Citroen Dispatch Reviews

Million dollar extravagance alongside budget buggies, runaway horsepower side-by-side with eco warriors. Its the eclectic mix that makes the Geneva one of the most anticipated events on the annual motor show circuit.As major car manufacturers battle for survival in the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, its all spit, polish and business as usual inside the Palexpo complex in the world's banking capital.Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Maybach spruiked their million-dollar babies alongside a tiny Smart, Chrysler's European debut for its vision of an electric future and a full range of real-world hybrid and dual-fuel models.There were the wild and wacky concepts — fewer than in the halcyon days, an acknowledgement that times are tough — and a mix of models that will grace showrooms in the coming year.Also fighting for attention were the usual array of specialists like Brabus, Startech and Zagato adding even greater gloss and performance to mainstream models as well as tiny Euro operations producing outlandish stars of their own imagining — badges such as Sbarro, Gumpert, Spyker and Koenigsegg.So, what were the stars of the 2009 Geneva Show?Ask a hundred people and you will probably get 100 different answers, but from a purely personal point of view here is one version of a Top 10. Citroen DS Inside Concept: A concept in name only, the little Mini rival will spearhead Citroen's new DS naming convention when it launches next year. Sleek, stylish and boasting a hybrid-diesel powertrain, the DS (the manufacturer says that stands for different spirit) caught the eye and the imagination with emotional, if not styling, hints of the truly radical DS on the 1950s.Hyundai ix-onic concept: Gone are the days when you looked on a Korean concept with a sense of synmpathy. While the ix-onic is clearly an exaggeration of the marques next SUV generation there is enough about it to whet the appetite. As important as the styling is the news that the ix-onic carries DSG gearbox and stop/start eco-technology. Look for for it all in the next generation of Tucson compact SUV next year.Pagani Zonda Cinque: A personal favourite. Not so much a car as a piece of very, very fast art. The latest offering from designer Horatio Pagani uses the company's own bespoke carbon-titanium material to shape a truly gorgeous body — and it goes. Zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds and back to zero in 2.1. Enough sauid. Chevrolet Spark: Far more super-realistic than super-car, the little Spark is none-the-less an excellent example of its kind. Developed from the General Motors Beat concept shown in New York two years ago, the Spark is a bright rendition of a city car which, despite its name, is not electric nor even hybrid. On sale in Europe this year, don't be surprised if it comes under serious consideration for life with a Holden badge.Mercedes E-Class Coupe: The outstanding model from the new E-Class range. While the sedan version of the new generation E-Class had been seen in Detroit in January this was the Coupe's first outing — and well worth the wait. A really pretty rendition of a true coupe style.Audi TT RS: There was no shortage of new Audis in Geneva with the A5 and S5 Cabriolets on show but they were put in the shade by this hot version of the cool TT. What really sets this one apart is the use of a rorty 5-cylinder engine which is a hint to a wider future use of the powerplant behind the four-rings badge.Maybach Zeppelin: Outrageous, outlandish and unapologetically designed to shout "look what I've got that you don't", the latest Maybach earns its spot in the top 10 for offering a stone interior as an option. The high-tech process for bending Indian granite around complex surfaces is more Jetsons than Flintstones and about as left-field as anything seen in a production car. Aston Martin One-77: Another conspicuous statement of wealth, this super-exclusive super-car — only 77 are being made — exudes power and style. Everything about this car is special, right through to the unique 7.3-litre V12 massaged out of the company's standard 6.0-litre unit by Cosworth. It is believed at least one of these beauties is heading for Australia.Jaguar XFR: It has been a little while coming but Jaguar has put some real bite into its award-winning XF range with the arrival of the high-performance R version. Without over-burdoning the car with fancy, garish aero bits there is little doubt the XFR looks the biz. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 under the bonnet doesn't hurt, either. Fiat 500C convertible: Not really a convertible in the contempory sense of the word, this latest rendition of the insufferably cute Fiat 500 is a must-have fashion accessory. The rollback sot top is true to the style of the original 1950s car with the centre of the roof rolling back to open the passengers to the skies without the complicated engineering of removing roof rails or C-pillars.

Starting with a revamped logo from this week to update its identity, the French auto firm promises and extra range of new models using its famous DS prefix, new customer service standards and eventually a new showroom look at its dealers.The major revamp includes its advertising theme that now will carry the baseline Creative Technologie.Also, starting with the Cyprus Rally four weeks from now, Citroen Sport will change its name to Citroen Racing. The outfit is the dominant team in the World Rally Championship, thanks to reigning champions Sebastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena, who already have won the first two rounds of the 2009 WRC in their Citroen C4.The team's new name of Citroen Racing is to promote the "speed, vitality and impetus" of car rallies, the carmaker says.For its road car line-up Citroen says at present it has the largest and most diverse range in its 90-year history. But over the coming three years it will launch six new models in Europe, and time will tell how many of those come to Australia.In Australia, Citroen offers a six-model range now. Not many car brands span a market from $16,490 to $108,750. The Citroen Berlingo light van is from $16,490 and the Dispatch van from $34,990. The C3 car is from $19,990, the C4 from $25,990, the C5 saloon from $51,990 and the luxury C6 tops the range at $108,750 in Australia.But just as the mainstream car models have the C prefix, and extra tier of new models will use the DS prefix from decades ago. The first idea of the new DS is the DS Inside concept car and its expected new models will be called DS3, DS4 and DS5. 

The Corvette Stingray will feature among several other General Motors products in the sequel to the 2007 action movie Transformers to be released here in June (see trailer video at end of story).The Stingray concept has been tipped as the shape of the next-generation C7 Corvette with wide shoulders, four tailpipes, vertical headlights and sculpted fenders.However, GM is tight-lipped about it going into production as a Stingray or the C7.GM Global Design vice-president Ed Welburn said the idea of the Stingray Concept was to incorporate past design cues in a futuristic shape."By giving my creative team the freedom to design no-holds-barred vision concepts, it helps them push boundaries and look at projects from different perspectives," he said.The car plays the character Sideswipe in the movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.In the original cartoon, Sideswipe was one of the original crew members of the ARK, although it was a red Lamborghini.GM has had the exclusive contract to provide cars for both the original movie and the sequel. GM cars in the sequel include the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car, Camaro production muscle car due here in 2012 and the Beat and Trax subcompact concept cars which are intended to go into production.Chevrolet North America vice president Ed Peper said the first Transformers movie helped GM reach younger car buyers in the 18 to 34 age group."Chevrolet is thrilled to again be part of one of the most anticipated movies in years," he said."Transformers gives us a great opportunity to connect with young people on their terms, with a dynamic, environmentally friendly image."The new characters represent the change going on in Chevy showrooms. From the exciting Camaro, the 21st century sports car, to the game-changing Volt, there's more than meets the eye at Chevrolet today."Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, is about humans caught in an intergalactic war between armies of giant robots that can change into cars, planes and other technological creations.Stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox return as Sam and Mikaela, who know the secrets of the heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime.In the sequel, they are under attack by the evil Decepticons because of something Sam has learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history on Earth.The US Department of Defense gave its official stamp of approval to the Michael Bay-directed film, in the hope it would lead to recruitment interest.Movies such as Top Gun, regarded as a major boost for recruitment in its day, and the recent Robert Downey Jr. blockbuster Iron Man also received military cooperation for the same reason.US military, some just returned form active duty in Iraq, were involved in the massive battle scenes for the movie.The film crew was allowed on the dunes of the Army's New Mexico missile range and to follow jets and fighter planes through the sky from nearby Holloman Air Force Base.More scenes were shot on the Navy's aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, and Marines fill the ranks of the strike team battling the invading Transformers.The film's Army liaison, Lt. Col. Gregory Bishop, said: "As far as I know, this is the biggest joint military operation movie ever made, in terms of Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines. I can't think of one that's bigger."Military equipment used include two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" tank-killing jets; six F-16 Fighting Falcons; 10 armoured Humvees; the Army's Golden Knights parachute team; two Abrams tanks; two Bradley tanks; two missile-launcher vehicles; two armoured personnel carriers; and a quarter-mile of the missile testing range, cleared of unexploded ordnance and built into an Egyptian town and temple. 

