1977 Citroen GS Reviews

The latest version of the trendy seven-seater comes with claims of benchmark fuel economy and emissions, although there is an extra $1000 on the bottom line.  The 2010 version of the C4 Picasso is fitted with an 100 kiloWatt turbodiesel engine and six-speed EGS transmission with fuel economy of 5.0 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of just 153 grams/kilometre.The price rise takes it to $45,990, although this still compares relatively well to a starting price of $39,390 for the Kia Grand Carnival, $44,950 for the Mitsubishi Grandis and $50,990 for the Toyota Tarago."When we launched the Citroen C4 Picasso we said that it is truly the family car for the 21st century,"” says Miles Williams, general manager of Citroen in Australia.  With the 2010 version, this position is reconfirmed, thanks to its enhanced emissions and fuel consumption reduction."The Picasso arrived in Australia with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, but petrol power disappeared more than 18 months ago after poor sales.  Stocks of the seven-seater have been low since October last year, the time of the 2010 model change in France, but are now getting back to normal.Williams says the efficiency push comes because of European taxes on CO2 outputs, with the critical limit at 160 grams/kilometre. In the UK alone, 60 per cent of Picassos are used as company cars and its 153 CO2 figure gives an advantage in both road and company car taxes.  The 2010 Picasso has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating including ESP stability control and anti-skid brakes.

A Mustang is a wild brumby in the USA but also one of the all-time best muscle cars; the LandCruiser does just what the name says, even if the land is the worst of the Australian outback; and the Enzo is a tribute to the man who founded the world's best-know supercar company, Ferrari.But the name game can go badly wrong.  The Nissan Cedric was never going to be a hit in Australia with a name that creates a picture of an aging uncle Arthur in a cardigan, Taurus is tough in the USA but was always going to flop against the Falcon, and the Skoda Roomster has just been dumped after failing to find a home down under.Holden was careful to avoid the VD in its Commodore line, but why did it start with the VB and not the VA? And what about the Statesman, which went well as the WB but was never updated into the WC?  Just this week I was following a Citroen Jumpy delivery fan in Portugal, and wondering if the name was a reflection of the driver's behaviour or the way it runs on the road.The craziness goes on and on, like the Citroen Picasso people mover which is anything but an oil painting.  Today's showrooms also have cars whose names have more numbers and letters than a cryptic crossword, with just as much meaning. Who really knows the difference between an A7 and a C350?But head back in history and there are some absolute clangers.  Henry Ford named the 1950s Edsel after his son, but is now recorded as one of the biggest flops in blue-oval history.  Japan has given us everything from the Daihatsu Rocky and Rugger to the Honda Ascot and Acty Crawler and on through the Isuzu Big Horn to the Subaru Justy.Nissan created the Tiida name from nothing, even though it claims it has something to do with waves breaking on a beach, and Lexus is even a made-up brand name, in contrast to Mercedes which was named after an early Daimler customer's daughter.  Over in America, the AMC Gremlin was a flop, the Dodge Neon never went up in lights, Plymouth Reliant never lived up to its promise, and the Lincoln Town Car was so big it needed its own postcode.Even some of the names which have worked create more questions than answers about their creation.  The Kia Mentor is more likely to need one, the Honda Jazz is not much of a music machine and the Suzuki Cappucino was too frothy to sell in Australia.Some names also paint a picture because of their history.  Mention Celica and lots of people in Australia think hairdresser.  Ask about the Nissan GT-R and you'll hear about Godzilla.Camry is shorthand for fridge-on-wheels, Kingswood is classic sixties kitsch, and then there is the Goggomobil.  So, what's causing a Rukus today? The Toyota Rukus, for a start.We could also get the Nissan Cube, which is as boxy as its name, although Nissan Australia is also pushing for a return of the Pulsar badge which worked so well before the silly switch to Tiida.  Right now we have the Skoda Superb in Australian showrooms. If that's not a name which creates a serious expectation then we don't know our Falcodores.When Toyota was looking for a new name for a mid-sized car alongside the Camry it thought it had the ideal choice. It settled on Centaur - the mythical man-horse - because it sounded tough.  But no-one at Toyota Australia had taken into account a nasty incident in World War II during the battle for the Pacific.A hospital ship called the Centaur was sailing towards Brisbane when it was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. The idea of a Toyota Centaur sunk even faster.  The Centaur badges were crushed, all the paperwork was changed and so was the advertising. The Centaur quickly became the Avalon for Australia.  How do we know? Carsguide made the call to Toyota to warn about the problem. Japanese cars have always led the way in the silly-names race.  How about the Mazda Bongy Brawny? No, not the name for an off-road tough SUV, it was the badge on the back of a city delivery van with a 1.3-litre engine.Everyone has heard the story about the Mitsubishi Starion, and whether the company's sales team actually meant to call the turbo coupe the Stallion.  And then there is the Pajero. It's called the Montero in Spain, because Pajero is the word for something usually done alone in private.

