Citroen News

French car followers are being promised a new deal, including more chic DS models, as Citroen enters a new era in Australia. Value will also be boosted across a nine-model lineup that's withered down under since the global financial crisis. Citroen showrooms will become more like a new-car boutique, with a special emphasis on the DS models including the upcoming DS3 cabrio. "We want to make Citroen stand out. It's not just a commodity brand," says John Startari, who heads the French brand for newly-appointed distributor the Sime Darby Motors Group. "We also need Citroen to be more relevant. So we're rationalising the lineup and increasing the competitiveness." Only 1702 Citroens were sold in Australia last year and, although Startari point-blank refuses to talk numbers, the target from France is obviously more than 2000 cars in 2013. That should finally mean a C3 price leader instead of today's $23,990 starter car, priced more in line with rivals like the Toyota Corolla that start at $19,990. The DS5 is also set for a bigger role, playing in a size and price class where Citroen wants to stand out from a huge range of rivals including the Ford Mondeo, Hyundai i40, new Mazda6 and even the Peugeot 508. "Australians really don't know about DS. I think there is an untapped demand for those cars, which are like the Mini," says Startari. "All the DS cars are here now, but they haven't really been pushed. It's about telling people what they are and what they can do. And building up the package that goes with them. "Our halo car is the DS5. It is already here but has never had a proper Australian launch. "So we are starting virtually with a clean slate in June.  The price won't come down but there will be better value." He also confirms the DS3 cabrio without getting any more specific on timing than "later this year" for its showroom arrival. Citroen's decision to switch its agency from Ateco Automotive to Sime Darby is, says the ex-Proton chief, a major opportunity - for both the brand and its buyers.  "Citroen should be more of a premium brand. The cars are good but people haven't been told about them," Startari says. "There are too many variants. That will be reduced. I think we will be one of the success stories this year. We can make Citroen stand out."  

On a shiny black stage at the Paris motor show this week, start-up Exagon Motors displayed its baby: The Furtive eGT, France's most luxurious automobile.Exagon executives brag their E400,000 ($501,000) hybrid comes with customisable leather interior, rigid carbon-fibre frame and body, and two powerful electric engines. But, while rich on technical prowess, Exagon's vehicle is missing an element that traditionally surrounds luxury goods: a legacy.Despite France's long list of luxury brands, from Veuve Clicquot to Chanel to Falcon business jets, the country has struggled for more than a half century to break into the luxury car market that is now dominated by a quartet of German auto brands: BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Porsche.“In France, which is, after all, the country of luxury goods, there is a big hole in the automobile sector,” says Exagon chief executive Luc Marchetti, who owns auto racing team Exagon Engineering. The company has orders for 60 vehicles and hopes to begin deliveries early next year.Marchetti isn't alone. France's biggest carmakers Renault and Peugeot Citroen are eager to put an end to a prolonged absence from the luxury segment that has left them vulnerable to the region's slowdown. Their mid-range vehicles are under a two-pronged attack by premium brands such as Mercedes, which is moving downmarket, and by new Asian rivals aggressively expanding in Europe.The result is a squeeze on profits that is hitting mass-market suppliers the hardest. In the first half of this year, for instance, Porsche had an operating profit margin of 18.7 per cent. By contrast, Renault's automotive division was barely profitable and Peugeot Citroen's automotive division was deeply in the red. French carmakers are trying to find a way out with a new luxury recipe.“To be on premium car buyers' shopping list, your brand must be positioned high enough, and to elevate your brand you need to be selling high-end cars,” said Frederic Saint-Geours, head of brands at Peugeot and Citroen. “We're trying to jump-start such a virtuous cycle.”As part of their new push into luxury, Peugeot is upgrading dealerships with a more exclusive experience; Renault is digging into its portfolio to see what old brands might appeal to luxury-car buyers; and in some cases both companies have consulted with major fashion house designers for advice.The results of those efforts are on display this week at Paris's auto show. Last week, Peugeot showed a new, convertible version of its successful DS3 sub-compact, one of a new series of DS prestige cars that it hopes will pull its Citroen brand upmarket. The company has sold 250,000 DS cars since their 2010 launch. Renault, meanwhile, is close to a decision on reviving with a partner its Alpine sports car brand. 

Factory closures are becoming increasingly probable after European car registrations fell to their lowest level in 22 years last month. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) notes the sales slowdown is accelerating and now predicts a slump of up to 10 per cent for the year.In all, just 688,168 new vehicles were registered in August, the lowest total for the month since the EU data was first compiled in 1990. With some factories already running at 50 per cent of capacity, there is talk of Fiat, Ford and Opel closing the doors on some of their most unprofitable production lines.“Something needs to give,” Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said last week, adding that Fiat will outline a blueprint for the “European challenge” when it releases third quarter results later this year. Ford was the biggest loser in August with sales down by almost a third on the previous year, a fact it attributes to a decision not to match rivals discounts during what is traditionally the slowest car sales month on the EU calendar. “There was a lot of short-cycle business and heavy incentives that we decided largely to refrain from, Ford of Europe's marketing chief Roelant de Waard says. The Volkswagen Group's massive product portfolio made it one of the few carmakers to increase sales, led by Audi increasing its share of the luxury car segment. In contrast, Opel/Vauxhall saw a 19 per cent fall in registrations, Fiat was down 18 per cent and both Renault and Peugeot/Citroen were hit with 13 per cent drops. Registrations by country largely reflect those hurting worst from the sovereign debt crisis. Greece and Portugal lead the way with falls of 40 per cent year-to-date, Italy is down by almost 20 per cent and Spanish registrations fell by 8.5 per cent. Ominously for France, registrations this year are down 13.4 per cent, while Germany, which accounts for one in three of all cars sold in Europe, has seen its market contract by 0.6 per cent. The French Government has fiercely resisted factory closures on its turf and criticised Peugeot last month when it announced it would shed up to 10,000 jobs and close a factory in the north of the country. That's not an option for Renault, with the government holding a controlling stake in the French carmaker. 

Sam Weeraratne is aged 43, lives in Victoria and drives a black Holden Commodore Sportwagon for its load-carrying capacity.He is the typical Australian motorist. Sam is us. Statistically speaking, according to Roy Morgan Research. Despite Commodore being knocked off its top-selling perch recently by Toyota Corolla and HiLux and the Mazda3, it has been the most popular car for two decades.So it remains  for now at least  the most common car on the road, one owned by 7 per cent of the driving population. Times are changing. The most common type of car is no longer the big family sedan. Now it's the sub-$40,000 small car followed closely by the ever-rising SUV (see breakout). We also like white, silver and black cars, preferably four-door sedans and usually Toyotas.As the Commodore clings on to most popular model status, the Corolla is the top small car. BMW's 3 Series is th  e most popular luxury car, LandCruiser the favourite SUV and HiLux the pick of the light commercial vehicles - and regularly, the top monthly individual seller.The most popular vehicle varies between city and country. A RACQ study of Queensland's favourite cars found the Corolla and Camry were Brisbane's favourites. Away from the capital, the bigger car still holds sway. In provincial cities such as Toowoomba, Bundaberg and Townsville, the Aussie sedan is the top pick. Further north in Mackay and Cairns, the LandCruiser is top choice.There are more than 12,474,000 cars on Australian roads with an average age of 10 years. According to the GIO figures, 53 per cent prefer driving a car alone and one in three prefers to travel with the family. Indeed, a GIO survey concludes: “We really are a car society with drivers twice as likely to remember their first car than their first kiss.''One in four of us owns a motorcycle but only 1 per cent use it as primary transport. Two per cent use a bicycle and 4 per cent prefer a bus or tram.INSIDE THE MOTOR HEADLike most Commodore drivers, Sam Weeraratne, chose his Sportwagon because he supports local product. “We firmly believe about buying locally made stuff and helping the economy and I always wanted to help that,” he says.“That leads me to buying a Holden rather than a second-hand BMW or Mercedes. I also try to holiday locally, but you want to go overseas as well.” But Weeraratne is a typical of Commodore drivers. “I like my wine and if I get my hands on a good scotch, I'll have that,” he said. “A night out for me is going out to a good restaurant.I like a lot of modern Australian food and stolen bits from all over the world.” Corolla driver Judy Smith, 62, is a semi-retired carer who commutes 50km. “I'm a very practical person,'' she says. “I needed a reliable car that was safe and Toyota has a strong reputation and good resale value. I had a Toyota years ago.“It's also easy to get in and out of, plenty of room for the grandchildren.” In other ways she's atypical. “I only go to church when I have to and I like my vegetables but I also like meat and seafood. I drink beer and wine and my favourite drink is Asti Riccardona.''Hawks fan Anton Koller is a perfect fit as a 44-year-old IT professional and long-time BMW 3 Series owner. “I love my cars and I love my BMWs because they're fun to drive,” he says. “The eight-speed auto transmission is silky smooth, it has unbelievable brakes and it hangs on in corners. I've always stuck with the blue and white badge.'' He also fits the BMW demographic as health conscious with an active lifestyle and well travelled.COLOURSWe like white cars. Some of that's down to practicality and price non-metallic hues are often cheaper. Increasingly, white's the new black. Especially white with black accents. Postgraduate marketing researcher Andrew Golledge, of the Queensland University of Technology, says white is a practical colour popular with male and female professionals and trades people.Second most popular colour is shared by silver - Golledge says it reflects prestige - and black, which is mostly bought by single men aged 18-35 who are “looking to establish their sense of mystery and interested in expressing themselves and their ambitions”.White is no longer merely white. Car makers, prestige brands in particular, have launched their new model campaigns with white cars - described as pearlescent, metallic, iridescent and any number of names that you're unlikely to find on the Pantone chart.LIFESTYLECommodore owners drink Aussie beer, energy drinks and pre-mixed spirits and order out for pizza, saying expensive restaurants are not worth the money. They like physical activity and go to live sports events rather than art shows or cultural events. Corolla drivers drink low-fat milk, eat healthy and organic foods, devour less red meat and are worried about their cholesterol. They like eco holidays in Australia.BMW drivers like to cook, prefer wine to beer and spirits, and are health conscious, but not as much as Corolla drivers. They enjoy an active social life and are most likely to holiday overseas somewhere they can soak up the culture.BELIEFS“I don't trust the current Australian government,” say Commodore drivers, who believe corruption is a big problem. One third believe homosexuality is immoral, they are suspicious of change, worried about interest rates and believe globalisation brings more problems than it solves.Shy Corolla owners take few risks, recycle, use logic more than their emotions and almost a third believe homosexuality is immoral. BMW owners consider themselves leaders and are optimistic about the future. They are more likely to be accepting of gay people, give to charity, consider themselves green and believe the government is doing a good job.SPORTSAFL is the top sport among motorists, followed by rugby league. For drivers of small SUVs, however, Test and one-day cricket come second to AFL. Support is fairly evenly split among the clubs, although SUV drivers tend to favour the Lions and Swans. Audi drivers support the Bombers and BMW favour the Magpies.Holden and Ford fans are evenly split and Ford drivers don't necessarily favour Geelong, where Fords are built. Mitsubishi drivers don't follow the Crows even though they used to be made in Adelaide. Very few Renault and VW drivers follow AFL but those that do overwhelmingly support the Swans and Magpies.In NRL, the Broncos are the top team among all types of passenger vehicles with up to 10 per cent support; often more than half the next best club. The hardiest Bronco fans are Jeep and Kia drivers with three times the support of the others.The Bronco trend is similar among vehicle brands, however Ford drivers are evenly split with support for Melbourne Storm. Land Rover drivers are among the few that prefer the Bulldogs over the Broncos. French brands Citroen, Peugeot and Renault are least interested in league, but Citroen prefers Storm, Peugeot likes Broncos and Renault likes the Newcastle Knights.RELIGIONCorolla drivers are closer to their god. One in four say they are regular church goers compared with Commodore and BMW drivers (about 15 per cent of whom attend church. Among Christian drivers of these cars, Catholics are more likely to opt for the Corolla or BMW. Of the non-Christians, most drive Corollas, particularly Buddhists and Muslims.NATIONALITYFour out of every five Commodore drivers are Australian-born, compared with about two out of three Corolla and BMW drivers. Asian drivers prefer the Corolla over Commodore and BMW.LIVING STATUSAlso half of all Commodore drivers live with a partner and children and about one in four is married with no children. BMW drivers are similar but they are more likely to not have children. Corolla drivers are evenly split and more of them live with their parents.EDUCATIONBMW drivers excel in the classroom with two out of three having a diploma or degree, compared with almost half of Corolla drivers and less than a third Commodore owners. About a quarter of  Holden drivers  finished secondary school.SOFT ROADERSNew car buyers have turned to SUVs in record numbers this year, according to the FCAI. Sales of compact models - such as the Nissan Dualis, Mitsubishi ASX, Volkswagen's Tiguan and Hyundai ix35 - have grown at an unprecedented 61 per cent.Australians bought 23,845 SUVs of all types last month. SUVs have tallied 177,100 sales this year  or just 20,000 vehicles short of the annual figure for 2007,  the record year for vehicle sales. The segment is on track to top 305,000 sales.AT A GLANCEFavoured car type: Small four-door sedan, under $40,000Brand: ToyotaModel: Holden Commodore/CalaisLuxury car: BMW 3 SeriesSmall car: Toyota CorollaSUV: Toyota LandCruiserLight commercial: Toyota HiLuxCar age: 10 years or lessAnnual distance driven: 13,430kmDaily average drive: 11-20kmCars per household: 1.9AVERAGE OWNERSHolden Commodore: Male Victorian aged 35-49Toyota Corolla: Retired Sydney female aged over 50BMW 3 Series: Melbourne professional either sex aged 35-49

