Citroen C4 News

IF NOT for a nun in an old station wagon, John Howard could still be wandering the Outback looking for Mount Isa.  This is one of many motoring stories for one of Australia's most prolific and beloved actors, who plays Dr Frank Campion on Seven's drama All Saints and also fronts the stories on Real Seachange series.Howard is a 55-year-old actor who graduated from NIDA in 1978 and went on to star in top-rating televisions series Seachange -- a role which won him the 2001 Silver Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actor -- Changi, Always Greener and numerous feature films including Jindabyne, A Man's Gotta Do, Japanese Story, The Man Who Sued God, Dating The Enemy and The Club.He rates the Amalfi Coast in Italy as his favourite drive and has a Citroen in the garage. But Howard reckons if he won Lotto, he would buy a Mack truck.  So you have been warned.What was your first car?Vauxhall Victor.What do you drive now?Citroen C4 HDi turbodiesel.Do you have a favourite drive and who would you take?The Amalfi Coast with my beautiful wife Kim Lewis.How far would you drive in an average year?20,000km.Do you have a favourite motoring memory?Returning from Chatsworth cattle station, in far-west Queensland, we broke down miles from nowhere. We were rescued by a nun in a Holden station wagon who took us into Mount Isa.What would you buy if money was no object?A great big Mack Truck.What music is playing in your car?Mariza!How much is too much for a new car?A car's worth is in one's enjoyment of it. It's hard to enjoy a mountain of debt on wheels.What should be done to make driving safer?Annual psychiatric tests for the nuts behind the wheel!Are you sponsored by a car company?Je le souhaite! Which is French for I wish -- are you listening Citroen?