But peak motoring body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries believes consumers are confused enough to warrant a broad-ranging education program about what ESC is and what it does.The Transport Accident Commission has already been running an ad highlighting the merits of curtain airbags and ESC. It has been endeavouring to lift awareness among buyers about what they do, via websites like howsafeisyourcar.com.au.But with Victoria moving ahead for the compulsory fitting of ESC to all passenger cars from January, the FCAI believes now is the time to increase awareness among car buyers.Despite TAC's efforts some carmakers like Honda believe consumers are still confused by the different acronyms used to describe the various systems. However, FCAI spokesman, James Goodwin, believes it will be difficult to mandate a single naming strategy."It comes down to marketing," he says. "All systems are different to some degree."Goodwin also believes it would cost too much to standardise the terminology on imported cars because the volumes are relatively small. Carmakers use different terms for the proprietary electronic stability program invented by Bosch and co-developed with Mercedes-Benz.Subaru Australia spokesman, David Rowley, says Subaru's own research shows a higher awareness among buyers of its own electronic stability control system, called vehicle dynamic control."Our customers tend to look in depth at the features of our cars," Rowley says. He backs an education program as “something worth considering" but balks at a name change. "A lot a brands have invested a lot of intellectual time in creating a point of difference with their various stability systems," he says.What they call it -Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Holden, HSV, JeepElectronic Stability Program (ESP) - Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Skoda, Peugeot, SuzukiDynamic Stability Control (DSC) - Ford, FPV, BMW, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, JaguarVehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) - ToyotaVehicle Stability Control (VSC) - LexusVehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) - Nissan, SubaruDynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) - VolvoElectronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) - Audi, VolkswagenActive Stability Control (ASC) - MitsubishiVehicle Stability Assist (VSA)- HondaAutomatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T)  MiniMaserati Stability Program (MSP) - MaseratiPorsche Stability Management (PSM) - PorscheStability and Traction Control - FiatStabiliTrak -Hummer

YOU'VE almost got to wonder, who buys all those cars? To say nothing of the SUVs and commercial jiggers.  Private owners and fleets bought almost 81,500 new vehicles last month. Of course, the usual suspects - Holden, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, Hyundai - do most business among the 50 or so brands on offer. But for every no-brainer buy there's an overlooked, if not unloved, model sitting on the lot.If you fancy a bit of vive la difference, we've unearthed some hidden treasures whose lack of popularity ought to compel the sales people to do a deal for you.Alfa Romeo 159Sales in April: 29Price:$49,990-$82,990THOUGH a non-starter in the premium sales stakes led by zer Chermans, Alfa's now five-year-old midsize sedan and wagon will be with us for another two years.Upgrades have seen it shed a bit of lard and get a six-speed automatic that works with it, as opposed to behaving like a transplanted organ the body's rejecting. Most 159s sold now are TI editions with lowered suspension and lustrous, but eminently kerbable, 19-inch alloys.Hardly the sharpest tool in the shed but, my, isn't she lovely? Gorgeous, actually.  Standard equipment levels are high, so put the acid on the dealer for a good driveaway deal.* Our choice: 2.4 JTDm auto sportwagonCitroen C5Sales in April: 16Price: $45,990-$72,990DESPITE its dashing appearance, the driving reality of this almost entirely diesel line-up can be considered exciting only if you accept boules as an extreme sport. It ain't sportif, but that's the point.What it does, in its Gallic shrugging way, is provide a classically wafty Citroen ride in a package that looks equally at home in Paris, Provence or Parramatta. The 3.0 twin turbo V6 oiler would convert an avowed petrolhead but, in Australia's Third World road conditions, isn't sufficiently superior to the 2.0-litre four potter to justify the price.