1977 Citroen GS Reviews

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Citroen DS3 Cabrio DSport with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The DS3 goes for $29,740 and that includes plenty of standard kit like climate control air, full Bluetooth connectivity, satnav, power ancillaries and gorgeous alloy wheels.

They took back our 'long term' Citroen DS3 cabrio and gave us a three-door DS3 D Sport hatch instead.

Trust the French to insist that a sensible, functional people mover doesn’t have to be boring.

A car that comes with a drone to see what’s causing the traffic snarl ahead, another that accepts deliveries while you’re at work, and a self driving car with seats that face backwards.

Citroen has announced Australia’s first six year, unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance plan for its new Grand C4 Picasso people mover and DS3, DS4 and DS5 models, with the industry-leading duration including all buyers taking delivery after March 1.Several manufacturers offer five year warranty terms, but Citroen’s new six year coverage is double the industry standard three year duration, and Australia is the first of the French brand's several international markets to make such an offer.“Introducing this warranty shows our commitment to the product and our commitment to the brand in Australia. We’ve been here for 90 years and we’ve continued to be innovators so it’s only natural that we want to push the barriers,” Citroen Australia Marketing boss Manuel Tyras says.Citroen is a relatively small player on the Australian market, with its 1180 vehicle 2013 total including just 61 examples of the previous C4 Picasso and a total of 418 DS models, and is understandably keen to attract new buyers to the brand. According to research undertaken by Citroen’s Australian arm, warranty and roadside assistance duration is a key influence among buyers considering the Citroen brand, with even a five-year warranty offering double the influence of a conventional three year term. The new six-year warranty is fully transferable between owners, and there is currently no plan for the six year duration to filter down to other Citroen models.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

There’s a new master in the seven-seater class, adept at carting children and chattels. Can 250,000 buyers a year be wrong?

Malcolm Flynn road tests and reviews the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso people mover, with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

Citroen’s second-generation C4 Picasso will arrive in local showrooms on March 1, with the new model’s $4,500 greater $43,990 entry price balanced by Citroen’s boast of $9,000 worth of extra value.Sitting between the Kia Rondo and Honda Odyssey in size, the new C4 Picasso features flexible seating for seven within a 2840mm wheelbase and 4600mm overall length – the same as the previous model but with 110mm added between the wheels.  Key packaging gains from the extended wheelbase include 55mm more knee room in the second row, and 16mm for third-row occupants. The new Grand C4 Picasso is the first model to arrive in Australia using Citroen-parent PSA’s new EMP2 platform, which will form the basis of several new Citroen and Peugeot models, plus some General Motors products under the PSA/GM alliance.Weight reduction was a key criteria for the new platform, and the new Grand C4 Picasso weighs just 1440kg – 100kg less than the outgoing model, and at least 336kg less than the Odyssey.DRIVETRAINAustralian Grand C4 Picasso models will use a single ‘Excusive’ trim level, with a six speed auto and turbodiesel as the sole drivetrain. This turbodiesel is the new BlueHDi 110kW/370Nm 2.0-litre unit, which produces max torque between 2000-2500rpm, can accelerate to 100km/h in 10.2 seconds, and is rated at a class-leading 4.5L/100 combined.The sole transmission is a new six-speed torque converter unit – unlike the previous single-clutch automated manual unit – which promises faster gearchanges, quieter operation and is paired with a standard stop/start system.EQUIPMENTStandard features include a leather steering wheel, satnav, dual-zone climate control with second row vents and fan control, front and rear parking sensors, four-camera 360 degree exterior view, automated parking system for parallel and perpendicular reverse parks, Bluetooth phone and audio, 8GB media storage, panoramic glass roof with electric sunblind, auto headlights and wipers, speed-limiting cruise control, proximity keys, and 17 inch wheels.Design highlights include twin multimedia screens in the dash, with a 12-inch widescreen unit for trip computer, satnav and 360 degree camera display, and a 7-inch secondary unit in the centre stack for HVAC controls, satnav, and multimedia information. Retractable window blinds are also standard for the second row, along with a roof-mounted conversation mirror and 12V power sockets for all three rows.Optional extras include the $2000 Drive Assist Pack that adds active cruise control, lane departure and collision warnings, active seat belts and auto high-beam. Also available is partial leather trim with with electric lumbar and massage functions for the front seats, second row tray tables, and an alectric footrest for the front passenger ($2500 or $5000 with full leather and electric heated front seats). A powered tailgate can also be added for $1000, plus Bi-Xenon headlights ($2000) and 18-inch wheels ($1500) that push the combined fuel figure up to 4.6L/100km.PACKAGINGThe third row seats can be folded into the floor, and a load length of up to 2.5m is possible with the front passenger seat folded. Cargo space with all seats up is 165L, which expands to 632-793L with the third row folded (depending on second row position), and 2,181L with the second row folded forward. The Grand C4 Picasso will carry an 840kg payload, 1600kg braked tow rating, and comes with an inflation kit in lieu of a spare tyre.SAFETYStandard safety features include dual front airbags, side and curtain airbags for the first two rows only, blind-spot monitoring, hill-assist, ABS and stability control, and second row child seat anchorage points are ISOFIX with a top-tether for all three positions. The Grand C4 Picasso has earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating, which Citroen Australia distributor Sime Darby expects will be recognised by ANCAP in the coming weeks. 

There's always a great deal of interest any time one of the cars used in a 007 movie is offered for sale. And you can probably multiply that by 59 times for the collection of Bond vehicles owned by US real estate mogul Michael Dezer.Dezer is known for  development on a grand scale: nearly the entire suburb of Chelsea in NewYork, and several massive projects in Florida including partnerships with Donald Trump for the 900 million Trump Towers, $600 million Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences and the $166 million Trump International Hotel and Tower.And Florida is also where he garages his collection of 1800 vehicles, including the 59 genuine Bond ones he's selling, each of which has appeared in one of the movies.The catch is that Dezer insists they be bought as one lot, for US$33 million ($37 million). But the buyer will have a fairly comprehensive sample across the Bond series.Among the 59 are a Fairey Huntress boat used in 1963's From Russia With Love and an Audi A5 and Land Rover Defender used in the most recent film, Skyfall, for the kickstarter car chase scenes.From films in between, there are a brace of Aston Martin DB5 coupes, one of which helmed by Pierce Brosnan for Goldeneye -- and the Russian T55 tank from the film. The famed Lotus Esprit S1 that morphed into a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me is also one of star vehicles, as are the armoured and armed BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies, and the Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day.There are also more everyday wheels, including the Citroen 2CV from For Your Eyes Only, and a replica of the AMC Hornet from The Man With The Golden Gun. The collection has been on display at the Dezer Musuem in Miami, and it's likely the buyer will do something similar once the deal is done.And while it will make a little space in the Dezer garage, there are still plenty of interesting cars staying there, including the 1948 Ford from Grease,  the 1981 DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Ghostbusters 1959 Cadillac, an original Batmobile, the Lamborghini Social Experiment Project AU 79, and many, many more.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott