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Citroen has officially dropped photos and information on its all-new DS5, which is the latest addition to its DS sub-brand and the largest one yet. Measuring 4.52 meters in length, 1.50 meters in height and 1.85 m in width, the DS5 sits between the C4 and the C5 in Citroen's range, with the company describing the car as an alternative to the more conventional C5 with a higher ground clearance, more refined interior and a crossover shape.

Prepare for impending teasing over the next few days as Citroën has released the first in a likely series of preview images of the third member in its distinctive line of DS models, the DS5, which will receive its world premiere on 18 April at the Shanghai International Motor Show.

Aside from the image pictured above, the French carmaker is keeping mum on all the details simply stating that the “DS5 is set to bring distinctive new elegance and panache to the executive class”.

Toyota, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen and BMW are the carmakers closest to reaching their CO2 targets next year, according to a report by market research firm JATO Dynamics. The targets are imposed by the European Union, whose objective for 2015 is to enforce a fleet average CO2 level of 130 g/km for manufacturers selling cars in Europe.

In order to reach that objective, CO2 targets are lowered progressively each year. In 2009 the average was 145.9 g/km and in 2010 it went down to 140.9 g/km. Emissions regulations will be imposed starting next year, with significant fines to be enforced to automakers that will not comply with the new emissions limits.

Kimi Raikkonen surprised the motorsport world this week by announcing he will switch to NASCAR this year. The 2007 Formula 1 champion will start racing with a new team called ICE1 in the Truck series and will later move to the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series. Most likely, the team will be supported by Raikkonen himself, whose current WRC team is called ICE1 as well and is backed by the driver and sponsors from Finland.

China’s auto shows are growing bigger and bigger by the year as the local market continues to expand in sales. The most significant car show is the Auto China, which is held alternatively in Beijing and Shanghai every other year. This year’s edition will take place in Shanghai.

More often than not, leading American, European, Japanese and Korean automakers present their newest offerings at well-established car shows like Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris and Detroit, but in the past few years, we’re seeing increased numbers of new models being unveiled in China.

This year show will be no exception, as many new cars are planned to be revealed in Shanghai (April 23-28), despite the fact that it overlaps the 2011 NY Auto Show (April 22 - May 1).

The clever minds over at the H-Paris agency are behind this new ad for Citroen’s Fiesta-rivaling C3 supermini called the ‘Bip Bip’. The witty commercial stars a young owner of an Innocenti Mini, which is a re-bodied version of the original Mini designed by Bertone. The spot shows the man trying to emulate the sounds of a modern day car’s electronic amenities. Not quite strong, but funny nevertheless. Hop over the jump to watch the extended-cut version of the commercial. Read more »

A low-cost company has to find low-cost ways not only to produce, but also to market and sell its products. This is why Renault devised a strategy to sell Dacia models online, through an Internet sales program that will be implemented in Europe.

“Internet sales will quickly become a reality. Many of our customers know what they want before they step into our showrooms, so an online sales channel makes sense,” said Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault's low-cost program.

But that isn't the only reason. Renault will be soon facing the threat of a low-cost rival coming from the French group PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Rumored to receive the abandoned Simca name, the new make could sell its vehicles exclusively through the Internet, as sales chief Jean-Marc Gales hinted at the Geneva Motor Show.

With the 2011 Geneva motor show only a week away, Citroën has published photos but very few details on three new concept cars based on the firm's production models that it plans to reveal on March 1. The design studies are the C3 Red Block, DS4 Purple and the C6 ‘Noir et Blanc’.

UK TV program Fifth Gear has released a new video to the web showing a road test of the new 2011 Citroen C4, the car review is conducted by Vicki Butler-Henderson and she is testing the top of the range 2011 Citroen C4 in the Exclusive trim level thats powered by the 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine.

The "2011 Citroen C4" 2.0 HDi channels its juice to the wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission, and when accelerating from 0 to 62 mph the car needs 8.6 seconds.

Top speed is 126 mph, and in terms of consumption and efficiency the 2011 Citroen C4 2.0 HDi returns 56.6 mpg (combined) and emits 130 grams of CO2 per Km.
Designed to overleap the highest point of expectation, the new Citroën C4 burst with of style, quality, comfort and interior space, makes The Leap a mission possible.

Strength and stability define the car’s profile. Balanced proportions are emphasized through scalped lines finished in high quality. A Citroën C4 driver is a focused driver in a cabin that has an impressive acoustic comfort. Soundproofing delivers a relaxed on-road confidence, crucial for safety driving. Comfortable seating and head room make spacing limits unnoticeable.

Already using familiar technologies, like hill-start assist, EGS (Electronic Gearbox System), warning system when changing lanes, automatic electric parking brake and Xenon directional headlamps with dual-function, the Citroën C4 uses additional new technologies. Together with on-board emergency assistance, Citroën’s eTouch system gives the driver the opportunity to monitor their fuel consumption and driving patterns, also, advice on how to improve fuel usage.