...to try and find the backing to re-launch his shattered career.Chris Atkinson was left without a drive when Subaru pulled out of the world series, but a promising fifth place in Rally Ireland — the first event of the 2009 season — has created a lifeline from Citroen.The French brand, which has dominated the WRC in recent seasons with five-time champion Sebastian Loeb, has a car for up to eight events this year if Atkinson can find some backing."I've got to find some sponsors. The more support I get the more events I can do," Atkinson told the Herald Sun yesterday."That's just the situation and the circumstances. It's frustrating and not a great situation to be in, but I think we offer a good opportunity to a sponsor. We have a blank car, a blank helmet, blank overalls and we offer a good return."But Atkinson is realistic and, despite ranking in the top six drivers in the world, knows he faces a tough time in 2009."At the moment I've got nothing. I've got nothing," he said."I'm just coming back home to work on some sponsorship deals. I've still got the base here."Ironically, Atkinson's Subaru setback comes at a time when he was finally getting paid to drive.He originally used backing from a small Australian consortium to buy a place in the British-based Subaru team, which was run by the same Prodrive motorsport empire which owns Ford Performance Racing in V8 Supercar racing. The pay-to-play gamble probably cost him millions and he was finally looking to cash-in after hitting the black-ink years in 2008.Atkinson made a strong impression on the Citroen team, running close to Loeb's times in Ireland, although two driving mistakes in icy and wet conditions, and an error in shutting the bonnet, cost him minutes and any chance of a podium place."I was happy with the performance. Ok, you can always do better, but in a rally like that to come away with a solid result and some good stage times was the most we could hope for," he said."It wasn't a normal event. It was more about survival and and to learn a new car in those conditions was tricky."Atkinson admitted the Citroen C4 was hard to drive, but he was happy that it responded to his tuning and rewarded his commitment with good stage times.But he has no idea if he will be back in the WRC, or when."People want us in the championship, which is amazing. But it's a little disappointing, after all the hard work we've done in the last few years."There are some opportunities, but not paid opportunities."And Atkinson admitted he is looking at the Group N showroom class, and even driving opportunities in Australia, while he waits to see what happens with the WRC."I've still got eight or 10 years in rallying, so one year isn't a disaster. You don't always have a smooth career. But I can't sit out of the game."I think would be nice to do some tarmac rallies in Australia, just for fun. At the moment I'm not signed to anyone. I'm a free agent and I can drive what I want." 

UPDATED - The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (shown here) set a new world record for a car sold at auction on the 17th May 2009. 0714TR reached 12 million dollars US at RM Auctions Leggenda e Passione Ferrari auction in Maranello.  For me it’s the car in the photo gallery on the right. However the judgement of the most authoritative list of automotive experts ever assembled to make such a decision voted the Citroen DS21 to be the car. This panel included Gioretto Giugaro, Marcello Gandini and Gordon Murray, three of the most respected names in the industry and themselves responsible for such legendary cars as the Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Startos and McLaren F1.This past weekend at the Paris Retromobile, a Citroen DS Chapron Convertible sold at by auction by Bonhams  for just under A$650,000. The Chapron Convertible is the rarest and even more beautiful version of the DS21.Personally while I greatly admire the DS, it does not make my top ten list, which comprises;1.    1957 Ferrari 250 TR2.    Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder3.    1963 Ferrari 250GTO4.    Ferrari 246GT5.    Lamborghini Muira6.    Ferrari P47.    Ferrari 206SP8.    Mercedes 300SLR Coupe9.    Maserati 5000GT by Touring10.  Jaguar E-Type S111.  Ferrari 365GTB/4 DaytonaGiven my long term fascination with everything Ferrari I am interested to see how the auction of 0714TR will fare at Ferrari Leggenda e Passione in  Maranello, on 17 May 2009. This is the car that can (and should) break the current world sale record of $10.8m (currently A$16.6m) for the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder (s/n 2377GT) set at last year’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione on 18 May 2008.The 1957 Pontoon Fender 250TR is one of the true legends of the Ferrari marque and generally considered one of the most desirable models by Ferrari cognoscenti. This particular example is unique and beautifully restored in its original black color scheme. Delivered to Piero Drogo; himself a substantial character within the history of Ferrari and extensively campaigned in races North and South America this car has the potential even in the current economic climate to blow the current record away.We will update you with the result in May. Rod Halligan

  

