Citroen cars

2013 Citroen DS4 Pure Pearl Edition

Seeing as the Paris Motor Show is the home auto show of Citroen, it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to bring a whole load of vehicles to the event.

With a little over a week before the doors to the event officially open, the French automaker is slowly unveiling their Paris-bound line-up, including a pair of special edition DS models carrying the "Pure Pearl" special edition designation.

One of these models is the DS4 Pure Pearl, which, as the name suggests, comes finished with a pearlescent white body color to go with touches of gloss chrome detailing and a new set of 18" alloy wheels. Other unique features of the DS4 Pure Pearl include an interior that’s been dressed in a watchstrap-style club leather upholstery that has been complemented with blue over-stitching.

For this particular model of the DS4, Citroen decided to give it a more powerful 1.6-liter HDi 160 engine instead of the standard model’s HDi 110 engine. What that means is that the DS4 Pure Pearl Edition comes packed with a tidy 110 horsepower and 199 lb/ft of torque and mated to an automatic transmission.

It’s not going to blow a lot of cars on the road, but for a hatchback of its caliber, it sure has plenty of promise.

2013 Citroen DS3 Cabrio

Citroen’s DS3 supermini is stripping its cape in favor of a black soft top roof and although the DS3 Cabrio won’t be making its official appearance until the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September, the company has opted to reveal the full list of specifications a little early.

The new droptop DS3 was rumored to be called the DS3 Airflow, but it looks as though the French company has opted to keep the car’s simple namesake intact. The future Citroen will be similar to the hatchback version, except, of course, for its soft top, which takes 16 seconds to open or close and can be operated at speeds of up to 120 km/h (74 mph). When this top is down, the edges and the side windows will remain in their place, just like the system set up for the Fiat 500C. The new model is also the only real 5-seater in the category and offers the largest boot.

As for the engines, the model will be offered with the same ten diesel and petrol engines as its hard-top brother, with power ranging from 89-204 HP. Citroen will also offer an Eco-friendly version emitting just 99 g/km of CO2. Performance will vary because of the extra weight provided by the convertible setup, but who buys a DS3 because of it performance times?

European sales for the 2013 Citroen DS3 Cabrio will begin in the first part of 2013 when the market will be privy to three different versions: Racing, Ultra Prestige, and Just Mat.

UPDATE 08/31/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images for the Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

UPDATE 01/08/13: Citroen has announced the pricing for the DS3 Cabrio. Well, at least the pricing in Germany. Check out how much it costs in Deutschland after the jump and from there, you can have a rough estimate on how much it’ll cost in your currency.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Citroen DS3 Cabrio.

2013 Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

The Citroen C4 Picasso has already been making its rounds on the testing grounds, but our spy photographers have finally managed to catch its seven-seater counterpart as its takes its turn in the hot seat. The Citroen C4 Grand Picasso will get the extra room from longer rear doors and a boxier rear end, but instead of the expected sliding rear doors there are actually conventional doors in their place.

In terms of power, the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso will more than likely get going with the help of the C4’s normal range of three petrol and four HDi diesel engines with horsepower ranging from 93 HP to 153 mph. The Grand Picasso may also get the hybrid system Hybrid4 already featured in the DS5 and Peugeot 3008. These engines will be mated to a variety of transmissions, from a 6-speed automatic gearbox to a manual 5- or 6-speed, or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Expect the Citroen C4 Grand Picasso to debut sometime in 2013 with sales starting shortly thereafter.

Sebastien Loeb blitzes field to take 2012 X Games Rallycross gold

Recruiting a racer often regarded as one of the greatest drivers ever - in this case Sebastien Loeb - was an ambitious plan for the organizers of the recent 2012 X Games in Los Angeles and Travis Pastrana himself, but after the WRC-driver blitzed the field in the final of the Rallycross event, all the millions they inevitably spent getting him to the event, certainly paid off.

In a tight circuit, Loeb started at the front of the grid for the short race which lasted only 6 laps. However, in that time, Loeb managed to scamper away from the field like he was from another planet and ended up beating second place Ken Block to the finish line by no less than 12 seconds!

Yep, that’s 2 seconds quicker per lap than all of his rivals, some of whom are considered the best drivers the U.S. has to offer for the rallying world, namely Tanner Foust and Ken Block.

However, for all the Block fans out there, he did manage to come home second despite picking up a puncture in the first half of the race, meaning his was running around on the right-rear rim for upwards of 3 laps. An achievement which is definitely worth commending.

On the day however, no man could even come close to Loeb in his modified Citroen DS3 which has been de-restricted to produce upwards of 600HP, making a 0-60 mph sprint of less than 3.0 seconds achievable.

At the conclusion of the race, Loeb stated, “The X Games was a good experience, the track was good and I was excited to race at the X Games and win this competition,” he said. “The most difficult point was that first corner because you lose everything if someone hits you.”

Video: Sebastien Loeb Gets us Amped Up for the 2012 X-Games

We’ve already documented the friendly “feud” between Red Bull teammates Travis Pastrana and Sebastien Loeb. We knew from Loeb’s acceptance video to Pastrana’s challenge that his team was working on a new version of the Citroën DS3 tuned specifically for his X-Games and RallyCross debut.

An important part of making a completely different version of a racecar is the fact that the driver has to thoroughly test it. That’s to be expected, but in true Red Bull style, they made a rather dramatic review of the car and put it on the Interwebz for us all to enjoy. While the actual car footage is scarce in the video, its awesomeness makes up for lack of volume. The absolute symphony of noise that this car makes is enough to raise the hair on the backs of our necks. It’s like the automotive version of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

In the video, Loeb lets us know that the X-Games version of the DS3 is far more powerful than the one he runs in the WRC. Citroën racing engineer, Cyrille Jourdan, chimes in to give us an idea of just how fast this car is, telling us that it hits 60 mph in less than 3 seconds – talk about a ”hot hatch,” sheesh.

