2026 Citroen E-Dispatch Reviews

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.

New car styling is moving quickly towards high-waisted doors and huge side roof pillars specifically to provide more side impact protection. And there is also allowance being made for the differing heights of cars and four-wheel drives with the latter featuring less aggressive and lower frontal areas to minimise side impact "intrusion" in a collision with a smaller passenger car. But the real challenge is to make a car that minimises injury to pedestrians in the awful event of an impact. It seems an almost insurmountable problem considering the size, weight and speed of the "objects" involved. But car manufacturers and designers are rising to the challenge. Citroen's new C4 is an example of the way things are going. It's a small/medium car and the front has been designed as much for aesthetics as for pedestrian safety. The front bumper area is rounded off and extends quite low to spread any impact force with a pedestrian's leg over a larger area. The C4's leading edge is all of relatively soft plastic with yielding structures beneath. The bonnet is thin aluminium sheet and engine components, "hard parts" are well down in the engine bay and away from danger. The bonnet is raked from the front up to the windscreen which is raked at almost the same angle as the bonnet once again to minimise blunt impact with a pedestrian. The front mudguards are in soft plastic. The mirrors have rounded leading edges and fold when hit. The only glass at the front of the car is the windscreen. Headlights and all brightwork the badges and grille are plastic.There is no protruding radio aerial and even the door handles are recessed. Ford has taken matters a little further with a spring loaded bonnet on a specially developed Focus model. The bonnet springs up about 20cm acting as a "pillow" in the event of a pedestrian collision. The system has not been broadly adopted on production cars at this stage but other elements of pedestrian safety adorn many other cars. Sophisticated computers will soon be used to help either avoid a pedestrian collision or to adjust parts of the car instantaneously to minimise harm. Pedestrian airbags are a possibility in the future. In the meantime, it would pay dividends to invest in better education programs for pedestrians to stop some of the suicidal behaviour that takes place. Disobeying red lights, jaywalking, walking on to the road from between parked cars or from behind vans, trucks and buses, walking onto the road when intoxicated, simply not paying attention or having compact audio headphones on all, heighten the risk to pedestrians.  

Michael Schumacher retired with seven world championships, but 007 is up to 21 movies — with six different macho men in the role — and still going hard. During the past quarter-century and in 21 official films, Bond has been the target of more bad guys on wheels than anyone else in cinema history, yet he has always managed to escape without a scratch. And he has often pulled a nifty U-turn on the opposition with some sort of car trickery, from concealed machine guns on a 1960s Aston Martin to an '80s Lotus Esprit that morphed into a submarine — and even a remote-controlled BMW 7 Series in the '90s. Now he's back for the noughties, and doing it again in the remake of Casino Royale, which opened in cinemas just before Christmas. And he's back in an Aston Martin, just like the early days. The hype for the new 007 movie got me thinking not only about Bond's wheelwork in the latest British supercar, but also the dream car of my childhood: a scale model of the Aston Martin DB5 Bond drove in the 1960s. It came with all the Bond gear — revolving number plates, concealed machine guns, tyre-slashers, a bulletproof rear shield and even an ejector seat. In 1965, Corgi released its scale model of the gadget-laden DB5, and by 1968 nearly four million copies had been sold. It remains Corgi's best-known model, and I couldn't afford it. The release of the 21st-century Casino Royale has triggered a lot of talk about 007 and cars and movies. The model-making machine is already rolling again, with scaled-down copies of the DBS and even re-done — but de-gadgeted — replicas of the original DB5. And this time, there was a tiny Aston in my Christmas stocking. It's worth looking at what Bond cameos have done for car companies. BMW experienced plenty of benefit when it signed a multi-movie deal that began with its baby Z3 convertible. The world saw the car first when it was driven on the big screen by Bond. That deal continued with the Z8 convertible and the controversially styled 7, and even a BMW motorcycle. But then Britain bounced back for the last of Pierce Brosnan's appearances as Bond, when he slid back into an Aston and the baddies strapped into a rocket-equipped Jaguar. This time around, Agent 007 is driving a gorgeous new DBS, and there's even a special appearance by an original DB5. A poll has been conducted for the television series Top Gear on the most popular car chase in Bond movie history. And the winner is ... no, not the Aston. Not a Jaguar, nor the Lotus, nor even one of the BMWs. First choice was a crazy little Citroen 2CV that suffered all sorts of punishment — including being cut in half — when it was driven by Roger Moore in the 1981 film For Your Eyes Only.   The four-wheeled co-stars: Dr No (1962): Sunbeam Alpine, Chevrolet Bel Airconvertible From Russia With Love (1963): Bentley Mark IV Goldfinger (1964): Aston Martin DB5, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes 190SL, Lincoln Continental, Ford Mustang convertible, Rolls-Royce Phantom III Thunderball (1965): Aston Martin DB5, Ford Mustang convertible, BSA Lightning motorcycle, gyrocopter 1967 You Only Live Twice: Toyota 2000 GT, BMW CS On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Aston Martin DBS, Mercury Cougar, Bentley S2 Continental, Rolls-Royce Corniche Diamonds Are Forever (1971): Ford Mustang Mach 1, Triumph Stag, moon buggy Live And Let Die (1973): double-decker London bus, Chevrolet Impala convertible, MiniMoke The Man With The Golden Gun (1974): AMC Hornet and Matador, Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): Lotus Esprit, Wetbike concept, Ford Cortina Ghia, Mini Moke Moonraker (1979): Bentley Mark IV, Rolls-Royce SilverWraith For Your Eyes Only (1981): Citroen 2CV, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Octopussy (1983): Mercedes-Benz 250 SE, BMW 5 Series, Alfa Romeo GTV A View To A Kill (1985): Renault taxi, Ford LTD, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, Chevrolet Corvette C4 The Living Daylights (1987): Aston Martin DBS and V8 Vantage, Audi 200 Quattro Licence To Kill (1989): Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Kenworth petrol tanker GoldenEye (1995): BMW Z3, Aston Martin DB5, Russian tank, Ferrari 355 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997): Aston Martin DB5, BMW 750iL, BMW R1200C motorcycle The World Is Not Enough (1999): BMW Z8, Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow Die Another Day (2002): Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar XKR, Ford Thunderbird convertible Casino Royale (2006): Aston Martin DBS and DB5, Jaguar E-type roadster, Fiat Panda 4x4, Ford Transit, Ford Mondeo

