The new Honda CR-Z, Citroen C4, Hyundai ix35 and Suzuki Swift scored top marks in the latest EuroNCAP crash test with the testers for the first time crashing a car fitted with hybrid technology. story.venezuelastar.com | 9/1/10 4:10 AM

Filed under: Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Citroën

Citroën previewed its next-generation design language at this year's Geneva Motor Show with the DS High Rider concept , and the first production car to use these shapely new lines will be the DS4 five-door hatch, which makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show in just a few weeks.

The DS4's two rear doors are nicely incorporated into the overall shape and a set of muscular wheel arches and sloped roofline give the high-riding hatch a sort of coupe-like profile from some angles. LED running lamps top the front foglight surrounds, and Citroen's minimal use of chrome lend the DS4 an upscale appearance. Additionally, those big arches will be nicely filled with a range of large wheels - 19-inch alloys will round off the top-end models.

Inside, Citroën has created a cabin that is both luxurious and spacious, with a tall, raked windshield providing a large, clear view of the road ahead. The chunky-funky steering wheel, sculpted dashboard and center stack look fresh and modern, though we'll admit that the tiller's design stands out a bit in what is otherwise a sleek, modern cockpit.

When it launches in 2011, the DS4 will be available with five powertrain options. Two diesel engines will be available, producing 110 and 160 horsepower, as well as three petrol-sippers, cranking out 120, 155 and 200 horsepower, depending on your need for speed. The three gasoline engines were co-developed with BMW , and the full range of powerplants can be mated to either six-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

We'll be checking out the new DS4 in person in the not-too-distant future. For now, Citroën's official press release beckons after the jump and a high-res gallery of shots is below.



[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Officially Official: Citroën DS4 blends compact size and luxury

Officially Official: Citroën DS4 blends compact size and luxury originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 8/30/10 5:29 PM

The annual 24 hour Citroen 2CV race took place, with speeds reaching a giddy 53 miles per hour. www.bbc.co.uk | 8/23/10 10:29 PM

The Finn, world champion with Ferrari in 2007, quit grand prix racing at the end of last season to compete in the world rally championship with Citroen. www.dnaindia.com | 8/21/10 1:32 PM

BERLIN (Reuters) - World champion Sebastien Loeb snatched a lead of 9.5 seconds after the first day of the German Rally on Friday. The 36-year-old Citroen driver, chasing his seventh title in a row, ... story.venezuelastar.com | 8/20/10 7:55 PM

G.M., PSA Peugeot Citroën and Toyota are hoping to sell vehicle financing services to a new generation of Chinese. www.nytimes.com | 8/18/10 6:29 PM

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Reviews, Luxury

Lightweight Luxury with Style


There's a sect of motoring nihilists out there who would have us all believe there isn't a single thing in the automotive universe that hasn't been done before. It's the "Simpsons did it " meme on methamphetamines, though instead of a yellow animated family, our cast is populated by the likes of Plymouth, Cord, Studebaker, Hudson and any number of other equally innovative yet forgotten brands. Think adaptive headlights are a trick piece of tech? Think again - Willys-Knight employed a third directional headlight as early as 1928 on its 70A, and Citroën made use of similar methodology on cars like the DS and SM way back when.

Few segments seem to have accepted this grim reality quite like the luxury sedan world. Automakers that once strove to create unique products now seem to be operating from the same design template. Line up the profiles of the BMW 7 Series , Audi A8 and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class , and the vast majority of the car-buying public would have no idea which car was which. Each vehicle is attractive in its own right, but we wouldn't accuse any of them possessing the same kind of gravitas as, say, a '38 Mercedes-Benz 770.

Which is one of the big reasons we're smitten with the 2011 Jaguar XJL . Whereas the only way you're going to stop traffic with a 7 Series is to put the drivers around you to sleep, the newest interpretation of the stately Jaguar flagship is the kind of beauty that sends jaws clattering across the concrete.



Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL

Review: 2011 Jaguar XJL originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 8/18/10 4:57 PM

Ford's Jari-Matti Latvala saw off a late challenge from Citroen's Sebastien Ogier today to become the youngest winner of his home Rally of Finland since the event's world championship debut in 1973 tvnz.co.nz | 7/31/10 10:28 PM

EARLY LEADERS: Petter Solberg (Citroen) on his way to winning the first stage of the 2010 Rally Finland. The size of the crowd on the bank behind him gives you some idea of how popular rallying is in ... story.venezuelastar.com | 7/30/10 12:31 PM

French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen reported a switch into net profit in the first half of the year, announcing a figure of 680 million euros (884 million dollars) on Wednesday from a loss of 962 million euros for the same period last year.

It said it expected a current operating profit of about 1.5 billion euros for the whole year.

Sales shot up by 20.8 percent, or by 15.5 percent on a comparable asset base, to 28.394 billion euros.

www.france24.com | 7/28/10 11:07 AM

French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen reported a switch into net profit in the first half of the year, announcing a figure of 680 million euros (884 million dollars) on Wednesday... feedproxy.google.com | 7/28/10 10:20 AM

French car maker Peugeot-Citroën reported a massive swing back to profitability thanks to a recovery in the automobile market, gains in market share and the launch of new models. online.wsj.com | 7/28/10 8:34 AM

French car giant Peugeot Citroen reports a return to profit in the first half of the year, driven by strong demand in China. www.bbc.co.uk | 7/28/10 7:01 AM

It's getting to the point where it's not terribly easy to keep track of all the in-car entertainment initiatives our wondrous connected future has in store, but here's two names you'll want to remember: GENIVI and MeeGo. The former is an industry alliance that now includes automakers GM, BMW, Hyundai and Peugeot Citroen alongside the likes of ARM, NVIDIA, Nokia and Intel, and MeeGo is the Linux-based OS that they've just decided will soon be powering our cars. Don't expect this to affect your daily drive anytime soon, but in the long run we wouldn't be surprised to hear that the Moblin-Maemo base underpins future revisions of Terminal Mode and OnStar .

MeeGo becomes infotainment operating system of choice for BMW, GM, Hyundai and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   The Nokia Blog  |  Linux Foundation  | Email this  | Comments www.engadget.com | 7/26/10 9:36 AM

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Racing

Our collective blogging heart goes out to Mikko Hirvonen. It's a shame to see a driver with galaxies worth of talent constantly banished to the lower rungs of the podium by the likes of Sebastien Loeb . Perpetually optimistic, the Finnish hoon seems to be a rarity among the racing driver species. Even in the face of repeated defeat, the guy typically keeps his cool and hopes for the best. That doesn't necessarily mean he's content to sit back and watch Citroën continue to dominate the WRC and Hirvonen has been beating the life out of his Focus RS racer in preparation for the upcoming Finland Rally.

Fortunately for us, a video of the testing action has made its way to the YouTubes, complete with plenty of shots of the mean Blue Oval in defiance of the laws of gravity. At some point, if we're very lucky, we just might figure out how the guy manages to get that hatch to pivot mid-air. Click past the jump to waste a little time in the best way possible.

[Source: YouTube via WebRidesTV ]

Continue reading Video: Mikko Hirvonen tests WRC Ford Focus, enters low orbit

Video: Mikko Hirvonen tests WRC Ford Focus, enters low orbit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/24/10 1:02 AM

The nonprofit Linux Foundation on Friday said the GENIVI Alliance will go with the open-source MeeGo OS for its new In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) system. The decision gives automakers like BMW, GM and PSA Peugeot Citroen the new mobile platform and makes Delphi, GM, Intel, Magneti-Marelli, Visteon, Wind River and others the suppliers. IVI includes apps in vehicles that can be used by everyone in the car, including navigation, media, location-based services, and access to the Internet as well as media players and phones... www.electronista.com | 7/23/10 7:10 PM

The Citroen Survolt concept on a demonstration run at last weekend's Le Mans Classic.

www.topix.net | 7/16/10 2:59 PM

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Sedan, Europe, Citroën, Electric, Luxury

If you were disheartened by reports last week that Citroën had shelved plans to build the GTbyCitroën concept, we've got better news for you this week. Much better news, in fact.

First of all, follow-up reports claim that Citroën hasn't killed the program, so the proverbial jury is still out on whether it will get built or not. But that's not even the good part, as Britain's Autocar magazine has it on good authority that the French automaker is working on bringing two more recent concepts into production.

