchEngine: 1.6litre turbo dieselTransmission: 6-speed Electronic Gearbox System (EGS)Power: 80kW @ 4000rpmTorque: 240Nm @ 1750rpmTyres: 16-inchVerdict for: frugal, neat, practicalAgainst: Gearbox won't be for everyoneSmart option for those who do the miles to benefit from its fuel sipping habits 

In the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) results this week, the Toyota Aurion, Toyota Camry and Holden Commodore all received a four-star safety rating, adding to the previously tested four-star performers, the Ford Falcon and Mitsubishi 380.NRMA Motoring and Services Vehicle Safety Expert, Jack Haley says most of these cars failed to reach a top rating because of the lack of side curtain airbags.The Toyota Aurion is the only car equipped with side head protection as standard, but Haley says Toyota chose not to proceed with an optional pole test. This meant they were unable to score five stars in the overall testing. The testing involved the top-selling version of each model and Haley says the other large cars offered curtain airbags as an option, but not as a standard feature in the models tested.“Obviously our aim is to get all cars up to a five-star safety rating,” Haley says. “We'd like to see curtain airbags in all vehicles and we would also like to see stability control as standard.”The Toyota Aurion and Holden Commodore have stability control as standard, but it is only an option in various other family cars. But Haley says stability control didn't contribute to the ANCAP testing, as the results show how a car performs in a crash, whereas stability control is an active accident-prevention device.Each car underwent three main areas of testing under ANCAP.They included frontal, side impact and pedestrian tests.Many Japanese and European cars have already received a five-star rating in the European version of testing, known as the EuroNCAP.They include the Toyota Corolla, Peugeot 207, Ford Focus XR5, Land Rover Freelander 2, Citroen Picasso, Mitsubishi Outlander, Volvo C30, VW Passat and Mini Cooper.Most of these models were tested as top-of-the-range, whereas in Australia the extra airbags are optional on some models. ANCAP advises motorists to buy vehicles with a full six-airbag package, including side head protection and electronic stability control.The Toyota Tarago and Mitsubishi Triton also scored a four-star rating in the recent testing, an improvement for the Triton, which is up from a previously low two-star rating.The Hyundai Accent scored three stars and the Mitsubishi Express van scored poorly with just one star. STAR RATINGS  Source: ANCAP 2007 

With fuel prices again marching upwards, buyers are looking for the most fuel-efficient cars and car companies are turning to the baby brigade to meet the growing demand.Toyota, Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat and Suzuki are all looking at options from their international model range with engines as small as 1.0-litre.Toyota chairman emeritus John Conomos wants a smaller model than its current baby, the Yaris, and an SUV to sit under the RAV4.The hot favourite for the smallest player in the Toyota garage is the Aygo, a 1.0-litre model available as a three or five-door hatch built in the Czech Republic as a joint venture with Citroen and Peugeot.The three companies market almost identical versions of the car, Toyota badging it the Aygo, Citroen the C1 and Peugeot the 107.Peugeot Australia is looking closely at the 107 but spokesman Mathew McCauley says plans are far from confirmed.“We originally felt we had the area covered when the 206 and 207 were going to be sold side by side,” McCauley says. “Now that we can't get the 206 in right-hand-drive we have to look at a different strategy and the 107 is certainly part of that planning.”While McCauley wouldn't speculate on when the 107 may be available in Australia, any decision to bring the car to these shores will be made quickly and it could be on sale before the end of the year.Citroen is far more reticent about the chances of the C1 making it to Australia.“The twin issues with considering the C1 for Australia are availability and price,” Citroen importer Ateco Automotive spokesman Edward Rowe says.“We already have the C2, C3 and C3 Pluriel, which are all essentially in the same class but appeal to different types of buyers.”Fiat, another Ateco brand, will definitely be offering its revival of the classic 500 Bambino, which will launch in Europe in July and be on sale in Australia next March.“The Fiat 500 will be launched here with both a petrol and diesel option,” Rowe says.While Rowe denies there are any firm plans for a hot Arbath performance derivative of the Fiat, European sources suggest it is a certainty with a 110kW 1.4-litre turbo powerplant upgrading the famous vehicle.Also in the mix is the imminent arrival of a yet-to-be-named Chinese-manufactured model, which will attack the bottom end of the market in both size and price.“That will be a definite area in which the Chinese models will have an influence,” Rowe says. Ateco is expected to lead the way in landing Chinese-manufactured cars in the Australian market by next year.Toyota's dilemma is that its original small cars have either grown to outsize their original concept or disappeared entirely from the market as in the case of the Daihatsu Sirion.Both the Yaris — nee Echo — and RAV4 have grown markedly since their original model launches. RAV4 started as a 2.0-litre three-door and soon its five-door body will get a 3.5-litre V6 engine.Conomos says a small SUV that equated to the size of the original RAV4 was under development in Japan. “A 2.0-litre SUV would be ideal for us because that segment of the market is growing,” he says.Conomos indicates a car smaller than the Yaris would be welcome, but says buyers in the light-car segment are extremely price sensitive. “It would be difficult for a Japanese car to compete on price in that segment,” he says.“We also have to ensure that any Toyota car coming into Australia meets our quality, reliability, durability and equipment criteria.”If the Aygo was introduced it would sell from about $12,000.Suzuki, meanwhile is considering bringing its baby Splash to Australia. It has both 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre petrol engines and a 1.3-litre diesel.