Ask any French car fan what the most beautiful and technically advanced executive sedan of the 1950s was and most will reply, “The Citroen DS.” You only need to look at the styling of some of the DS’s competition – take the Alfa Romeo 1900 Ti, Austin A95 Westminster or BMW 501/6 for example – to see just how far ahead of its time it was.

Here was a car with a fully independent and auto-leveling suspension set up, front power disc brakes, power steering, a fiberglass roof and a hydraulically operated clutch and transmission. And the styling...

So if there’s any car worthy of a modern day revival, it’s the venerable DS. While studying at France’s Institut Superieur de Design, design student Ugo Spagnolo took on this challenge as part of his internship with Citroen.

The new 2012 Citroen DS9 is highly dependent on the Metropolis concept and is also known as Lemon Metropolis DS9. Citroen plans to DS9 in the Asian market with force.
Citroen has long been in the shadows of the Germans. The DS9, which is based off of the Metropolis concept, is the company’s attempt to move up market and challenge the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ, and the Audi A8.

The name Metropolis was created for a reason. At 5.3 meters long and 2 meters wide, it’s longer than a long-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class and wider than a Maybach.

As you can easily notice, the design language is inspired by the Hypnos concept and was entirely developed by PSA Group’s Shanghai design studio. The rear of the DS9 takes the vehicles overall width and blends it with a stunning aerodynamic line. The Metropolis is powered by a hybrid drive train that combines a 2.0-liter V6 engine with an output of 272bhp and 277lb ft and an electric motor that develops from 55bhp to 95bhp. As stated earlier, the competition for the DS9 will be the larger German sedans, the S-Class, 7-Series, XJ, and the A8. Exterior design is a matter of opinion, but we think the DS9 is stunning.

CITROEN’S gigantic Metropolis limousine concept and the plug-in electric Survolt coupe showcar both appear destined for production, judging by comments made to Britain’s Autocar.

The PSA design boss suggested to Autocar that a Citroen-badged version of the Metropolis, which made its world debut – wearing Citroen’s double-chevron logo - at Expo 2010 Shanghai in China on May 1, would be a lucrative proposition for the company in markets like China.

But he made it clear the production Metropolis could also be sold in Europe – and potentially therefore Australia – as a flagship for Citroen’s new DS sub-brand, badged as the DS9.

“A large, characterful DS flagship model – we could call it a DS9 to reference the original DS19 – could do great things for us.”
At the same time, the low-slung Metropolis, which follows in the footsteps of large Citroen saloons such as the long-wheelbase ‘Presidential’ versions of the legendary DS from the 1960s, is just 1.4 metres tall.

It was powered by the same 185kW electric drive system as the compact concept, which measures 3850mm long, 1870mm wide and 1200mm high

This here is the E-3POD Antistatic design study and it was revealed at the Royal College of Art’s Interim Degree Show in London as part of the Double Challenge project sponsored by Citroën and aerodynamic simulation software company EXA. The task of the second year students was to envision an ultra-compact vehicle that could influence the design language of the automaker’s future electric cars.

Already partners in developing 4-cylinder petrol engines, BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën have decided to set up 50-50 equity joint venture named the BMW Peugeot Citroën Electrification, which will primarily focus on developing hybrid components. Sharing the cost of research and development as well as production and component purchasing, the two companies expect to achieve significant economies of scale.

The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), which is similar to the American IIHS testing regimen, has released a list with the safest car in each vehicle category and the two worst performers overall of 2010. The cars that attained the coveted five star rating and achieved the highest overall score in their respective segment are:

On the other side of the fence are two models that achieved the poorest results of 2010. These are the Citroen Nemo with three stars and China's Landwind CV9 that received only two stars.

In less than two weeks, 2010 will draw to a close. So what better time to look back at the real stars of this year’s motor shows: the concept cars! Enter into a world where considerations like practicality and profitability fall by the wayside and the world’s designers and engineers show us their true potential. Let’s count down...my Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010!

After owning my little Citroen C3 for just over 6 years, the time has come to accept that this relationship has run its course and move on to better things--Like most relationships, this started so well.