The first is the pint-size Survolt concept unveiled in Geneva , a model that more recently ran the Circuit de la Sarthe at the Le Mans Classic... with a more appealing paint scheme, too. According to reports, Citroën is evaluating putting the little electric sportscar into limited production, and even launching a one-make spec racing series (like the Porsche Supercup or Ferrari Challenge) specifically for the Survolt. Sounds enticing, and we've put together a nice big fresh image gallery of the concept at Le Mans for the occasion.

That's not the end of it, however, as the Chevron marque is also reportedly evaluating production possibilities for the Metropolis concept , a car that could halo the company's premium line with a DS9 nameplate. The sleek limousine was unveiled in concept form at the Shanghai Motor Show , and if for the Chinese market alone could be worth putting into production. With the German luxury marques forging into the supermini category, Citroën is rearing for a fight, and launching a luxury sedan back at 'em could be just what the docteur ordered.




[Source: Autocar ]

Citroën reportedly considering producing Survolt, Metropolis concepts [w/pics aplenty] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/15/10 10:58 PM

Filed under: Toys/Games

You didn't think Forza Motorsport 3 was just watching GT5 trailers and girding its loins for November, did you? No way. Available today from the FM3 is the World Class Car Pack , headlined by the V8 Orange Julius otherwise known as the McLaren MP4-12C . The nine additional cars offered for your virtual gratification include the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG , Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG, Acura TSX , Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart, Fiat Punto Evo Sport , Kia Forte Koup , 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe , 2011 Citroen DS3 and 2011 Mazda 2 . You can get the pack right now at Xbox Live for 400 Microsoft Points, or just go with the Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart for now as it's free.

[Source: Motor World Hype ]

World Class Car Pack for Forza Motorsport 3 includes McLaren MP4-12C originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/14/10 11:29 PM

PSA Peugeot Citroen said on July 12 that it was stepping up its cooperation with Malaysia's Naza, signing an assembly and sales deal in southeast Asian countries.

www.topix.net | 7/12/10 5:22 PM

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Peugeot

While some automakers are diversifying, others are consolidating. Like Peugeot , for example, which is preparing to replace both the 407 and 607 with an all-new 508. The big sedan is set to debut in a couple of months at the biennial Paris Motor Show , but after spy shots found their way to our desks a couple of weeks ago, this first batch of official-looking images have already leaked their way out and are circulating the interwebs as you read these words.

Previewed by the 5 by Peugeot concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and based on sister-company Citroën 's C5 sedan, the new 508 has appeared in both sedan and wagon formats. Full details will undoubtedly be released sometime in the next couple of months as the Paris salon approaches, but in the meantime Francophiles can check out the images in the gallery below for a closer look. Thanks for the tip, Mono!



[Source: OmniAuto.it - translated ]

Peugeot 508 leaked well ahead of Paris debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/12/10 4:27 PM

Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb of France led Citroen to an historic top four in the inaugural Rally of Bulgaria in Borovets on Sunday. Loeb, who topped the standings since Friday's opening session, beat teammates Spanish runner-up Dani Sordo, Norway's Petter Solberg and fellow countryman Sebastien Ogier on his favoured asphalt tarmac surface. "A perfect rally," said Loeb. "Four Citroens on front, it's remarkable. I was pleasantly surprised. Since 2006 we haven't lost a rall ... english.people.com.cn | 7/12/10 9:09 AM

Citroen's world champion Sebastien Loeb increased his lead on the second day of the Rally Bulgaria on Sunday tvnz.co.nz | 7/10/10 8:53 PM

China Changan Auto Group Corporation (CCAG) and French leading carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen signed a contract Friday here on the creation of an equally owned joint venture in China. The contract was signed by Xu Bin, president of China South Industries Group Corporation, Changan's main shareholder, and Philippe Varin, chairman of the French part's Managing Board, at a ceremony attended by Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Bernard Accoyer, presid ... english.people.com.cn | 7/10/10 5:22 AM

Former Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen made a dramatic exit on the opening day of Rally Bulgaria, crashing his Citroen during Friday's stage.

www.topix.net | 7/9/10 6:45 PM

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen SA signed a deal Friday to set up a euro935 million joint venture to make small, low-emission cars in China with China Changan Automobile Group.

