Citroen cars

2010 Citroen Survolt

Citroen sure knows how to capture attention at these auto shows, don’t they?

Remember Paris in 2008? Yeah, that’s when Citroen unveiled the GT by Citroen concept. This year, at the Geneva Motor Show, the French automaker is at it again, this time bringing the aggressively neoned up Survolt concept. It features the same design language as the GT, but taken to a more compact dimension. And if the GT made it to production - only six have been made at $1.8 million a pop - we’re pretty confident that somewhere down the road, we’ll see a production version of the Survolt too.

The concept’s front is defined by the same large oval-shaped grille, slim, horizontal head lamps with LED lamps. The rear features the elegant light signature of the Citroen Revolte together with a spoiler in a timely and essential reference to motor sport, all of which were made through the use of a combination of chrome and aluminum.

Although Citroen is still withholding further details surrounding the Survolt, it is expected that the concept will be powered by an electric drive-train.

UPDATE 07/07/2010: Citroen has announced that the Survolt will indeed make an appearance that’s not in an auto expo showroom, but rather at the Le Mans Classic on July 10. You read that right; the Survolt is getting prepped for its racing debut. Vanina Ickx, daughter of former racing ace Jacky Ickx, will drive the electric vehicle.

Citroen has also finally given us the inner workings of the Survolt, including the concept’s technical specs. The car measures at 3.85m long, 1.87.m wide, and 1.2m high and weighs in at just 1,150 kg. It comes with a tubular chassis, a flat underside with an extractor, and full carbon bodywork. As for capabilities, the Survolt can produce a 0-60 mph time of just a shade under five seconds with a top speed of 162 mph.

Updated 07/13/2010: Citroen today unveiled images with the electric concept at the Le Mans circuit, where the Survolt made its first laps. The concept’s driver, Vanina Ickx, said: "I am very happy to participate in this unique project. On the track, I had a very good sensation. It’s a real race car, with a very promising potential for the future."

UPDATE 07/23/2010: Citroen has now unveiled the Survolt’s laps around the legendary LeMans circuit! Check it out by clicking on the picture above!

Press release after the jump.

Citroen to begin having on-board WiFi access on its vehicles

Citroen is looking to make life a little easier for anybody whose life revolves around being connected on-line. The French automaker announced that their new line of vehicles, particularly the C3, C3 Picasso, C4, C4 Picasso, C5, C6, and DS3 will all be outfitted with wireless internet connectivity, appropriately titled, ‘WiFi On Board’.

Installation and use of the wireless Internet is relatively simple to do. All you need to have – apart from the car, of course – is a 3G or 3G+ SIM card, which is available just about anywhere these days. Install the card into the car’s wireless device and, voila, wireless Internet on the go!

And in the event someone decides to steal some of your signal – or to keep you from ‘abusing’ your wireless on-the-road connectivity - the car’s unique security feature comes with a roaming override function. The whole package is available for just £545, including installation and VAT charges at 17.5%. Citroen also announced that thenew feature will extend to a wider vehicular range sometime before the year ends.

Press Release after the jump.

Video: Citroen’s Survolt concept to make debut at the Le Mans Classic

Admittedly, we were floored when Citroen revealed their all-electric sports car concept, the Survolt, at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Turns out, this little piece of electric wonder is more than just a concept car.

Citroen has announced that the Survolt will indeed make an appearance that’s not in an auto expo showroom, but rather at the Le Mans Classic on July 10. You read that right; the Survolt is getting prepped for its racing debut. Vanina Ickx, daughter of former racing ace Jacky Ickx, will drive the electric vehicle.

Citroen has also finally given us the inner workings of the Survolt, including the concept’s technical specs. The car measures at 3.85m long, 1.87.m wide, and 1.2m high and weighs in at just 1,150 kg. It comes with a tubular chassis, a flat underside with an extractor, and full carbon bodywork. As for capabilities, the Survolt can produce a 0-60 mph time of just a shade under five seconds with a top speed of 162 mph.

Citroen GT Supercar dropped

In June of last year Citroen announced plans to put the GT by Citroen concept into production. It was supposed to be limited to only six units and priced for sale at $1.8 Million each. Well, that’s not going to happen anymore! Citroen’s plans for a production version have been dropped. Citroen, instead, has decided to focus on products that will bring in more money.

The final production version was supposed to be completely inspired by the concept, including the carbon-fiber construction and eccentric interior details such as the copper trim. Under the hood there was supposed to be the V8 engine found in the Ford GT.

The concept was designed for Gran Turismo 5. It features an electric drive train powered by a fuel cell with no pollutant emissions. It is a car designed to square up to the strongest competition. The car is the result of a partnership between Citroën and Polyphony, designer of the driving simulation game Gran Turismo 5 on Playstation 3.

2010 Citroen DS3 R3

Citroen Racing has used their FIA expertise, as well as the new Group R3T regulations drawn up by the FIA, to create the Citroen DS3 R3. The DS3 R3 will feature a steel body shell reinforced with a welded multipoint roll cage created with the use of 45 meters of steel piping. The weight has been reduced by taking out the supports used in the production model with the battery and the automatic fire extinguisher being moved behind the seats to distribute weight more efficiently.