Could this be the same car we loved to drive but loathed the look of, a car that looked more like a sperm whale than the stylish European motor that it purported to be?That car — we're happy to say — has been beached in favour of the most stylish cars that we have come across in a long time, with design cues taken directly from Citroen's larger avantgarde flagship the C6 … a car that we finally got to drive a few weeks back.Looking from some angles like a larger version of the C4, the all-new C5 adopts the trend towards sedans that look more like four-door coupes, with a sloping roofline, concave rear window and separate boot area.In contrast, Citroen watchers may remember the previous model that looked like a sedan but was in fact a hatch.The other big news this time around is the adoption of diesel engines across the board, with a choice of four cylinder and V6 variants.That's just fine with us because Citroen has been banging out diesels since Adam was a boy and it knows what it's doing.Our test vehicle was the top of the line 2.7-litre twin turbo V6, coupled with a six-speed sequential auto that allows the driver to change gears manually.At 4779mm and weighing in at 1766kg it's about the size of a Holden Commodore, but with a smaller boot.There's not as much rear leg room either.The new C5 conveys a real sense of prestige and is certain to strike a chord with those looking for something different, but something different in a good way.It offers status, individuality and high levels of luxury and performance.The diesel V6 delivers 150kW of power at 4000rpm and 440Nm of torque from a low 1900rpm, sprinting from 0-100km/h in brisk 9.6 seconds and using 11.8 litres of fuel per 100km.Priced from $49,990 with the V6 Exclusive at $62,990, the C5 comes with a five-star safety rating and long list of standard equipment.These include electrically heated and adjustable front seats with driver's seat massager, self-levelling suspension, automatic electric parking brake and headlights that turn with the car.Seven airbags are standard across the range as is electronic stability control, leather upholstery and automatc airconditioning.A closer look at the rear of the car reveals a curved, concave shaped rear window, one of the hallmarks of the C6 and two-part boomerang lights.Inside the cabin is just as stylish, with mood lighting to enhances this feeling, with ambient light glowing from the car's doors and dashboard in the Exclusive variants.Like the C4 the steering wheel's hub is fixed and the wheel rotates around it, although it is still height and reach adjustable.The dash with white instrument dials slit horizontally by a digital readout is particularly elegant.The new C5 is not however without its faults.The suspension still feels too floaty, even though it automatically firms up in corners and the steering itself is vague at times with a tendency to wander if not checked.With twin blowers and a sizeable 2.7-litre litre engine, it's was not designed as a fuel miser but still manages to deliver far better economy than any petrol V6.Performance is strong and particularly punchy with sport mode selected, exhibiting none of the turbo lag of the Renault that we drove recently.In the sort time we had the car we were getting 8.3 litres/100km with the longterm average running at 10.5.Our test car was fitted with 18 inch alloys and 245/45 tyres, with a full size 17 inch steel spare in the boot well.All in all, here is a C5 worth owning.

This is one man’s vision of what you’d get if Picasso had been a car designer.Mad Brit … if that’s not a tautology … mechanic and customiser Andy Saunders has taken a perfectly innocent Citroen 2CV and turned it into something he calls `Picasso’s Citroen’.There are some who would argue the 2CV is enough of an oddity to start with.And of course there are also those who would argue that it’s already a work of art, and was the kicking off point for a stream of unparalleled Citroen design.But we know where most of you latter mob are, and it’s only a matter of time — and having enough white vans and looooong-armed jackets — until we round you all up and put you somewhere to protect what’s left of your sanity. And the safety of the gene pool.The bog standard 2CV was originally designed in the 1930s (although not made until the late 1940s) from a brief said to read something like “an umbrella on four wheels that would allow two peasants to drive 100kg of produce to market at 60km/h in clogs and across muddy dirt roads”.It sold its socks off during the next 30 years, during the post-war era when legislation dictated that the French to buy five per household, consume several kilos of cheese every day, look down their noses at the rest of the world and blow up surplus islands and yachts in Pacific waters.The car’s name is an acronym for `deux chevaux vapeur’ (two steam horses – giving an idea of what a powerhouse you could expect for your hard-earned francs) but it was given a parade of nicknames over time:And it continued to sell, despite quality plummeting and its red-faced makers trying to have it killed off on a regular basis.However, the 2CV’s popularity is often ascribed to it being given purely utilitarian lines that were later hailed as being the very essence of form following function and a triumph of minimalism.Now Saunders has taken its simple body and turned it into a nightmare of cubism, inspired by Picasso’s famous Portrait of Dora Maar – one of the legendary artist’s mistresses, who apparently entranced him with her aquiline nose and the two eyes skewed on one side of it.“I decided to try and blur the line between car design and art by using Picasso as an inspiration,” Saunders says.He worked for about six months in altering every panel on the car, moving them off kilter and skewing their relationship to each other. The boot and grille are now off centre, and the two headlights are – of course – sitting on one side.Amazingly, you can still drive it, but it’s deemed roadworthy only for daytime use because of the headlight arrangement.The car will be auctioned at the end of this month in Britain. 