www.topix.net | 7/9/10 12:15 PM

French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen formally agreed an 8.4-billion-yuan (935-million-euro, 1.2-billion-dollar) joint venture with Chinese group Changan Automobile to increase... feedproxy.google.com | 7/9/10 11:36 AM

French car giant Peugeot Citroen becomes the latest major carmaker to team up with Changan Automotive Group. news.bbc.co.uk | 7/9/10 11:07 AM

French car giant Peugeot Citroen becomes the latest major carmaker to team up with Changan Automotive Group. news.bbc.co.uk | 7/9/10 11:07 AM

Peugeot-Citroen and China's Chang'an Automobile Group created a $1.2 billion joint venture to make and market passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. online.wsj.com | 7/9/10 10:13 AM

PSA Peugeot Citroen and the parent of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co will finalise a deal to set up a 50-50 vehicle manufacturing joint venture in China, a source close to the Chinese company said. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 7/9/10 6:07 AM

Raikkonen, champion with Ferrari, quit grand prix racing at the end of last season to compete in the world rally championship with Citroen. www.dnaindia.com | 7/9/10 4:35 AM

&$ &$ French driver Sebastien Loeb and co-pilot Daniel Elena drive their Citroen C4 WRC on the first day of the WRC rally Bulgaria near Batak dam, some 143km from Sofia, capital of Bulgaria, July 9, 2010. (Xinhua/Velko Angelov) &$ 【1】 【2 ... english.people.com.cn | 7/9/10 2:41 AM

PSA Peugeot Citroen, France?s biggest automaker, may revive a plan to set up a manufacturing facility in India to tap surging car demand in the country, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 7/7/10 7:51 PM

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Citroën

On again, off again. How else could we describe the production prospects of the GTbyCitroën ? The supercar concept was devised jointly by the French automaker and by the electronic wizards behind the Gran Turismo video game franchise, but rather than leaving it up to cyberspace alone, Citroën built a real-life showcar version.

The attention it garnered - and the blank checks waved in its face - reportedly prompted Citroën to consider building a limited run for insistent and well-heeled customers. But after reports from around this time last year indicated that the chevron brand was going ahead with the plans, a year later these have still yet to materialize. Now the word on the street is that Citroën has axed the plans altogether.

The reasons? According to reports, Citroën feels there are more practical things on which to focus its resources. And we don't doubt that there are. But when you can produce a halo vehicle and pass on the bulk of the expense to willing-and-able customers, we can't help but wonder what Citroën really stands to lose by fulfilling such pixel-fueled dreams.



[Source: 4WheelsNews.com ]

GTbyCitroën not to be built after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read  | Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/7/10 6:57 PM

PSA Peugeot Citroen, France’s biggest automaker, may revive a plan to build a car plant in India to tap surging local demand, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. www.businessweek.com | 7/7/10 5:30 PM

French auto giant PSA Peugeot Citroen on Wednesday reported record sales and said it would form a new joint venture in China, the world's largest and fastest growing auto market. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 7/7/10 3:18 PM

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen and China's Changan Automotive Group will finalise on Friday a joint venture deal to produce vehicles in the world's top auto market, a PSA director... feedproxy.google.com | 7/7/10 11:25 AM

Strong global growth, new models, sales to China and an environmental focus helped French auto group PSA Peugeot Citroen to record high sales in the first half, the group said on... feedproxy.google.com | 7/7/10 10:18 AM

France's PSA Peugeot Citroen and China's Changan Automotive Group will finalise on Friday a joint venture deal to produce vehicles in the world's top auto market, a PSA director said. economictimes.indiatimes.com | 7/7/10 9:57 AM

LONDON -- PSA Peugeot Citroen said Wednesday that unit sales jumped 16.9% in the first half of 2010 to 1.86 million units, a record for the firm. "This performance confirms the strong marketing momen... story.venezuelastar.com | 7/7/10 8:51 AM

French car maker Peugeot-Citroën reported its best first-half sales performance on record, with global vehicle sales jumping 17% from a year earlier, pushed up by sales outside Europe. online.wsj.com | 7/7/10 7:49 AM

Filed under: Concept Cars, Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Citroën, Electric

We thought the Citroën Survolt Concept was pretty cool when we first saw it at the Geneva Motor Show . We think it's much, much cooler now, though. Why? Perhaps because the crazy French automaker has seen fit to make the all-electric machine into a real race car that will hit the track at the Le Mans Classic on July 10th.