To save you scratching your collective heads, it was how a friend described the panoramic Zenith windscreen, a standard feature on all but the base VT trim level. The Visiodrive is how Citroen puts it.
Measuring some 1.35 metres, from behind the bonnet to the start of the roof, the windscreen is around 36 per cent larger than the average for this size of car and whereas the driver's sight line is usually somewhere in the region of 28 degrees, in the new Citroen C3 it is more like 108 degrees.
The Citroen C3 benefits from a stiffened body with strengthened A-pillars and a sturdy, chromed framework to the screen. When the Citroen C3 first came out, the design majored on quirky, fun looks in a similar manner to the smaller cars in the Citroen stable. According to the Company, "the Citroen C3 represents an upmarket shift, while retaining an emphasis on value for money" - and it shows. The large trapezoidal front grille dominates the front end and replaces the twin grilles that were a feature of the outgoing model. This means more bonnet space for the new-look Citroen logo and large boomerang-shaped headlight clusters. For the new car, the window-lines have been raised and the windows themselves are narrower, which also helps to promote a sporty feel.
The Citroen C3 may look small, but it can deliver some very big features. You can opt for the 1.6 litre petrol engine which actually drives many small Citroen variants. Citroen has made sure that the 1.6 litre engine performs well - and it needs to in a such a competitive market place, with many of the japanese car makers offering very good small cars. The Citroen C2 HDi has the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine.

The Citroen C3 may look small, but it can deliver some very big features. You can opt for the 1.6 litre petrol engine which actually drives many small Citroen variants. Citroen has made sure that the 1.6 litre engine performs well - and it needs to in a such a competitive market place, with many of the japanese car makers offering very good small cars--The Citroen C2 HDi has the 1.6 litre turbo-diesel engine.

Citroen C4 Review

Citroen mid-size Citroen C4 family car is a worthy rival to the Ford Focus, even if it's not as much fun to drive
Which is why the appointment of Linda Jackson as managing director of Citroën UK is a significant event; female senior executives heading vehicle manufacturing companies and dealerships are very much the exception.

Linda's recent arrival coincides with Citroën's determined surge towards a better brand image, a central element of which is to convince potential buyers that its cars have that essential item: convincing quality. It's a tough call; the Citroen C4 has to square up to the Ford Focus, VW Golf and a phalanx of other finely crafted family hatchbacks.

Engine choice includes three smooth, revvy petrols developed with BMW and three very efficient HDi diesels. Manual gearboxes are quick and light to use. Citroën aesthetics have long swung between extremes, from the deadly dull Xsara to the extraordinary innovative design and technology of the original DS and later daring but low quality CX. The latest Citroen C4 occupies commercially safer middle ground.

Linda Jackson, carefully analysing the figures at Citroën HQ, will be hoping that it's Citroen C4 "convincing".

Lazy steering aside, it's a competent car to drive. The 2.0-litre petrol unit is ageing and the sporty 180bhp VTS version never really offers true hot hatch go. Both 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre HDi units provide plenty of punch, strong torque and very smooth, refined manners.

Arguably the most handsome car in its sector, the "Citroen C4 is elegant", well detailed and oozes French style. It comes either as a smart five-door hatch or more radical three-door, which Citroen near-viably calls a 'coupe'. Vauxhall's Astra is the "Citroen C4' most obvious rival, as it comes in practical five-door and more sporty three-door format. More conventional competitors include sister company Peugeot's 307, the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

If only the Citroen's exterior style were matched by its interior. On first inspection, the unusual layout and static-hub steering wheel bode well, but the ergonomics are flawed. Furthermore, while diesel engines are economical, those ageing petrol engines return unimpressive mpg figures, while Citroen's willingness to offer cashback deals on new vehicles hurts retained values.
THIS is probably the best car Citroen has ever produced." It's miles better than the Citroen Xsara it replaces and shows the way Citroen is thinking.

There is a three-door coupe and five-door to choose from, plus a range of eight petrol and diesel engines - in all, 22 variants with four specification levels - LX, SX, VTR Plus and Exclusive - and prices ranging from £11,095 to £17,995.

Seats are supportive and space inside is excellent. Six airbags are standard, as well as anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist and many models have electronic stability programme and traction control.

There were 41 candidates eligible for the European 2011 Car of the Year (COTY) award, with quite a few big names being mentioned, such as the Audi A7 Sportback and A8, BMW 5-Series and X3, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes Benz CLS. This week, the list was narrowed down to just seven finalists and, as in previous years, some of them weren't really expected to make it this far.

Our summary presents the remaining candidates in alphabetical order, with the winner set to be announced on November 29. We'd really like to know which of the seven cars would get your vote, though, so comment away below.

For the new model year, Citroën has updated the range of its UK market C3 Picasso with the addition of a limited edition version called the "BLACKCHERRY " and the introduction of a new Euro 5 HDi 110 diesel engine matched to a 6-speed transmission.

Citroën's CEO of Asian operations, Gregoire Olivier, has revealed that the company is planning a production version of the beautifully styled Metropolis concept car to compete against German luxury brands, primarily in China.

The sporty looking limousine, which will most likely be called the DS9, will be built by PSA/Peugeot-Citroën's joint venture with Changan Automobile Group in China.

"The Metropolis will happen -- it will become a real car," Olivier told Autonews China on the sidelines of an industry conference in Shanghai. "The same styling elements will be used for a high-level Citroen car to be developed in China. We want to build up the premier line in China -- the Metropolis is emblematic of our approach."