...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.

Arriving in July, the Citroen C4 AirCross is the same under the skin as Mitsubishi's ASX and the new Peugeot 4008 and it rolls of the same Japanese production line.Power comes from the same 2.0-litre, 110 kW petrol four cylinder engine and AirCross will be available with a choice of two or four wheel drive as well as manual or a CVT self-shifting gearbox.No diesel option is currently available. The 4WD variant offers a choice of two wheel drive for maximum economy; four wheel drive difficult conditions and `4WD Lock' for the toughest conditions.The handsome styling of AirCross draws upon Citroen's curent DNA. A comprehensive equipment list and "value for money" pricing will be notified soon.

Hot on the heels of the Volkswagen People's Car project comes Citroen revealing the result of its own crowdsourced design. While Volkwagen’s project looked at entire vehicle designs – and was flooded with submissions from 119,000 keen Chinese participants – Citroen has restricted their crowdsourcing to just the C1’s spec and fit-out details. More than 24,000 Citroen fans submitted ideas for the little car, using a special configurator app on the French brand’s UK web page. The result is the C1 Connexion that has been revealed as an image – but Citroen says will be built and sold. There were also about 10,000 entries in a competition to win one when it does hit the showroom floor. The app incorporated a virtual ‘factory floor’ that allowed entrants to choose body styles, details, colours and accents for the C1 connexion, which will be built on the new Citroen C1 1.0i manual-transmission city car sold in Europe. The most popular result was a three-door body in Caldera Black with Scarlett Red accents and more stylish alloy wheels, adding to the C1’s existing trim that includes LED daytime running lights. However, don’t expect to see the C1 here. Citroen importer Ateco Automotive has already said there is no chance of seeing it here, partly on its size but also because government policy makes the car too expensive. “There isn’t a market for a car at that size at the price we’d be able to offer it,” Ateco spokesman Edware Rowe says. “It’s a very small car by Australian standards and because Australia has no tax rebate based on carbon emissions, it would be just as expensive as larger cars like the Citroen C3. In Europe, buyers enjoy enormous tax advantages offered to low emissions cars, and of course none of that applies here at all. Rowe says the Australian government stance needs to change for “a while host of reasons”, pointing out that Australia is the last mature market in the world not to have a tax system based on emissions, fuel economy and engine size. “Essentially what that says quite clearly is that the government hasn’t thought through an integrated car taxation policy with an emissions policy, and the effect of that is two-fold. “On one hand there’s no encouragement to buy cars with better fuel economy, but equally it stops high technology vehicles with better fuel economy and lower emissions coming to Australia. Carmakers build more expensive technology in the knowledge that the tax benefits in other markets will make them affordable for the buyer.” Rowe says the Australian government stance prevents that technology being available to the Australian public, and the Gillard government’s carbon tax will not help the situation. “The carbon tax does absolutely nothing to encourage people to drive fuel-efficient and lower emission cars. What Australia is crying out for is a graduated tax based on economy and CO2 emissions.”  