The striking little yellow Dongfeng D120 was a star at this week's Beijing motor show, the largest auto show in the massive Chinese market. The D120 was one of 15 cars at the show from Dongfeng, a major Chinese manufacturer. It has joint ventures with Citroen, Nissan and Honda. The show opened last Sunday amid rocketing sales with few signs that growing traffic congestion, pollution and rising oil prices were clouding the future of the industry. While international producers unveiled their latest products, the Chinese were displaying more than 180 domestic-made vehicles. Many of them are hoping that their inexpensive cars may one day find their way into global markets. Australian importer Ateco is looking at bringing Chinese-made cars Down Under within the next two years. Cars like the Geely, Great Wall, Chery and Red Flag are enjoying an almost 25 per cent market share in China, according to Xinhua news agency reports this week. After years of growth, China is the world's second largest car market after the US. In the first 10 months of 2006, 5.89 million cars were produced and 5.77 million cars sold in China, figures up 27 per cent and 26 per cent respectively from January-October 2005, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. If this trend does continue, China will have 100 million cars on its roads by 2020, up from 43 million in 2005, a phenomenon that will cause severe pollution unless stricter emission controls are implemented, Xinhua says. More than 500,000 potential car buyers are expected to attend the 10-day show, many of them first-time buyers. International prestige brands are at the show keen to sell to the country's wealthy who are proud, and keen to flaunt their riches. It is this fast-growing generation of mainly under 35-year-old, self-made tycoons that the world's top luxury carmakers have now firmly set their sights on. "We have more than 300,000 millionaires in China, so I think it's a good number for us to go into the market," Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Lamborghini, says. Rolls Royce sales are up 50 per cent from last year and China has become its third largest market after the US and Britain, says Ian Robertson, chairman and chief executive. "It is growing dramatically. There is a fast growing number of very rich people in this country," Robertson says. And sales in China, including Hong Kong, at 65 vehicles out of its global total of about 800, represented "nearly 10 per cent of our business," Robertson says. Porsche, which entered China in 2001, sold 857 cars in China last year and says it expects that figure to double this year. However, the show also comes as a new report shows there are problems with local production. Defects have been found in 77 per cent of domestically made cars, largely due to a price war forcing manufacturers to cut corners, according to an industry survey which was released this week. The range of defects, found within six months of the car being bought, involved tyres, airconditioning, brakes, locks and steering wheels, the China Daily newspaper reported, citing as its source the 2006 China Automobile Customer Satisfaction Index. "The defects are a result of car makers constantly reducing prices and sacrificing quality," the paper quoted Fan Tianshun, director of the China Quality Association, which conducted the poll, as saying. For every 100 new cars, there were an average of 338 defects, much higher than last year's figure of 246. On average, China's car prices have dropped about 10,000 yuan ($A1250) per car each year over "the past few years" as manufacturers try to compete in the the booming market, the paper writes. Defects were more prevalent in cheaper cars in the 30,000 yuan ($A5000) to the 50,000 yuan ($A8240) range, such as China's Geely, Chery QQ and the Changan Alto. But fewer defects in more expensive cars helped result in customer satisfaction for China's domestically-built automobiles growing by 0.1 per cent so far this year over the figures reported in 2005. The index was based on a poll of 4648 participants in 36 cities this year, the paper reported. AFP  

