Citroen Dispatch Reviews

Arriving in July, the Citroen C4 AirCross is the same under the skin as Mitsubishi's ASX and the new Peugeot 4008 and it rolls of the same Japanese production line.Power comes from the same 2.0-litre, 110 kW petrol four cylinder engine and AirCross will be available with a choice of two or four wheel drive as well as manual or a CVT self-shifting gearbox.No diesel option is currently available. The 4WD variant offers a choice of two wheel drive for maximum economy; four wheel drive difficult conditions and `4WD Lock' for the toughest conditions.The handsome styling of AirCross draws upon Citroen's curent DNA. A comprehensive equipment list and "value for money" pricing will be notified soon.

Hot on the heels of the Volkswagen People's Car project comes Citroen revealing the result of its own crowdsourced design. While Volkwagen’s project looked at entire vehicle designs – and was flooded with submissions from 119,000 keen Chinese participants – Citroen has restricted their crowdsourcing to just the C1’s spec and fit-out details. More than 24,000 Citroen fans submitted ideas for the little car, using a special configurator app on the French brand’s UK web page. The result is the C1 Connexion that has been revealed as an image – but Citroen says will be built and sold. There were also about 10,000 entries in a competition to win one when it does hit the showroom floor. The app incorporated a virtual ‘factory floor’ that allowed entrants to choose body styles, details, colours and accents for the C1 connexion, which will be built on the new Citroen C1 1.0i manual-transmission city car sold in Europe. The most popular result was a three-door body in Caldera Black with Scarlett Red accents and more stylish alloy wheels, adding to the C1’s existing trim that includes LED daytime running lights. However, don’t expect to see the C1 here. Citroen importer Ateco Automotive has already said there is no chance of seeing it here, partly on its size but also because government policy makes the car too expensive. “There isn’t a market for a car at that size at the price we’d be able to offer it,” Ateco spokesman Edware Rowe says. “It’s a very small car by Australian standards and because Australia has no tax rebate based on carbon emissions, it would be just as expensive as larger cars like the Citroen C3. In Europe, buyers enjoy enormous tax advantages offered to low emissions cars, and of course none of that applies here at all. Rowe says the Australian government stance needs to change for “a while host of reasons”, pointing out that Australia is the last mature market in the world not to have a tax system based on emissions, fuel economy and engine size. “Essentially what that says quite clearly is that the government hasn’t thought through an integrated car taxation policy with an emissions policy, and the effect of that is two-fold. “On one hand there’s no encouragement to buy cars with better fuel economy, but equally it stops high technology vehicles with better fuel economy and lower emissions coming to Australia. Carmakers build more expensive technology in the knowledge that the tax benefits in other markets will make them affordable for the buyer.” Rowe says the Australian government stance prevents that technology being available to the Australian public, and the Gillard government’s carbon tax will not help the situation. “The carbon tax does absolutely nothing to encourage people to drive fuel-efficient and lower emission cars. What Australia is crying out for is a graduated tax based on economy and CO2 emissions.”  

Citroen's compact Berlingo van is now available in a choice of two bodies and two engines with more equipment and sharper pricing.  The latest Berlingo range consists of the standard body powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW petrol engine and the long body, with interior volume lifted from 3.3 to 3.7 cubic metres, powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW turbodiesel engine, which boasts an additional 83 Nm of torque to cope with its bigger load carrying capabilities. The long body turbodiesel also gains a rear cargo mat and the convenience of Bluetooth hands free mobile phone operation. Revised pricing sees the petrol powered standard body Berlingo priced at $19,990 and the long body turbodiesel pitched at $22,990 plus on road costs.  Citroen arguably invented the whole idea of box van with the Citroen TUB and the car-derived 2CV van setting a design standard for the two most common van types.  Berlingo looks as if it is car-derived, with a bonnet and a conventional driving position. However, there is no Berlingo car to hamper Citroen's designers from making the ideal small van so although bonneted, the driver sits high with easy access, the van section blends into the overall vehicle shape to produce a shape that is as functional as it is homogeneous. The Berlingo eliminated the 'bubble back' shape of the conventional car-derived van and all its handicaps. Citroen threw into the mix a range of functional, useful features and equipment designed for the van driver on the road all day, plenty of storage space, seats that are comfortable and easy to get into and out of all day.  This second generation Berlingo is a fresh clean design, with its bonneted good looks and box van carrying ability. It sits on a Citroen C4 Picasso platform, which is derived from the underpinnings of the World Rally Championship dominating Citroen C4 WRC car.  By moving to the bigger platform from the C4 Picasso, the new Berlingo offers significantly more space, up from 3.0 to 3.3 cubic metres. The original Berlingo had a optional simple folding seat that provided a table. The new Berlingo has a new seat, both a table and a load space extender, lifting the volume to 3.7 cubic metres,  4.1 cubic metres in the long body version. To meet business demands for greater efficiency, better performance and lower running costs, Citroen has developed the new Berlingo to deliver more. It has greater carrying capacity, thanks to its larger load compartment and higher payload capability, it has even higher standards of driver/passenger safety and comfort and delivers optimum performance and economy with low running costs.  