We live in strange times — or at least under a Federal Government that has some strange ideas about things on four wheels.A big, heavy luxury SUV cops less tax than a more efficient, cleaner imported car. Diesel is less expensive to produce than petrol yet costs more at the pump than premium unleaded. Diesel cars are more fuel efficient than petrol equivalents, yet continue to command a price premium.Perhaps the only surprise is that Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan hasn't stuck an import duty on the cars we present here for being too efficient. It would be in keeping with the logic of his budget.All cars listed here offer official or claimed fuel consumption of less than five litres per 100km (56 miles per gallon by the old measure) in ideal conditions.Fiat 500 1.3 JTD Pop$25,9904.2L/100kmSuch was the demand for diesel that Fiat Australia has expanded its availability to the top of the 500 range's Lounge trim.If the existing Pop lacks the Lounge level of spec, it has all its desirability and efficiency. In fact, official figures place this immensely cute and quite practical re-born 500 as the most fuel-efficient auto on the Australian market.The smallest of the Fiat Group's turbo diesel, the 1.3 is a shade laggedly but winds up nicely to provide a cruisability that belies itscapacity.The DINK's city car par excellence: if the 500 doesn't raise a smile, then it's you that's wrong.Citroen C3 HDi$23,9904.4L/100kmWhile the French marque's reputation for reliability gets nowhere near Japanese surety, Citroen does chic in a way that, shall we say, Toyota doesn't.That Prius-equalling consumption is achieved with 65kW/215Nm 1.6-litre turbo diesel that utterly erases the petrol C3s for efficiency and performance.It typifies the “downsizing but upspeccing” paradigm that has seen sales of light and small cars overwhelm the “Falcodores”.While we do try to be enlightened, we gotta to say that if the C3 is chic, it's also for chicks. Sorry.Toyota Prius II$37,4004.4L/100kmThe world's most successful automotive marketing exercise, one which has caused denuded whole forests for paper devoted to its praise, the Prius is synonymous with lean and green motoring.Another paradox is that being as visually appealing as a chunk of cheddar has enhanced rather than damaged its appeal. It's distinctive and that's what counts. What's the point of making an eco-statement if no one knows you're making one?The Prius comes into its own in commuter traffic, where the constant throttle needed to extract the best return from diesel is hard to maintain. If anodyne to drive in the Toyota fashion, it's by no means awful with quite responsive and reasonably direct handling. Too dear, though.Fiat Punto 1.3 JTD$25,4904.5L/100kmRather more practical than the 500, the larger Fiat achieves its frugal consumption via a robotised six-speed sequential manual; one that does without a clutch pedal and provides an automatic drive mode, minimising the emission spikes that occur when gear changing in a conventional manual.If you can do without the rear seat headroom and don't mind joining a queue, take the 500. Fiat have invested too much in this car for it to flop qualitively.The Punto's interior does not inspire the same confidence.Audi A3 1.9 TDIe$38,900diesel 4.5L/100kmThis hugely efficient and incredibly clean (119g of CO2/km) turbo diesel is absolutely a Prius rival, both in terms of its figures and mad pricing.An eco-conscience can come with a considerable cost but, in this instance, at least you get a decent badge for your splodge (never you mind that it's all Volkswagen Golf underneath).We've yet to test this particular car — that comes in a few weeks — but on the basis of other Golf/A3 diesels, the 77kW/250Nm provided by this unit promises to make being green slightly easier to bear.Citroen C4 SX HDi$30,990diesel 4.5L/100kmAgain you've got to go for the sequential/robotised transmission to realise this figure from the 1.6-litre 80kW/240Nm diesel — which is probably no hardship given how most of you bleat about having to change gears for yourself. Harden the frack up, Australia ...Anyway, this version of Peugeot's 307 in a smarter suit is a cleverly-designed number that manages to afford more usable passenger space than certain bigger cars.You'll not quickly tire of instruments and features that initially appear quirky but are indeed highly practical.Though not the most composed drive on RTA roads and never in danger of providing excitement, the C4 would probably be the family pick from those here.Honda Civic Hybrid$32,9904.6L/100kmThis Honda would run the Citroen close, though.A 1.3-litre petrol-electric hybrid that's much cheaper than the Prius, the Civic attracts infinitely less attention just by virtue of the fact it looks like a common-or-garden Civic, rather than an advertisement for itself.A good but almost forgotten thing, we'll be revisiting the hybrid Honda in depth in the coming weeks.Hyundai i30 SX CRDi$21,4904.7L/100kmCarsguide's Car of 2007, in case we haven't mentioned it recently, at least with the $1300 safety pack that includes stability control and the full complement of airbags.With its responsive 85kW/2455Nm 1.6-litre diesel, the i30 is a spacious, European-designed hatch that dispels any lingering notions about Korean cars. If such doubts do linger, there's always its five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.Steering feel and standard rubber leave something to be desired, but we liked it. So will you. What do you think about hybrid cars, bio fuels and all things green? Have your say.  

High-efficiency engines, diesels and hybrids — which have a small petrol engine assisted by an electric motor — are in the spotlight as buyers switch to smaller and smarter cars to avoid being slugged at the petrol bowsers.Small four-cylinder cars with engines around 2.0 litres have become by far the biggest-selling group, and the smaller light-car class — mostly 1.6 litres — is on track to out-sell large cars this year.New diesel models from several brands have been unveiled at the motor show.With the focus on fuel economy, demand for hybrid-engined cars continues to increase. The most economical car on sale is the hybrid Toyota Prius (4.4 litres per 100km), followed by the diesel Citroen C4 (4.5 litres) and Honda Civic Hybrid (4.6 litres).Hybrids have reached the luxury league, with upmarket brand Lexus demonstrating the self-parking system of its $233,000 LS600hL sedan.The 10-day motor show comes as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issues a stern “please explain” to oil companies over recent high petrol prices.ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel last week said; “We're bewildered by the fact that they're just so insensitive to community anger and outrage at this sort of situation.”As fuel economy becomes a must-have for many car buyers, the RACQ has made “going green” the theme for its motor show stand.Club staff are advising showgoers on how to save money and help the environment when buying and driving a car, compare vehicle technologies and understand fuel consumption labels.On the stand is the most economical car at the show, running on solar power instead of petrol. It is the University of Queensland's UltraCommuter entrant in last year's World Solar Challenge run from Darwin to Adelaide.Dana Di Labio, 19, from Murrumba Downs in Brisbane's north, said she would consider buying an environmentally friendly car.“Although they are a little bit more expensive, in the long term you save money on fuel, and it puts your mind at rest to know you're doing something for the environment,” she said.RACQ general manager for external relations Gary Fites said; there was no immediate relief in sight for Queensland motorists hit by petrol prices which have doubled over the past decade, while the consumer price index has gone up 30 per cent.Bowser wowsers RACQ tips for money-saving motoring: When buying a car, choose the smallest and most fuel-efficient model that suits your needsCompare fuel consumption informationConsider the lower fixed, annual and operating costs of owning a smaller carWhen your household has more than one car, try to use the more fuel efficient car for most travelChoose local, close destinations where possiblePlan your journeys and activitiesAvoid driving in peak hour congestion if possibleWalk, cycle or take public transport where possibleWhere safely possible, cruise at a reduced speedMinimise accelerating and brakingChange up through the gears as soon as practicalUse airconditioning only when necessaryDon't warm up or idle your engineFill your fuel tank only to the first click of the nozzleKeep your tyre pressure up to the recommended figureRemove unnecessary weight and roof racksService your car regularlyFor more information on fuel economy. 