Citroen's compact Berlingo van is now available in a choice of two bodies and two engines with more equipment and sharper pricing.  The latest Berlingo range consists of the standard body powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW petrol engine and the long body, with interior volume lifted from 3.3 to 3.7 cubic metres, powered by the 1.6-litre, 66kW turbodiesel engine, which boasts an additional 83 Nm of torque to cope with its bigger load carrying capabilities. The long body turbodiesel also gains a rear cargo mat and the convenience of Bluetooth hands free mobile phone operation. Revised pricing sees the petrol powered standard body Berlingo priced at $19,990 and the long body turbodiesel pitched at $22,990 plus on road costs.  Citroen arguably invented the whole idea of box van with the Citroen TUB and the car-derived 2CV van setting a design standard for the two most common van types.  Berlingo looks as if it is car-derived, with a bonnet and a conventional driving position. However, there is no Berlingo car to hamper Citroen's designers from making the ideal small van so although bonneted, the driver sits high with easy access, the van section blends into the overall vehicle shape to produce a shape that is as functional as it is homogeneous. The Berlingo eliminated the 'bubble back' shape of the conventional car-derived van and all its handicaps. Citroen threw into the mix a range of functional, useful features and equipment designed for the van driver on the road all day, plenty of storage space, seats that are comfortable and easy to get into and out of all day.  This second generation Berlingo is a fresh clean design, with its bonneted good looks and box van carrying ability. It sits on a Citroen C4 Picasso platform, which is derived from the underpinnings of the World Rally Championship dominating Citroen C4 WRC car.  By moving to the bigger platform from the C4 Picasso, the new Berlingo offers significantly more space, up from 3.0 to 3.3 cubic metres. The original Berlingo had a optional simple folding seat that provided a table. The new Berlingo has a new seat, both a table and a load space extender, lifting the volume to 3.7 cubic metres,  4.1 cubic metres in the long body version. To meet business demands for greater efficiency, better performance and lower running costs, Citroen has developed the new Berlingo to deliver more. It has greater carrying capacity, thanks to its larger load compartment and higher payload capability, it has even higher standards of driver/passenger safety and comfort and delivers optimum performance and economy with low running costs.  

It's also quirky Citroen's first four-wheel drive of any description here.Although named a C4 the Aircross actually has more in common with Mitsubishi's ASX and soon to be released Peugeot 4008, with which it shares a platform.It's a tad confusing but there is a lot of this cross polination of the brands occuring these days. Due here in the third quarter of the year, the Aircross will be available in two and four wheel drive form with a choice of petrol and diesel engines.Importer Sydney's Ateco Automotive have confirmed the 2.0-litre petrol model, but the rest is still a work in progress. At 4.34 metres in length Citroen describes the car as surprisingly spacious, with a cabin worthy of the next class up.It comes with a wide array of hi-tech gear including Navidrive navigation system with a touch screen and rearview camera, hands-free access and start-up, a Rockford hi-fi system and a music server.Aircross features a panoramic glass sunroof that is illuminated by integrated LED lights at night. No word on pricing yet?The entry-level two-wheel drive model is equipped with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that develops 85kW of power and 152Nm of torque, and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission.There's also 1.6 and 1.8-litre turbo diesels, the first with 82kW/270Nm and the second, 110kW/300Nm. Both are paired with a six-speed manual and will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive.To satisfy international requirements there's also a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 113kW/198Nm of torque. It will also be available in both two and four-wheel drive form, with a five-speed manual or CVT continuously variable style auto.

The DS4 is a  new class of car that combines the style of coupe, the space and convenience of a tall body car, ease of access of a five door car and the premium style, equipment and features of Citroen DS range of cars. Citroen now has four different models in a market area in which it previously had just one body with a choice of three or five doors. The DS4 satisfies a broad range of customer needs and engages the driver at an emotional level, enhancing the appeal and `joie de vivre' of the motoring experience. DS4 is powered by a range of three Euro 5 compliant engines, delivering refined performance with optimised fuel and CO2 efficiency.  There are two petrol engines with a choice of 115 or 147 kW and the 82 kW e-HDI is fitted as standard with Citroen's micro hybrid system. One of the safest vehicles in its class, DS4 has been awarded a maximum five star Euro NCAP safety rating with a 97 per cent score in the Safety Assist' category. The DS4 is launched in Australia in three different versions, the Citroen DS4 DStyle 115 kW Turbo Petrol with a six speed EGS gearbox as standard is priced at a  $35,990. The DStyle e-HDI Turbo Diesel, also with an EGS gearbox as standard, is $1000 more. Topping the range, is the DSport, with a six-speed manual gearbox mated to its 147 kW Turbo petrol engine, priced at $39,990.