Citroen C4 2013 News

Manufacturers including BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Peugeot and Citroen have issued recalls via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its latest round of automotive recalls, with models from Citroen, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi and Peugeot affected.

Citroen Australia has recalled 1494 C4 and DS4 hatchbacks for an issue that could result in the bonnet springing open unexpectedly.

Volvo, Subaru, Land Rover, Citroen and GM have issued safety recalls for some vehicles due to defective manufacturing issues.

The sharpest knife is wielded by Proton, whose Preve sedan is now the cheapest small car in the country. Proton marketing general manager Billy Falconer says the cut -- which amounts to a 15 per cent shave off the original price -- is a reaction to the aggressive discounting of rivals.The flip is the annual/15,000km servicing cost is now capped for the first five years or 75,000km, rather than the free servicing as previously. "In order to compete with all these offers, we have reduced the price for the Preve range, with the manual starting at just $15,990 driveaway and the CVT auto Preve from $17,990 driveaway for a limited time only," Falconer says.The Preve is the first Proton to earn a five-star ANCAP safety rating and comes with a five-year warranty. The Malaysian brand is relying on the improved safety and features -- all Preve models have 16-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, and controls for the sound system and phone mounted on the steering wheel -- to help boost sales.The company sold just 856 vehicles last year and is behind that number year-to-date with 353 sales to July. A new hatch and people-mover -- both built according to Proton's improved safety standards -- are imminent.Ford's Focus Ambiente is -- for now -- just $18,990 on the road, including free servicing for the first three annual/15,000km check-ups. Mazda's $19,990 deal on the Neo includes a four-year warranty and three years' roadside assistance. A Mitsubishi Lancer ES with a front and rear spoilers, side skirts and alloy wheels is available for $19,990 driveaway until the end the month.PRICE WARModel                                November 2012     NowCitroen C4                          $22,990                 $20,990Ford Focus                         $20,290                 $18,990*Holden Cruze                      $21,490                 $19,490Mazda3                              $20,330                 $19,990*Proton Preve                       $18,990*                $15,990*Mitsubishi Lancer                $19,990                 $19,990**denotes driveaway pricing

Yet another reduced price offering from a European car maker - this time the iconic French marquee, Citroen, with one of its C4 variants. ENGINE Fuelled by the ever increasing car sales strength in Australia, the rise of our dollar and the moribund nature of the European auto market, Citroen is offering its C4 Seduction 1.6L e-HDi Diesel EGS (is that the most complicated car name you've ever come across…) from a mere $25,990 driveaway. This is a saving of $2000 on the previous recommended retail price. On-road costs had to be added to that old price, pushing it close to $30,000 in many areas. Citroen C4 Seduction 1.6L (etc) is powered by a direct injection turbo-diesel engine that features the company’s Stop & Start system. This puts the engine into idle mode as the driver decelerates and turns it off when the C4 comes to a stop. The moment the driver takes their foot off the brake, the engine restarts, doing so with a minimum of the irritating vibration that can be a pain in some four-cylinder cars with a stop-start setup. Citroen tells us its Stop & Start helps reduce CO2 emissions by about five grams per km. Even better, fuel consumption is pulled down by 15 per cent in heavy-duty city driving. The 1.6 turbo-diesel engine is mated to an Electronic Gearbox System (EGS) automated manual gearbox that provides either full automatic shifts, or manual changes via the steering wheel mounted paddles. STYLING The pretty little Citroen C4 hatch has the company’s distinctive front end with the interlocking gears that form the company’s logo. But it has to be said the rest of the vehicle doesn’t really create any excitement in its shape. Citroen C4 is a five-door hatch that has good interior space for four adults, five without a huge amount of rubbing together. It provides a comfortable ride. It is neatly balanced and will appeal to those wanting to get clear of the competent but boring Asian range of cars. SAFETY Even this low-cost Citroen comes as standard with driver assistance technologies that include ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Emergency Braking Assistance (EBA), intelligent traction control and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). Should these primary safety items not save you from having a crash the C4 is fitted with six airbags (driver, front passenger, side and curtain). The drive-away offer for the Citroen C4 Seduction 1.6l e-HDi Diesel EGS is available until June 30, 2013. But only while stocks lasts, so it might be a good idea not to tarry overmuch if you’re interested in something different in the small car field.

...actually wind back its adventurous looks.The new Picasso is coming at the Paris Motor Show in September but this Carparazzi picture points to a more conventional big-box design, although it has trendy turbine-design alloys and retains the small window behind the A-pillar that's a signature of the current C4.

Due to arrive here in the third quarter of 2011 – along with its youth-targeting DS4 sibling – the C4 noses in with the new family chevron grille and rear gate, and redesigned bumpers and light clusters, with the interior getting a trim makeover and new technology in the entertainment and communications departments, including the ‘eTouch’ emergency assistance system. A second-generation stop-start system and brake energy recovery combine to make all the new C4s micro-hybrids, allied to either the 120kW and 155kW petrol engines or the 110kw and 150kW turbodiesels.

Somewhere under all this black plastic is the next C4, and while Citroen has tried to make sure there’s little to see under the camouflage, it’s easy to identify the car from its signature sharply raked windscreen and rounded rear.But this test car, caught out and about by spy-snappers Carparazzi, also shows new tail-light clusters and changes to the headlight components – although it’s unlikely Citroen will do away completely with the cluster’s current claw-like shape.The next Citroen C4, tipped to debut at the Paris motor show in September next year and be  launched at the end of 2010, will be lighter and more efficient than the current car, the company’s product boss Vincent Besson has revealed. Speaking at the recent Frankfurt motor show, Besson also said that the new hatchback is likely to be offered with three cylinder engines and, possibly, petrol-electric hybrid power during its lifetime, although not from launch. Besson also laid out the company’s strategy for hybrid and electric vehicles, saying that petrol-electric power is not necessary or economically viable in small city cars, and only for high-end versions of the next C4.  The smaller cars are likely to be developed from a model based on the Mitsubishi i-Miev.However, he expects that ‘a large part of a future C5 range’ will have hybrid power.

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.