The electric racecar sports a full tube frame with a carbon fiber body and a completely flat underbody... which is all well and good, but the real news comes from the powertrain. Dual electric motors push out 300 horsepower from zero to 5,000 RPM. But it's the torque of electric motors that really impresses, and the Survolt reportedly has enough of it to dispatch the run to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds.

Power comes from two lithium ion battery packs that weigh in at over 300 pounds each and offer 31 kilowatts of energy storage. The Citroën Survolt can manage 124 miles per charge, which can be performed in two hours with a specific charger or in 10 hours using a normal 220-volt outlet. Check out our image gallery below and hit the jump for a short video and the complete press release.



[Source: Citroën]

Continue reading Citroën Survolt takes to the track at Le Mans Classic [w/video]

Citroën Survolt takes to the track at Le Mans Classic [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/7/10 12:25 AM

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Marketing/Advertising, Peugeot, Citroën, Rumormill

It's certainly possible. According to La Voz de Galicia , the French automaker is currently mulling the creation of a new sub-brand to break into the lower rungs of the inexpensive car market. Rather than go through the hassle of rustling up a whole new name, the company has looked to the past for inspiration. It came up with Talbot - a company that got its start early in the 20th century and puttered to a stop in 1986.

The name has a history of rising from the dead. In 1978, Peugeot pulled a similar stunt by bringing the Talbot name back from obscurity after Chrysler axed it a decade prior. During the revival, the brand mostly served as a dumping ground for former Chrysler Europe models. Needless to say, the resurrection didn't last long.

But if our Google Translator is to be believed, the most recent zombification of the Talbot moniker will have more to do with funky little entry-level machines than any sort of rebadging exercise. La Voz de Galicia claims that the brand will likely start off with just two models based loosely on existing Peugeot models, which would be manufactured at the Citroën factory in Vigo.

Is it possible? Sure. But the rumors could just as easily be smoke and mirrors. Thanks for the tip, Lucian!

[Source: La Voz de Galicia (translated )]

Peugeot to resurrect Talbot brand as channel for cheap cars? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/6/10 11:02 PM

PSA Peugeot Citroen, France’s biggest automaker, may revive a plan to set up a manufacturing facility in India to tap surging car demand in the country, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. www.businessweek.com | 7/6/10 10:02 PM

Citroen's Sebastien Loeb previews the inaugural Rally Bulgaria and talks about his targets as he looks to extend his 38-point lead in the battle for the 2010 WRC drivers' title.

www.topix.net | 7/6/10 8:52 PM

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback, Infiniti, Luxury

Infiniti is reportedly set to follow Lexus into the premium compact hatchback segment with a new model for the European market. With Lexus about to launch its hybrid CT200h and the Europeans already well established with the likes of the Audi A3 and Citroen's new DS3, Infiniti apparently needs a hatch-shaped player to compete.

Autocar reports that the Infiniti will draw on the design of the Essence concept and feature a coupe-like profile. The new compact hatchback will be in addition to the Infiniti electric car that CEO Carlos Ghosn announced at the Tokyo Motor Show last fall. The Infiniti EV will share the platform and battery system of the Nissan Leaf, but may use a more powerful electric motor. There's no word on what platform this unnamed hatch will be based on, but Infiniti's corporate parents at Nissan have a host of front-wheel drive architectures to choose from and a range of engines to provide the new model with enough oomph.



[Source: Autocar ]

Rumormill: Infiniti working on Euro-market front-drive hatch originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink  | Email this  | Comments www.autoblog.com | 7/5/10 7:43 PM

Sebastien Loeb of France in his Citroen C4 WRC during the shakedown of the Turkish Rally 2010, Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2010.

www.topix.net | 7/3/10 11:15 PM

Sebastien Loeb of France in his Citroen C4 WRC during the shakedown of the Turkish Rally 2010, Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2010.

www.topix.net | 7/3/10 3:51 PM

Sebastien Loeb of France in his Citroen C4 WRC during the shakedown of the Turkish Rally 2010, Istanbul, Turkey, 15 April 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES story.venezuelastar.com | 7/3/10 3:48 PM