Miles Williams, general manager for Citroen in Australia, said the arrival of this new C4 variant was an illustration of how the diesel car market in Australia was maturing.“Until now, diesel sales have been primarily driven by their economy and environmental benefits and, therefore, the top sellers have been versions that optimise the price equation,” he said.“However, starting with the launch of the Citroen C6, our range-topping super-luxury model, in which the majority of sales are diesel powered, we are now seeing increasing demand for the top trim and equipment variants to be diesel powered, with owners wishing to combine comfort with economy.”With most C4 Picasso sales being the 2.0 litre turbo diesel with six-speed auto, Citroen decided to add the drive train to the C4 hatch with the top trim and equipment level.The 100kW two-litre turbo diesel engine is claimed to dash to 100kmh in 10.4 seconds, with a highway fuel consumption of 5.1 litres per 100km.It has 320Nm of torque which is lifted to 340Nm under acceleration with the over boost feature.Pricing and specifications will be announced at the show.Joining it on the Citroen stand will be the latest version of the C3, a diesel with average fuel consumption of 4.4 litres per 100km and 118g/km of CO2 emissions.It is also approved to run on commercially produced BioDiesel up to a 30 per cent blend.Citroen claims a 0-100km/h time of 10.8 seconds.It comes with four airbags, ABS, a four star Euro-NCAP crash test rating, electric windows, remote central locking and a quality audio system.Citroen will also launch later this year the C5 sedan and wagon, a new Berlingo and two new vans which fit either side of the Berlingo in size; the bigger Dispatch and the smaller Nemo.Last year Citroen recorded its 12th successive year of sales increases. 

 The C4 small car hatchback will be offered with a two-litre turbodiesel having significantly stronger performance than the current diesel option - a 1.6-litre unit capable of delivering 80kW of power. The new two-litre diesel - the car will be called the Citroen C4 HDi 2.0 - will generate 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque, increasing for short periods to 340Nm with an over-boost function available under full acceleration. Citroen says that the diesel version is the biggest seller of its C4 Picasso range and so is now to offer that two-litre diesel engine in the C4 hatchback. It boasts an acceleration time of 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds yet has an officially-rated fuel economy of 5.1 litres/100km. The C4 HDi 2.0 will have the same equipment specification as the two-litre petrol version. This means ABS brakes, climate control airconditioning, 17in diameter alloy wheels, cruise control and stability control. Pricing of the new C4 diesel will be announced when the car is shown at February's Brisbane Motor Show. “The arrival of this new variant of the Citroen C4 range is a clear illustration of how the diesel car market in Australia is maturing,” says Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams. The C4 diesel will have a six-speed automatic transmission. Citroen also has confirmed that the latest version of the little C3 hatchback will offer a diesel variant. It uses diesel at a rate of 4.4 litres/100km producing 118g/km of emissions. It takes ju8st 10.8 seconds to hit 100km/h from a standing start.