The DS3 R3 is powered by a four-cylinder 1.6-liter THP (high pressure turbo) engine improved with racing parts (air box, camshaft, pistons, connecting rods, exhaust and turbo systems, electronic unit, etc.). It is mated to a six speed gearbox featuring a semiautomatic sequential control. It also carries with it a specially tuned chassis and suspension. The result is an output of 210bhp and 350 NM of torque.

The Citroen DS3 R3 will be sold as a kit and in ready-to-race versions.

UPDATE 08/17/2010: The Citroen DS3 R3 will make its debut at Ulster Rally in the early afternoon of Friday, August 20th. This will be the first time that the DS3 goes head to head with its rivals, before being offered for sale to customers. Make sure to check back with us on August 20th to see the latest details on the DS3 R3!

Press release after the jump.

Citroen prepares DS3 Convertible

Automakers aren’t stupid. If one model does well then they inevitably create a special edition or modified model to ride the seller’s wave even longer. This seems to be the case with the DS3 Coupe. Apparently all of the special editions based off of this model were just not good enough and so Citroen has decided to give the Mini Convertible a run for their money by creating a convertible version of the popular DS3. Unfortunately for DS3 lovers, the convertible version for the DS3 supermini will not be released before 2012. More so, it appears that the DS3 Racing will not get a convertible version at all.

The engine line-up for the next DS3 Cabrio will be identical to the one found in the hatchback version. This means there will be a choice of two HDi diesel engine and three petrol units: a 95bhp 1.4-liter petrol, with a choice of 120; a 150bhp 1.6-liter petrol, and 1.6-liter diesels with 90bhp or 110bhp. However it is not sure if the convertible version will feature a metal folding roof or a fabric version.

It is expected for the convertible version to be priced at around £2000 over the hatchback, meaning it will go on sale sometime in 2013 at a price of around £14,000.

2011 Citroen C4

Citroen unveiled today the first details on the new generation C4 that will make its world debut at the Paris Auto Show. Citroen’s answer to the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus is a mixture of high-tech gadgets and class-leading interior space. The new C4 will go on sale in the United Kingdom in early 2011.

Compared to the current generation, the new C4 has grown in dimensions with 5cm in length, 2cm in width, and 3cm in height. It also comes with a new exterior design: more aggressive headlights, a bolder grille, additional chrome accent, a roof-mounted spoiler, a classier rear bumper, and modern taillights. The new Citroen C4 is a fabulous looking car that resembles the new Focus and Renault’s Megane Coupe. The new C4 should fit well into the very competitive small car segment.

Of course, with the wave of environmentalism sweeping up the world, Citroen made sure that the new C4 would do as little damage to the arctic as it possibly could. The New C4 will be available with Citroen’s new micro-hybrid e-HDi powertrains, which feature the latest generation Stop & Start system that helps deliver CO2 emissions as low as 109g/km at launch - and 99g/km on future models. Next to it there will be the usual turbocharged petrol and HDi diesel engines.

The list of technologies offered for the C4 include: EGS (Electronic Gearbox System), hill start assist, automatic electric parking brake, Lane Departure Warning System and Xenon dual-function directional headlamps, blind-spot monitoring system, cornering light function, cruise control and speed-limiter with road speed memory settings, and an innovative new service called eTouch.

Press release after the jump.

Citroen prepares DS4

The Citroen C4 is one of the coolest models in the French manufacturer’s line-up, but with the next generation things are going to change a bit as Citroen makes room for the DS4.

The C4 will make its world debut at the Paris Auto Show and will be shortly followed by the DS4; a 5-door hatchback and not a three-door model like the DS3. These vehicles features a lot of the bells and whistles that were seen on the Citroen DS concept at the Geneva Motor Show last year.

Compared to the C4, the DS4 will feature high quality interior materials and chrome inserts in both interior and exterior. Under the hood Citroen will offer a wide range of engines starting with a 120 HP 1.6 VTi unit and going up to a 200 HP engine (same as the one used in the Peugeot 308 GTI and the RCZ).

2010 Citroen DS3 Just Black

Citroen Italia in cooperation to Partner Convivio 2010 (the largest charitable operation in Italy) has unveiled the special edition DS3 Just Black. After being displayed in Milan from June 10 to 15, this special edition will be auctioned with all the proceeds going to ANLAIDS Lombardia - an association fighting against AIDS.

The DS3 JUst Black features a matte black body combined with a shiny black roof. The interior will get red tape on the passenger side. Under the hood there is a 1.6 turbo THP engine that delivers a total of 155 Hp.

Citroen launches design competition for the CS3

Care to see your car designing ambitions come to fruition? Citroen’s giving you the opportunity to do so. Then again, all you need to do is win the company’s new DS3 Design Competition. Sounds easy, right?

The French company is opening up a contest that pits would-be designers to compete for the right to design the DS3’s roof and dashboard. OK, it’s not exactly as glamorous as designing the whole car, but its still a shot at getting your work recognized.

And if you’re thinking that the contest will be judged by also-rans and never-heards, then, well, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A slew of heavyweight designers representing GQ, Louis Vuitton, and the Cartier Foundation will be on-hand to judge your work. Should you win, your personally-designed DS3 will be proudly displayed at the Paris Motor Show and also at Citroen’s very own C 42 show on the Champs Elysees.