* Our choice: 2.0 HDi ComfortFiat 500Sales in April: 25Price: $22,990-$33,990THING is, everyone who wants a mini 2+2 convertible goes for, well, a Mini. The irresistible new Bambino now comes with a rag top, in addition to its more stalwart though hardly less cute coupe siblings.Indeed, how much cute can you cope with? Given its level of kit and customisation options, the 500 is as much a bite-sized luxury car as a city-friendly commuting device.The current lack of an auto option in all versions across the range keeps sales to niche levels but, hey, this is a compact Italian job. Over there, even the most venerable nonna can handle a stick shift. Anecdotal evidence suggests the Fix-It-Again-Tony days are way behind Fiat.* Our choice: 1.4 Lounge manualHonda Civic HybridSales: 75-80 (since January)Price: $34,490WHILE Toyota's Prius is effectively a synonym for petrol-electric propulsion, the cheaper Honda not only looks like a car it drives like one, while returning a potential 4.6 litres per 100km. Sales are down a bit at the moment, as petrol prices are too, but an oil price spike is certain at some point. If you want a green car that doesn't make you look like Clover Moore, act soon.* Our choice: There is but oneSkoda SuperbSales in April: 6Price: From $39,990MAYBE the long Czech liftback and now wagon is just too close in essence and price to its VW Passat sibling. Maybe we don't yet "get'' big cars with small but highly efficient engines (though there's a diesel and a V6 petrol variant as well). Maybe it's a cold war hangover.Whatever it is, we're wrong. With a price realignment, the Superb offers better value, more kit, lots of space and lusher feel than the VW. It won Top Gear's luxury car of the year; the previous winner was a Rolls-Royce, for heaven's sake.* Our choice: Got to be the 1.8 turbo petrol wagon

Quentin Renaud and Tristan Villemain's beaten up but much-loved Citroen 2CV arrived in Melbourne last week after a 4000km drive from Perth via Alice Springs.

The self-confessed Citroen enthusiast - he's never owned anything else - counts the SM as one of the company's most outstanding cars.  "It was way ahead of its time," Gladman says.  Even today fellow motorists mistake it for a brand new Citroen."I've had people come up to me and ask if it's a late model Citroen," he says.  "They don't realise it's 40 years old."Powered by a Maserati V6 engine, the SM was one of the fastest front-wheel drive cars of its day with a top speed of more than 220km/h.  It had several pioneering features, a new type of variable assistance power-steering that was ultra-light at low speeds but became more meaty at higher speeds.  Like modern-day Citroens, it also had hydro-pneumatic suspension with automatic height adjustment.The six headlights too had automatic levelling.  Apart from the SM, Gladman has a 1985 CX25 and 1998 XM in his Melbourne garage.  But the SM is his favourite."When I got it 30 years ago it was a bit rough," he says.  The right-hand drive conversion was a disaster and the engine was in a bad way.But Gladman has rectified those problems and his $13,000 purchase is now a sort-after classic.  "I don't drive it as much as I should be when I do it feels like a modern car," he says."It is a beautiful touring machine."  SM prices reflect their rarity as only 12,900 were built between 1970 and 1975.  Many sell for more than $40,000 today.Gladman believes there are only 45 SMs in Australia and very few right-hand drive examples.  Contrary to popular belief the SM is not a complicated machine if you know what you are doing."Modern cars are far more complicated," Gladman says.  "Because the SM is mostly hydraulic with mechanical linkages, it is relatively easy to work on."The chassis and gearbox are virtually bulletproof."Only the Maserati V6 is a bit complex."  The SM was originally unveiled to rave reviews at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.Apart from Hollywood stars, French Presidents from Georges Pompidou to Jacques Chirac used two specially modified four-door convertible "presidentielle" models, created by coach builder Henri Chapron.