It's also quirky Citroen's first four-wheel drive of any description here.Although named a C4 the Aircross actually has more in common with Mitsubishi's ASX and soon to be released Peugeot 4008, with which it shares a platform.It's a tad confusing but there is a lot of this cross polination of the brands occuring these days. Due here in the third quarter of the year, the Aircross will be available in two and four wheel drive form with a choice of petrol and diesel engines.Importer Sydney's Ateco Automotive have confirmed the 2.0-litre petrol model, but the rest is still a work in progress. At 4.34 metres in length Citroen describes the car as surprisingly spacious, with a cabin worthy of the next class up.It comes with a wide array of hi-tech gear including Navidrive navigation system with a touch screen and rearview camera, hands-free access and start-up, a Rockford hi-fi system and a music server.Aircross features a panoramic glass sunroof that is illuminated by integrated LED lights at night. No word on pricing yet?The entry-level two-wheel drive model is equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that develops 85kW of power and 152Nm of torque, and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission.There's also 1.6 and 1.8-litre turbo diesels, the first with 82kW/270Nm and the second, 110kW/300Nm. Both are paired with a six-speed manual and will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive.To satisfy international requirements there's also a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 113kW/198Nm of torque. It will also be available in both two and four-wheel drive form, with a five-speed manual or CVT continuously variable style auto.

The DS4 is a  new class of car that combines the style of coupe, the space and convenience of a tall body car, ease of access of a five door car and the premium style, equipment and features of Citroen DS range of cars. Citroen now has four different models in a market area in which it previously had just one body with a choice of three or five doors. The DS4 satisfies a broad range of customer needs and engages the driver at an emotional level, enhancing the appeal and `joie de vivre' of the motoring experience. DS4 is powered by a range of three Euro 5 compliant engines, delivering refined performance with optimised fuel and CO2 efficiency.  There are two petrol engines with a choice of 115 or 147 kW and the 82 kW e-HDI is fitted as standard with Citroen's micro hybrid system. One of the safest vehicles in its class, DS4 has been awarded a maximum five star Euro NCAP safety rating with a 97 per cent score in the Safety Assist' category. The DS4 is launched in Australia in three different versions, the Citroen DS4 DStyle 115 kW Turbo Petrol with a six speed EGS gearbox as standard is priced at a  $35,990. The DStyle e-HDI Turbo Diesel, also with an EGS gearbox as standard, is $1000 more. Topping the range, is the DSport, with a six-speed manual gearbox mated to its 147 kW Turbo petrol engine, priced at $39,990.