Last week government ministers said they were in talks with Volkswagon and French rival Peugeot-Citroen about possible acquisition of the Malaysian government’s 42.7 per cent stake. Peugeot-Citroen last night bowed out of talks and said the company had no plans to buy any part of Proton. Volkswagon is also no longer believed to be interested after the Malaysian government refused to allow the German car maker to have management control. Proton has sold 1628 cars in Australia this year, comprising the light cars Satira and Savvy, plus small cars Persona and Waja. Investment companies including DRB Hicom and the unlisted Naza Group are believed to have expressed interest in the Malaysian Government’s share. "We submitted a letter of interest to the Ministry of Finance about two months ago and are awaiting word from them," Naza Group chief executive Nasimuddin Amin was quoted as saying in the Star newspaper. Naza assembles cars in a venture with South Korea's Kia Motors Corp., while DRB Hicom has alliances with Isuzu Motors Ltd., General Motors Corp., Honda Motor Co. and is controlled by politically well-connected businessman Syed Mokhtar Albukhary. But Malaysian ministers are understood to be seeking foreign investment for Proton. Proton, established in the 1980s, is an icon of Malaysia's rapid industrialisation. Its fortunes in Southeast Asia's biggest car market have plummeted from about 60 percent three years ago to just 40 percent this year due to improving sales from second national manufacturer Perodua and cheaper foreign models. ASEAN's impending decision to liberalise decades-old protectionist policies in its auto sector also could hurt Proton's bottom line, analysts say. European automakers are attracted to Proton because it gives them a chance to break into the Southeast Asian auto market, historically dominated by their Japanese rivals. Proton has two plants in Malaysia, with a total capacity of 380,000 cars per year that can be raised to 1.2 million units per year if there is sufficient demand. The plants are currently using only half their capacity. -With wires