Europe is back in business, celebrating the end of the global financial crisis that rocked the car world and drove the biggest of them all - General Motors - into bankruptcy.There were green shoots of happiness at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 2009, but this week's Geneva Motor Show shows the same sort of excitement and promise of an early spring morning in Europe.Every carmaker has something new in Geneva, from full-blown production models to quirky concepts. The Swiss show is often dismissed as a sideshow but this time, with 25 new models as diverse as the Nissan Micra and Porsche Cayenne, there is serious action on every front.Carmakers are predictably focussed on green solutions to meet the challenges of fuel economy and CO2 emissions - with Fiat even showing a tiny two-cylinder engine for its funkoid 500 - but there is also room for fun.  How else do you describe a Honda city concept that looks like a 20th-century take on the unicycles used by Circe du Soleil acrobats?But even the green machines have turned mean as Ferrari shows its 599 Vettura Labratorio hybrid, although BYD from China balanced things with its fully-electric E6 hatch.Porsche also has its 918 supercar concept and both it and the Ferrari tap Formula One technology with KERS hybrid packs - that's Kinetic Energy Recovery System - to store energy for a quick, explosive boost of extra power.Porsche plans to put the 918 into production but, as yet, Ferrari is only using the super-special 599 - painted symbolically in green instead of the Italian brand's signature red - as a rolling labratory.  "We want to understand how to use this technology. We are not yet at the point to see it in a road going Ferrari," says Amedeo Felisa, Ferrari's CEO.The upbeat mood at Geneva is captured by the top man at Bentley, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, who says the reaction to his company's Mulsanne and Supersports models has filled him with confidence after a shocking 2009.  "There is a feeling that it is behind us," Paefgen says as super-wealthy Bentley buyers emerge from their GFC-proof bunkers.Walking the stands at Geneva I see green machines that are more than just concepts and plenty of choices for small-car buyers, from budget hatches to baby prestige cars like the Audi A1.  The little Audi gets a rousing reception, Volvo wins praise for the safety and styling of the new S60 sedan and the Alfa Giulietta - replacement for the 147 - raises more questions about the often-promised renaissance for the brand.Lexus shows a compact new CT200h hybrid that brings petrol-electric power to a new group of buyers, Mini has the Countryman with extra ground clearance and the basics for a World Rally Championship challenge in 2011, and the Mitsubishi ASX crossover - test driven this week by Peter Lyon near Tokyo - heads the Japanese contingent.For Alfa fans, the Giulietta is pitched at the Volkswagen Golf with a range of 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines.  BMW’s new 5 Series and a 4-litre six-cylinder X5 diesel creates a predictable buzz among SUV fans.Kia’s head of design, Peter Schreyer, lifts the wraps off the stylish new Sportage, which is due in Australia later this year, with the promise of both turbodiesel and petrol engines, as well as front and all-wheel drive.  The Sportage could be major hit for the Korean brand, matching the impact of the Hyundai ix35, when it goes on sale with an opener in the sub-$30,000 bracket.Ford leverages the first European appearance of its new Focus hatch in Geneva by unveiling the Focus wagon, which at this stage is a Europe-only car. Europeans are big wagon buyers and the wagon is expected to account for one-third of all Focus sales there.But the Focus wagon is only the halfway point - the fifth of 10 proposed models - using the same basic building blocks and the future includes a Focus electric car. Currently, the wagon, hatch, sedan and C-Max and Grand C-Max all share the same underpinnings.