Alfa Romeo and Nissan have been doing if for years, Hyundai has recently joined the club, only with the novel idea of only having a back door on one side instead of both.Now Citroen is getting into the act – and it comes as no surprise that a company famed for its innovation is taking a different route to the others. The all-new Citroen DS4 looks like a three-door coupe but has hidden extra doors, so it actually a five-door hatchback. While the stylish French machine looks more coupe than hatch it has a bulky backside so could be a crossover between a coupe and a sporting SUV in the manner of the big BMW X6.At the front the sporting Citroen follows the current global theme of having a large grille. The DS3 carries the distinctive ‘interlocking gears’ of the company so it certainly won’t be mistaken for anything other than a big-style Cit.New Citroen DS4 comes with a feature the company has been pushing for some time now. A huge panoramic windscreen stretches well back into the roof and gives a bright interior.There’s the feeling for front occupants that they are somehow part of the scenery rather than shut away from it. The sporting Cit’s interior is practical, but also has some fascinating touches. For example, the colour of the dials and the instrument cluster can also be changed at the whim of the driver.Citroën’s new DS4 is powered by a range of three Euro 5 compliant engines. There are two petrol engines with either 115 kW or 147 kW, but the star of the range is the fascinating DS4 with what Citroen calls its e-HDI engine.This diesel powerplant uses Citroen’s ‘micro hybrid’ system to trim fuel consumption by as much as 15 per cent in city driving. It has an official fuel consumption figure of just 4.4 litres per hundred kilometres when meandered on the combined driving cycle.The Citroen DS4 initially comes to Australia in three different versions: the DS4 DStyle 115 kW turbo-petrol with a six-speed EGS gearbox as standard is priced at a recommended retail of $35,990.The Citroen DS4 DStyle e-HDI turbo-diesel, with EGS gearbox has an RRP of $36,990. The topline Citroen DS4 DSport, which has a six-speed manual gearbox and the 147 kW turbo-petrol engine is priced at $39,990. Statutory and dealer charges have to be added to these prices.

Sitting on platform shared with the Mitsubishi ASX compact SUV, the Citroen C4 AirCross will join the Peugeot 4008 in Australia's already crowded compact SUV market by the end of this year.

Car dealer Alec Lowe's 1973 Citroen DS23 Pallas Prestige has come fresh from the paintshop to the showroom floor.The prime late classic has been selected from hundreds of entries to be among 98 displayed at the second annual RACV Motorclassica in Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building from October 21-23."I have even driven it, except to and from the paintshop and the workshop," says Lowe, 62. "It hasn't been seen anywhere before. This is its first time out."Lowe explains that the "Prestige" designation means it is a Special with a wind-up glass partition in the rear. The interior was built by Bugatti coach builders Henri Chapron of Paris for government and diplomatic use.This particular car was specially imported for use by the French ambassador to Australia who sold it to his secretary when he returned to France. She sold it to Lowe in 1995 for $7500."It was in pretty good condition, but we've done a total nut-and-bolt restoration from the ground up," he says. "If it hasn't been reconditioned, it's new."I wouldn't want to know what we've spent on it." It's insured for $50,000, but Lowe says the last Prestige model sold for $90,000 in Paris, unrestored."I'm hoping to take it back to France for a driving holiday and maybe sell it over there," he says. "I might get more for it in a left-hand-drive market."Lowe says he had no problem obtaining parts for the car or working on the front-drive vehicle. Nor should he as he started his career as a Citroen mechanic working with legendary endurance rally driver Jim Reddiex.He navigated for Reddiex in Repco round-Australia rallies in the 1970s and recalls one rally incident where they hit a tree and bent their CX machine into a banana shape, popping the windscreen."It was still driveable because all the mechanicals are up front, so we drove to the next stop holding the windscreen in place with our hands," he says. Lowe says the DS model was an innovative car when introduced in 1955 with a number of firsts throughout its model life, ending in 1975, including swivelling headlights that turn with the steering wheel."That's only been re-introduced in luxury models in the past decade and they don't turn as much as these. They almost go at right angles," he says.Other innovations included power disc brakes, hydropneumatic auto-leveling suspension with auto-leveling headlights, variable ground clearance, power rack-and-pinion steering and a lightweight fibreglass roof.It also featured a wider front track and different-sized wheels to counter the understeer effects of front-wheel-drive introduced in the Citroen Traction Avant in the 1930s.The DS has been named one of the coolest, beautiful and most influential cars of the last century.Citroen DS23 Pallas PrestigeYear: 1973Price New: $9000Price Now: about $90,000Engine: carbureted 2347cc 4-cylinderBody: 4-door sedanTransmission: 5-speed manualDid you know: The original 1955 DS was designed, not by car designers, but Italian sculptor Flaminio Bertoni and French aeronautical engineer Andre Lefebvre.Got a special car you'd like featured in Carsguide? Modern or classic we're interested in hearing your story. Please send a pic and brief info to mark.hinchliffe@carsguide.com.au