Proving that you can always try to squeeze one more creative angle out of a great idea, Citroen has released another dancing robot ad. The first of the series – in which a C4 unfolded like a Transformer and then grooved its way through some great dance moves developed by Justin Timberlake's choreographer to rave master Jacques Lu Cont ‘s infectious track Jacques Your Body – went viral when it was launched in 2005, and still logs views on the internet, as well as having spawned a million spoofs It was followed by Citroen putting a robot on ice the following year, and now with another parroting John Travolta’s swagger through Brooklyn in the opening scenes of Saturday Night Fever to mark the release of the restyled C4. The theme music, Stayin’ Alive, keys in with Citroen’s claim that the C4 is `alive with technology’ but the concept is starting to look as dated as the disco era it references. The ad has just started airing in Britain, but there are no plans yet to show it here.  

Citroen's new, second generation C5 could be the car to dispel those ancient cliches about French autos. You know the ones. They ride like melting camembert — and the build quality is about as sound.A great deal more time than our 300km stint behind the wheel and 70km in the passenger seat will be needed to assess the latter. But we can say with certainty that this is the most complete Citroen in years.Not only is the new C5 a giant step forward from its predecessor (which was itself the precursor to the now outgoing first-generation range of C-designated cars), the new range-topper points to an almost radical departure in style and perception. It bodes interestingly for the forthcoming product rollout which includes the new C4 hatch, Berlingo and Nemo vans and possibly the C-Crossover SUV.While the appearance and on-road experience of the first C5 was about as invigorating as being immersed in a bath of warm milk while listening to the talking clock, the second-gen sedan is cut from a very different and decidedly designer cloth.So, too, appears to be the Touring (that would be “wagon” to us) but we'll wait to see one in the metal before making up our minds.The four-door, meanwhile, is just that. A four-door. Gone is the liftback of Gen One, now apparently deemed too dowdy and utilitarian.Whatever the reason, the new shape is sleek and striking with that trademark long front overhang and pert rear. The interior is singular, with the fixed steering wheel hub on which are positioned cruise control and audio buttons.Material quality has risen and you have to love the driver's seat massager. It's all a neat combination of functionality and funkiness.Seen from behind there's more than a hint of Audi A4, which is not coincidental. Indeed, Citroen Australia chief Miles Williams asserts that in addition to the usual mid-priced, middle-class Europeans that the C5 is pitted against (Volkswagen, Peugeot, Volvo, Saab), “we'll attract Audi A4 people in the top-end car”.It’s a measure of the new C5’s sheer presence and interior quality that you don’t laugh aloud at this.The C5 comes in two levels of specification — Comfort and Exclusive — and one fuel.“Diesel represents where our customers are,” Williams says. And as to the new range starting $10K north of the old: “There was no demand for the old 2.0-litre petrol.”So the C5 Comfort starts at 10 bucks under $50K, the Touring (when it arrives) is $52,740. These are powered by a Francophile favourite 2.0-litre turbo diesel four cylinder, good for 100kW at top revs and 320Nm from under 2000rpm. No entry-level models were available at launch, though the spec sheet suggests it will be competitively equipped for the price.Even so, the jump to $54,990 for the Exclusive 2.0 HDI sedan ($57,740 Touring) appears worth it. The 150kW/440Nm V6 Exclusive, which boasts the same superb PSA/Ford bi-turbo powertrain that's considered quite good enough for a $100K plus Jaguar, starts from $62,990 ($65,740 Touring).All models registered five-star NCAP crash safety and the full cluster for pedestrian impacts. The Exclusive gets two extra airbags (nine in all), but all have ABS with brake assist and brake-force distribution, stability program with integrated traction control.In an accident, the active front headrest moves forward to capture the neck, potentially averting whiplash or even brain damage. Options include 19-inch alloys (the Exclusive has 18s, the Comfort 17s), sunroof (full-lengthin the Touring), Bluetooth, lane departure warning and 10 gigabyte MP3.If visually the C5 has shed its cardigan fora Paul Smith jacket, on the road it retains membership at Club Comfort.It's quiet too, eerily so when combined with the effortless mid-range acceleration of the V6. Alarming numbers can register on the in-dash digital speedo before you're really aware of the speed. Thing is, with both suspension and the six-speed auto's shift program fixed to Sport (as opposed to the quite aquatic normal mode), the C5 has some dynamic life to it, though its remit remains joy through comfort.Nose-heavy understeer is, of course, the default position, but it arrives later than you'd reasonably expect. The lesser-engined model wasn't much behind the emphatic V6, weighing in well under the top dog's 1765kg.Capable dynamically, and unflustered when the road goes to rubbish, makes you wonder if the C5 is the ideal Euro sedan for this country. Really, what's of more use in speed limited Australia with its Third World road surfaces — sporting pose or composure and poise?