“We are now using our global resources to develop cars for all countries, including Australia,” says Ford's technical chief, Derrick Kuzak.  He also reveals the current Europe-only Kuga compact SUV and North American Escape will be replaced by a single global car, which could head to Australia, and hints that a hot performance Focus with a more-powerful version of Ford’s 2.0-litre Ecoboost turbo engine will also be available in Australia.Lexus uses Geneva to showcase its critically important CT 200h hybrid, which it hopes to become a volume player.  But the CT 200h is not the only car to push the green theme at the affordable end.Hyundai has the stylish turbocharged 1.7-litre i-flow concept sedan, which uses a lithium-ion battery pack with six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it is joined by the ix35 FCEV hydrogen fuel-cell car and Opel’s Flextreme GT-E.Apart from Ferrari, Porsche shows off its GT3 R Hybrid - also with KERS - and 918 Spyder, both exploring the outer limits of hybrid drivetrains for race and road cars.  The Cayenne, along with the VW Touareg, share their hybrid debuts as Audi uses the first appearance of its baby A1 to reveal a full-electric E-tron concept that joins earlier R8-based plug-in supercars.Apart from the conventional petrol and diesel A1, Audi also adds the RS5 coupe to its A5 lineup and a hybrid A8 sedan. The RS5 gets a powerful 335kW/430Nm 4.2-litre V8, quattro all-wheel drive and seven-speed S-tronic dual clutch gearbox.Like the BMW-built Mini, Audi has several distinctly styled A1s on its stand. It says owners will have access to so much customisation that no two A1s will be exactly the same.Audi has the Mini firmly in its sights with an expected starting price around $33,000 for the A1, with a three-door car to kick of sales with a five-door and cabrio expected. The range-topper is expected to be an S version with a performance-tuned turbo four cylinder engine.Citroen springs one of the few real surprises of the show with its hot-pink Survolt sportscar while Giugiaro teams up with Proton to deliver a stylish hybrid city car.  The Survolt is a pure design fantasy with no likely production expected. The showcar did not even have an engine and Citroen says it has been designed to go electric.Apart from the sleek Citroen, two Italian styling houses - Pininfarina and Bertone - have show cars based on Alfa Romeo mechanical parts. Bertone returns to Geneva for the first time in two years with the Pandion 2+2 concept coupe and Pininfarina shows the two-seater 2uettottanta.Apart from the twin concepts, Citroen has the DS3 Racing as well as its DS High Rider three door, a pointer to the next-generation C4, which is due to be launched next year as a five-door.  The company will only build 1000 versions of the DS3 racing and the head of local importer Ateco Automotive, Neville Crichton, says he would like to bring a few to Australia but will initially focus on launching the DS range.“It certainly is a good looking thing,” Crichton says.  Mercedes-Benz continues to create a buzz at Geneva with its SLS Gullwing supercar but the F800 Style, a pointer to the next-generation CLS minus its cantilever rear doors, dominates the Mercedes stand and shares the limelight with the E-Class cabriolet.Fitting in the quirky category in Geneva is Aston Martin’s Cygnet hatch, a remake of Toyota’s iQ city car. The $50,000 makeover model will only be sold to existing Aston Martin customers.  Aston Martin boldly has the Cygnet right next to its four-door flagship sports car, the Rapide.