Those hanging out to buy Citroen's small four-wheel-drive, the C-Crosser, have a long wait on their hands.Citroen's Australian distributor, Sydney-based Ateco, has ruled out the C-Crosser coming here until late next year.Ateco has been forced to play the waiting game because the right powertrain and specification choices for Australia won't be available until more than a year after the launch of the manual version.The C-Crosser goes on sale in Europe in July in manual diesel form and automatic gearboxes, of which there will be a gluttony of choice, will not come on stream until the third quarter of 2008.The diesel will have the EGS robotised manual, the 2.4-litre Mitsubishi-sourced engine will have a CVT transmission and the Hyundai-sourced V6 engine will have a conventional automatic.“From our point of view, until the C-Crosser has a self-shifting gearbox it's not correct for this market and therefore we will wait until it arrives,” Citroen Australia public relations officer Edward Rowe said.Following the launch of the 7-seater C4 Picasso people mover last week, Citroen expects to have its next diesel offering in the C3 before the end of the year.It is likely to be the engine similar to the 1.6-litre HDi unit that is currently in the larger C4 hatch.A diesel engine is also confirmed to arrive early next year for the hugely successful Berlingo van which will be a 1.9-litre normally aspirated oil-burner rather than a 2-litre HDi which is also available.Citroen have all but ruled out bringing in the recently launched 5-seat version of the Picasso which is available from the start of next year.But they will go ahead with the exercise of homologating the car to cover themselves in case of a shift in market trends.Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams indicated the pricing would be too close to the 7-seat Picasso.“We've agreed we won't order the car (5-seater),” Williams said.“I think we all know the five-seater market (people mover) is a pretty tough business.”

Nothing abstract about the Citroen C4 Picasso, however, just lots of clever design. For starters, it is the size of a medium sedan, but has seven seats.And while hauling all those people around, it won't break the budget because there is a fuel-saving diesel option.Early people-movers were little more than delivery vans with seats; this one is based on a high-class car — Citroen's C4 hatchback — lengthened, widened, made taller and given a bigger luggage compartment plus a new-design rear axle to cope with greater loads.Its engines and transmissions have come from the dearer, larger C5 sedan, so progress is smooth and refined.But inside and out it looks like nothing else. The shape is avant-garde, but is more practical than a Picasso-like oddity. It provides a panoramic view, loads of room, endless ways to configure the three rows of seats and so many cubbyholes owners may forget where they stowed half the groceries.The massive windscreen — $1100 for a new one — extends so far back, and at such a rakish angle, it ends almost above the driver's head.Sunlight floods in but the designers have provided large two-stage visors that fold down to provide shade, and the glass has a metallic coating to cut down heat.Even if things did become sweaty, there is a perfume dispenser (including a tobacco-neutralising fragrance) as part of the airconditioning system that has controls for each corner of the car. Temperature and air volume can be different in each zone.In the best Citroen tradition, the Picasso is a far-from-everyday design.Its automatic transmission selector is a thin wand on the right-hand side of the steering column; the driver's airconditioning controls also are on the right-hand side of the dashboard; there is no handbrake (engage Park and it figures, correctly, that the parking brake should be applied; press on the accelerator and the brake automatically disengages).A small, high-mounted mirror lets the driver see what children are up to in the back seats.You find a detachable torch in the tailgate, a fridge in the dashboard, picnic tables behind the front seats, storage lockers under the floor, sun blinds on the rear side windows.The instrument panel sits high on the dashboard between driver and passenger; unusual but you soon become used to it. The driver can change the colour of the display, ranging from deep blue to white on black.The third row of seats, two separate buckets, is a place best left for the young, small and agile. If the seats are not needed, a one-handed operation can fold them away, creating a vast luggage area.No wonder Citroen says the Picasso “redefines the family car for the 21st century”, but Australia could prove a tough nut to crack.In Europe, such cars make sense for their convenience and tax advantages; here the competition is tougher because there are reasonably priced multi-seat SUVs with oodles of space inside and relatively uncrowded roads to accommodate them.While sales of compact people-movers have trebled in Europe in the past decade, they have failed to catch on in Australia. For example, Holden has dropped the similar-concept Zafira.However, fuel prices make the diesel Picasso a compelling case.Citroen expects 80 per cent of Picasso buyers will opt for the diesel, though it costs $5000 more than its petrol sibling (a more advanced automatic transmission and high-cost diesel engine explain the higher price).The diesel would reduce fuel bills with its economy rating of 6.1 litres per 100km, compared with 8.9 litres for the petrol engine.The diesel has almost identical acceleration to its petrol counterpart, while its superior transmission and mountain of torque, or pulling power, make it the logical way to go.On the downside, the Picasso's ride-steering package, usually a major plus with French cars, is hardly a work of art. The ride can get bouncy on poor roads and the steering lacks feedback.