The second edition to the C2 range is a somewhat comical car. With bigger windows in the back, it looks like two different cars have been stuck together. The C2 VTS is priced at $23,990, $2000 dearer than the VTR model. And that's as far as the C2 range stretches. While its heart is the same size as the VTR with a 1.6-litre, four cylinder engine, it gives even more, delivering an extra 10kW, producing 90kW at 6500rpm and 143Nm at 3750rpm. But there's a big hurdle to conquer before you can enjoy the ride. While the first thing you notice is the character, jump behind the wheel, start the engine and you'll soon find it is very entertaining or frustrating, depending on your mood. The culprit is the clutch, as it takes some getting used to. The first couple of times you take off, it feels like you're back on your L plates, and in this case, perhaps it stands more for loser than learner. Drive it like a normal manual and you'll find yourself reaching 5000rpm, 6000rpm with little movement, but lots of revs, which is somewhat daunting. Once you get over it, there are other features of the car to enjoy. Such as the plain, simple, but chic interior. The dash has a sense of style and the seats, which wrap around your body, are quite comfortable and supportive. Leg room in the back of this four-seater is limited, but it feels as if there is plenty of space around the top half of your body, perhaps a result of the large windows. In keeping with its comical nature, the C2 has a blinker that brings back memories of playing space invaders on the Sega Megadrive or Pub Pong (for those who are older) with its electronic ponging noise. The headlights on and door open electronic warning alerts have a similar arcade-game sound. The five-speed manual transmission is quite smooth once you figure out the quick release of the clutch and how to engage it, when you can feel the benefit of good pick-up in the lower gear range. Tall drivers will suffer as they find their knees reaching their ears. A slight exaggeration perhaps, but the seat feels lower than usual. The C2 is also easy to park and while the steering is a little light, it's quite a nifty little car for getting around town. Unloading the boot is made easy with a split tailgate, although you would have to keep shopping to a minimum. It handles and corners well and for such a little car, it gives out a huge roar, with a rather noisy engine. As well as extra power, the VTS has a slightly stiffer suspension than the VTR, making it more sporty and the gear ratio is significantly lower, which gives a quicker 0 to 100km speed, 8.3 seconds compared with the VTR's 10.9 seconds. The C2 lacks storage inside the car, with cup holders that don't hold drink bottles, slightly impractical and little space for accessories. The glovebox is also very tiny. The speedometer is digital, so you can't see the top speed, only how fast you're going, and the tachometer is also different and hard to see, as it's a curved line sitting above the speedo. The claimed fuel consumption of 6.9-litres wasn't achieved, instead sitting more around the 8-litres per 100km mark, but this was mainly on city driving. The C2 comes with a leather steering wheel, CD-player, air conditioning, rain sensing wipers and a four star NCAP safety rating. According to VFacts, the C2 sits in the light segment putting it up against the Hyundai Getz, Holden Barina and Toyota Yaris, all of which have models well below the starting price of the base VTR. Perhaps it's closer to its other competitors such as the Suzuki Swift and Volkswagen Polo, but it doesn't seem to offer as much for the price tag. Fast facts Price: $23,990 Engine: 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, 90kW@6500rpm, 143Nm@3750rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel: 6.9L/100km (claimed), around 8L/100km (tested) Body: 3-door hatch Verdict: A lot of character to this sporty VTS, but it takes time to adjust to a different driving style. ALTERNATIVES Volkswagen Polo Match Price: $19,990 Engine: 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, 77kW@5600rpm, 153Nm@3800rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel: 45-litre tank, 7.1L/100km (claimed) Body: 5-door hatch Verdict: Volkswagen's small car offers less power than the VTS with a much cheaper price tag. But, the Polo also has sporty character. Suzuki Swift Sport Price: $23,990 Engine: 1.5-litre, 4-cylinders, 92kW@6800rpm, 148Nm@4800rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Fuel: 43-litre tank, 7.5L/100km (claimed) Body: 5-door hatch Verdict: The Swift was CARSguide's Car Of The Year for 2005 and the new Sport model offers better performance figures than the C2, for the same price.

Alfa Romeo stepped up straight after the Peugeot unveiling of a woman, I mean a car. A 207 apparently.

And, for the first time in Australia, a leading design company will join manufacturers at the exhibition as the local branch of the German design and engineering company EDAG

Brisbane has been confirmed as the new host of Rally Australia following the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Barcelona yesterday. It is the first time a World Rally Championship calendar has been finalised so far in advance. Garry Connelly, who will stand down as Australian Rally Commission chairman at the end of the year, said more details on the new home of the Australian leg of the WRC would become known during Rally Australia in Perth on October 27-29. "We will make an announcement during Rally Australia and all the fine details will be released," Connelly said. Australia will be missing from the World Rally Championship calendar next year with the final WRC round to be staged in Corsica after being based out of Perth since the late 1980s. WRC commercial rights holder David Richards says it is good news that Australia will return to the championship in 2008 and he has endorsed Queensland as an ideal venue. There remains a degree of mystery about IQG Rally Events Australia which has been appointed as the promoter of the Queensland event. The only thing known is that the WRC round will be held within a 50km radius of Brisbane, using forestry roads much closer to the state capital than the long-running Australian Rally Championship round based around Imbil near Gympie. Richards, who runs the Prodrive racing operation out of Banbury in England which fields the Subaru World Rally Team, is delighted that Gold Coast ace Chris Atkinson has been signed for a third season with the team in 2007. "He's done a really good job and we think we've found the main handling problems with the car that have dogged our progress in the WRC," Richards said. It is known that Suzuki has chased hard to sign Atkinson who has done a tidy job against the world's best along with his co-driver Glenn Macneall. WORLD RALLY STANDINGS After 13 of 16 rounds 1 Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) 112 2 Marcus Gronholm (Ford) 87 3 Mikko Hirvonen (Ford) 47 4 Daniel Sordo (Citroen) 43 5 Manfred Stohl (Peugeot) 34 Last Rd: Winner Marcus Gronholm, Turkey, Oct 15. Next Rd: Perth, Oct 27-29. TV: Ch 10: Oct 29, 2pm.