BROOKE Tatnell has done it again, claiming his eight World Series Sprintcar championship in Perth last weekend. It is his fourth with   the Perth-based Krikke Motorsport team and comes after the second - generation racer, who is still looking for his big breakthrough on the   World of Outlaws circuit in the USA, led the summer sprintcar season from the start.JAMES Moffat is a factory-backed Ford racer and will compete in this year's Fujitsu Championship series driving a Falcon under the Ford Rising Stars banner. The son of four-time Bathurst winner Allan Moffat was a regular Fujitsu race winner in 2009 but is aiming for this year's championship to springboard him into the main game in 2011.MARCOS Ambrose qualified 14th for the start of this year's Nascar season in the Daytona 500 in Florida. He qualified comfortably for the   biggest race of the season, although his exact spot for the big one will not decided until a pair of qualifying races is run.SEBASTIAN Loeb begins his hunt for another World Rally Championship in Sweden this weekend with Citroen. The six-time champion is expecting   tough opposition on the snow from last year's runner-up Mikko Hirvonen in a Ford Focus, as well as former world champion Marcus Gronholm and F1 refugee Kimi Raikkonen, who is having his WRC start in a Citroen C4.V8 Supercar safety has been boosted with new regulations that require a new upright stiffening beam to the rollcage inside the driver's   door, as well as extra gusseting around the A and B-pillars in all cars. The change is compulsory from the Phillip Island 500 in September and comes after Todd Kelly's big side-impact crash last year in Perth.JOHN Bowe is back to his favourite number, 18, for this year's Touring Car Masters Series. The Bathurst and touring car championship winner  has snagged the number, which he wore for 11 years as Dick Johnson's team mate in the touring car series, for the Ford Mustang hewill own and race in this year's booming historic racing championship.FORMER Formula Ford champion Tim Blanchard is moving into V8 Supercars after a failed attempt to move up the motorsport ladder in Europe.  After competing in the 2008 British Formula Ford series, and scoring lots of wins, he spent 2009 rebuilding at home and has now signed with Sonic Motor Racing Services - which ran his Formula Ford in Australia - for the Fujitsu Series races this year, partnered with Rod Jane.

A widely varied field from the soft-roader Audi Q5 to the baby Volkswagen Polo is competing for the biggest prize in world motoring

If it looks familiar that is because the all-electric C-Zero is based on the micro-electric Mitsubishi i-MIEV as well as sister company Peugeot's iOn.  It goes on sale in Europe later this year and is destined for Australia in mid-2011. A spokesman for Citroen importer, Ateco Automotive Ltd, Edward Rowe, says the pioneering homologation work that Mitsubishi Australia went through for the i-MIEV could mean a relatively easy path to launch for the Citroen.  "The small car market here is obviously very fluid," Rowe says. "Because of the joint-venture with Mitsubishi, the C-Zero has some obvious appeal for us and it's something we will keep an eye on."  Rowe is not talking price but he is confident the car will attract strong interest.Mitsubishi has already flagged a $60,000 pricepoint for its micro car but Rowe does not believe a high price is a hurdle. "I expect that early adopters, who are less price-sensitive, will look at the C-Zero," Rowe says.  "It will attract people who want to make a definitive statement about the environment." Citroen already has a lot of experience with electric vehicles in Europe.  It already builds commercial electric-powered Berlingos for France and the UK and has built more than 10,000 electric vehicles since 1995.  "Electric vehicles also make a lot of sense in France because most of the power generation is nuclear or hydro electric," Rowe says. Rowe says the C-Zero will also appeal to the Citroen heartland.  "Most of our sales are in the metro areas, which makes it ideal for that market," he says.  "A our traditional customer base is also concerned about the environment and aware of new technology." Citroen and Peugeot pioneered diesel-engined passenger cars in Australia long before they became fashionable.  Like the i-MIEV, the C-Zero's permanent magnet synchronous motor is powered by a latest-generation lithium-ion batteries. The electric motor delivers 47kW and 180Nm, giving the car a top speed of 130km/h and range of more than 130km.  The batteries can be charged by plugging into a conventional household power outlet or via a fast-charging system that gives the car an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. The C-Zero made its global debut at this week's Brussels motor show, along with 25 other new Citroens.