Just a week after US President George W. Bush told a Sydney media conference about how battery cars that didn't look like golf carts were being developed, the real things were displayed at the world's largest motoring show.General Motors showed off its Flextreme from its European subsidiary Opel. It's a small commuter car with an electric-diesel hybrid that can travel 55km on a single charge before switching to fuel. It is a concept car, meaning it may or may not go into production.Volvo will also unveil its plug-in hybrid concept at the show. Called the Recharge and based on its C30 hatchback, it uses four separate electric motors to power each wheel, augmenting a 1.6-litre four-cylinder Flexifuel engine.Meanwhile, Volvo said a fully charged model can travel about 100km before it needs to be recharged. And it is not a slug. It can reach 0-100km/h in nine seconds on the way to a top speed of 160km/h.VW is claiming fuel consumption of as little as three litres per 100km for its spiritual successor to the original people's car, the Beetle.The Up concept is a miniature four-seat city car powered by a rear-mounted two or three cylinder engine,  the first rear-engined car VW has made since the original Beetle. VW said the car would be low-priced and a fuel miser. It has claimed 3.5litres/100km with a target of reducing that to less than 3litres/100 km.That's better than Australia's current best the Toyota Prius hybrid at 4.4litres/100km, the Citroen C4 diesel at 4.5litres/100km and the Honda Civic Hybrid at 4.6litres/100km.It is also better than the new-age Fiat 500, which will have a diesel model with a claimed consumption of 4.2litres/100km and the next generation Smart car.VW boss Dr Martin Winterkorn said: “This is VW reinventing the Volkswagen. It is what the brand stands for — mobility for everyone.”Dr Winterkorn said show visitors' reaction to the car would decide whether the Up goes into full production.Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Jutta Dierks said: “If the philosophy stays the same as it was for the original Beetle, to be a car affordable to everyone, then it will certainly be a good fit into our market.” Volkswagen Up2 or 3-cylinder engine Fuel economy of 3.5l per 100km.Available in 2011.GM FiextremeElectric-diesel hybrid.Can travel 55km on battery power before switching over to diesel fuel. Volvo RechargeFour electric motors plus a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.Can travel 100km on battery power before re-charge needed.Top speed of 160km/h. 

Being top of the class is just as important for carmakers as it is for school students.Which is why the failure of the Honda Civic hybrid and Skoda Fabia to score the maximum five-star rating in the latest European New Car Assessment Program results may not please their parents.Both small cars achieved a four-star rating out of a possible five, which is above average but not excellent.By comparison, there are plenty of other five-star small cars available, including the latest Peugeot 207, Toyota Corolla, Holden Astra, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Citroen C4 and Fiat Punto.For the Civic and Fabia, the devil is in the detail.The Fabia lost a point for containing dangerous structures in the dashboard, which presented an injury risk to adult occupants.It also lost two points for child protection and scored two stars in the ever under-performing pedestrian protection category.The Civic hybrid lost a point for adult protection because the driver's airbag did not prevent the dummy's head from connecting with the steering wheel.However, it performed far better for child protection and pedestrian protection.The Civic hybrid is the second environmentally concerned car tested by Euro NCAP.The first was the Toyota Prius in 2004, which managed a five-star score for adult occupant protection. The latest results have been eagerly anticipated because European fleet buyers and consumers are increasingly seeking vehicles with lower CO2 emissions and higher safety scores, to benefit from the growing use of tax incentives.Euro NCAP's secretary-general, Adrian Hobbs, says consumers may ask themselves whether high safety scores and a hybrid powertrain can go hand in hand.“Honda and Toyota have shown they are rising to the challenge in their efforts to meet concerns about safety and global warming,” he says. “It is now up to other manufacturers to follow in their footsteps.”The front-impact test is conducted at 64km/h into an offset deformable barrier, the side-impact test at 50km/h, the pole test 29km/h and the pedestrian tests 40km/h.

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.”

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. 

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