The days when European cars automatically commanded a hefty premium in Australia are long gone and almost every week one brand or another announces what sales people love to call a "repositioning". It's not just that the dollar is making imports cheaper. Competition for buyers is fierce.The French brands are perennial underperformers in the sales charts and reposition a lot. The latest to face up to reality is Citroen and some of its price cuts are fairly dramatic. A top-spec C5, for example, drops $14,000. That's not repositioning. That's moving interstate. Bad luck if you bought one last week.The move is timed to coincide with the arrival of the second-generation C4, Citroen's mainstay small car. It shifts a couple of suburbs to begin $4000 lower, at $22,990. Like its predecessor, the new C4 borrows the underpinnings from the equivalent Peugeot model, in this case the 308. So it's a bit longer and has a bigger boot than a Volkswagen Golf, although still far from the largest in its class.Thanks to Citroen's two-tier model strategy, this time the C4 comes only as a five-door hatchback. The three-door "coupe" is dropped to leave room for a premium DS4 model that arrives early next year. As before, the C4 is a competent design with a strong road stance and pleasing headlight shapes, but a bit generic apart from details such as the grille.The cabin has some of the sculptural flourishes that are overdone in the C5, and a long dash combined with the world's smallest glovebox. The unique fixed-hub steering wheel has gone but its orthodox replacement still has an awful lot of buttons.For enough cash, the C4 can be filled with equipment that's only just trickled down from luxury cars, such as massage seats and cornering lights. There are also a few gimmicks including dials that change colour. However, it's less intriguing at entry level, where Bluetooth is missing and rear passengers must wind their own windows.Then there's the base 1.6-litre petrol engine, which produces noise without much corresponding forward motion. It's even slower -- almost 14 seconds to 100km/h -- with an automatic gearbox that, incredibly, has only four speeds. The automatic comes later, as does Citroen's version of a double-clutch transmission and fuel-saving tricks, such as idle-stop. Later there will also be a turbo petrol. A manual diesel 1.6 is the other variant available from launch and it's better than the petrol, gets six speeds instead of five and has an electric parking brake. It also has the best fuel economy, of 5.8 litres per 100km.Neither will delight the driver in you, with doughy handling that lacks any zest. There's no alacrity to the steering, which is dull, and plenty of body roll. The ride quality is OK until it rolls over something it doesn't like, when it gets jarring.

The newly-crowned Carsguide COTY, the Kia Rio, leads the latest group of five-star safety cars in Australia.A dozen safety standouts have joined the fives, from the Audi A1 to the Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, but the rules will change radically in 2012 as ANCAP demands more protection for new-car buyers."The hurdle to get into the five-star game will be higher, although the crash tests will probably be the same," says Lauchlan McIntosh, ANCAP chair. "Next year, when we start adding whiplash and some of the other 'roadmap' features, it won't be as easy to get a five-star. I think we'll see some new cars not getting five stars."In the end, the car companies will have to lift their game. We're ramping up the safety-assist technologies to get five stars. In 2008 we said you have to have ESC to get in the game. Now they'll need to have some of safety assist technologies. The manufacturers have moved. They have spent hundreds of millions."Those technologies include everything from Mercedes-Benz's Pre-Safe system which pre-primes airbags and moves seats to City Safety at Volvo and the Subaru EyeSight system that includes lane-departure warnings and active cruise control. Some brands will have individual items and others will package a suite of safety stuff."We're going to say you need a certain number," says McIntosh. He predicts a rapid uptake of new technology as well as improving results from brands which are currently failing to make the five-star grade."At the bottom end of the game there are still a few struggling. But I think the Chinese will lift their game pretty quickly, and Mahindra too. Now governments and fleets are only buying five-star cars the game is over. The ADRs are almost irrelevant. It's that purchasing that makes a difference."McIntosh says there should be another final burst of ANCAP results before the end of 2011and, without revealing any detail, predicts a couple of surprises."There will be some new results that will come out with four stars, which is a bit different to Euro NCAP. We're a bit tougher in the aggregation of the numbers. But four stars is still a good result.""We're being a bit overwhelmed by the number of five-star cars and the interest from buyers. And that's a good thing. The latest five-star winners combine the results from European NCAP testing and local results in Australia.“With the holiday period looming your choice of new car may well be a life-saver," says McIntosh.ANCAP FIVE-STAR RATINGSBMW 1 SeriesCitroen C4Citroen DS3Ford Falcon FG MkII sedan and uteHolden Captiva Series IIKia OptimaKia RioMazda BT-50Mercedes-Benz BT-50Mercedes-Benz M-ClassVW JettaVW Golf Cabriolet