The laidback Loeb proceeds to let us know the obvious, that it’s “fun to drive” this finely tuned automotive gem. Seeing the stacks of worn out tires just mere seconds after he says that it’s fun shows us that he has definitely had his fair share of fun with it. We say it’s time he gives us a crack at it!

You can see the video above and make sure to crank up your speakers to catch every last decibel that this wonderful machine puts out. It’s simply awesome.

2013 Citroen C-Elysee

While everyone’s attention was focused on debuts of the new Aston Martin Vanquish and the Bentley Continental GT Speed, Citroen was also expanding its model line-up with the unveiling of two new models: the new generation C-Elysee and the C4 L.

The new C-Elysee was designed for families looking for an attractive, affordable sedan. When creating the car, Citroen designers had to start from scratch, but the result is a model with an innovative design and a roomy interior that is ideal for families. Depending on the market, the new C-Elysee will be offered with the latest generation VTi 72 petrol engine or a new VTi 115 engine, combined with a manual or an automatic gearbox.

Sales for the new Citroen C-Elysee will begin at the end of 2012 and the model will be sold in selected international markets.

Hit the jump to read more about the new Citroen C-Elysee.

2013 Citroen C4 Picasso

After debuting the new C4, Citroen is now testing the Picasso version of the small family car. In fact, this is the second time the future C4 Picasso has been spotted testing - the first time, Citroen took it for some extreme winter testings in Northern Europe. Now, the company has gone out for yet another round, but this time, it’s the hot summer months pushing the car to its limits.

The new C4 Picasso will be offered with the same engine range found in the C4, meaning there will be a range of petrol and HDi diesel engines, as well as the hybrid system Hybrid4 seen in the DS5 and Peugeot 3008. Initially, the C4 will be offered as a five-door models, but a seven seater model - called the C4 Grand Picasso - will also be offered. While the 5 seater will have conventional rear doors, the 7 seater is expected to have sliding rear doors.

The new Citroen C4 Picasso will be making its world debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September and will hit dealerships in 2013.

2013 Citroen C4 L

Usually when we hear about a new "L" (Lounge) version of a model, we automatically think that the respective model has been specially designed for the Chinese market. The new C4 L follows that assumption to a "T." The Citroen C4 L will be launched in late 2012 in China and in 2013 in Russia.

The new Citroen C4 L was built on a 2.71 meter wheelbase - 10 cm more than the new Citroen C4 - and measures 4.62 m x 1.78 m x 1.5 m. It will feature the same design language as the new C4, including sculptural lines, a large chrome-finished grille, front and rear light signatures, and a convex rear window inspired by those on the Citroen C5 and C6.

In terms of power, it will be offered with a choice of two engines: a THP engine, designed with the BMW group, delivering 150 or 170 HP depending on the country, and a 136 HP VTi 135 unit. Depending on the engine, the C4 L will be equipped with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed auto/sequential gearbox.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Citroen C4 L.

Travis Pastrana Challenges/Invites Sebastien Loeb to the X-Games and Loeb Accepts

Any fan of professional wrestling is used to seeing per-produced challenges/invitations via video and in dramatic fashion, but racing fans rarely see such drama. Well, that was until Travis Pastrana decided his competition at the upcoming X-Games just wasn’t tough enough this year and sent a video challenge/invitation to 8-time WRC champ, and fellow Red Bull athlete, Sebastien Loeb.

This was far from the professional wrestling-esq “I challenge you to a cage match” style of challenge, as Travis’ video was short, sweet and complimentary to Loeb‘s skills as a rally driver. Red Bull put together Loeb’s response in a much more dramatic fashion, as it was dubbed over with some music and had a plethora of information regarding his super-fast car built just for this event. It even included an auto show-like red cloth veil removal. Still it wasn’t an over-the-top wrestling response, but it was still a tab on the dramatic side relative to Pastrana’s original video.

So let’s have a look at what Pastrana has gotten himself into… Loeb is running a car built-to-suit by Citroen Racing. It comes with a 2.0-liter four-pot that pumps out an unreal 545 ponies and 590 pound-feet of face-deforming torque. According to the video, the hot Citroen will hit 60 mph in just under 3 seconds.

Needless to say, Pastrana and his 2013 Dodge Dart are not only going up against the best rally driver that the world has to offer today, but also a car that is as good as any in the X-Games. Has Pastrana bitten off more than he can chew? Only time will tell, so we will have to wait until the RallyCross event kicks off on July 1st to find out.

We’ll keep you up to date with any other news that pops regarding this friendly rivalry.

You can see Pastrana’s challenge video above and Loeb’s acceptance video after the jump.

2012 Citroen Numero 9

Citroen has announced the new Numero 9 concept - a new vehicle that will join the current DS line-up, including the DS3, DS4, and DS5. The Numero 9 previews the styling cues of the next three models in the line: a C-segment premium sedan, an SUV,nd a D-segment executive saloon.

The new Numero 9 is a plug-in full-hybrid vehicle that combines a 225 HP 1.6 liter petrol engine powering the front wheels with a lithium-ion powered electric motor that is positioned on the rear axle and adds another 70 HP. In pure electric mode, the new Numero 9 has a autonomy of 31 miles. It can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 152 mph.

Citroen will be unveiling their new Numero 9 concept at the end of April at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.

Hit the jump to read more about the new Citroen Numero 9 concept.