Citroën 2CV6 "Picasso Citroën" by Andy Saunders

No technical specification available

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Citroen picasso

Citroen picasso

The original Citroen C4 was a boldly styled car both inside and out that featured some unusual and innovative features. But while it was certainly different, it met with some resistance from its target market - the more mature and discerning owner who doesn't necessarily want a car that stands out. So for the second generation model, Citroen has played it somewhat safer, sacrificing the radical styling for comfort, quality and refinement. With the forthcoming DS4 designed to be Citroen's sporty offering in the medium-family hatchback market, the C4 is free to be a comfort-focussed model that's also practical. In this respect it's very successful thanks to an impeccably good ride, very low noise levels, impressive refinement and a spacious cabin. It's far from the being the best car to drive in its class, that remains the Ford Focus, but then it's not supposed to be. Instead it's composed and relaxing on the move. Inside, the quality of the interior is massive improvement over the original C4. Not only is the layout a lot more user-friendly, there's also far more useable storage and the materials used throughout feel of a much higher quality. Features such as the much-hyped fixed-hub steering wheel and transculent digital dash of the old model have been ditched in favour of a more conventional look and although it's not as radical, it's a far more pleasant cabin overall that also feels better built.There's a good range of engines too, including the excellent 1.6-litre HDi which is quiet, smooth and impressively sprightly. It's also very economical with the new green e-HDi models - Citroen's equivalent of Bluemotion or Econetic - capable of a claimed 67.3mpg with CO2 emissions of 109g/km, so running costs are low. And with good levels of standard kit and residual values predicted to be much stronger than before, the C4 has more appeal than ever.The new C4 range starts at £15,595 for the 1.4 VTi 95hp VTR while the range-topping Exclusive model, powered by the 2.0 HDi 150hp unit, is priced at £21,495.

                                            Citroen picasso

                                           Citroen picasso

                                           Citroen picasso

                                            Citroen picasso

                                              Citroen picasso

                                            Citroen picasso

                                            Citroen picasso

                                            Citroen picasso

                                           Citroen picasso

Citroën C6 V6 3.0

V6 / 2.946 cc / 211 PS / 214 lb/ft (290 Nm) @ 3.750 / 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 10,6 s / Vmax: 147 mph (230 km/h)

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Citroën Ami 6 Berline

B2 / 602 cc / 26 PS / 31 ft/lb (42 Nm) @ 3.000 / Vmax: 70 mph (113 km/h)

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BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën Form Joint Venture to Produce Hybrid Components

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 hybrid components in question include battery packs, E-machines, generators, power electronics and chargers, alongside the necessary software to operate them that will also be jointly developed. The new technologies will be used by the two automakers for their upcoming electric vehicles and could be sold to other companies as well.

The joint venture is expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2011 and it’s estimated that the first series production hybrid components will arrive in 2014.

“This cooperative venture will enable us to achieve significant economies of scale in the field of electrification. It also represents an important step on the road to sustainable mobility”, said Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

“With this joint venture, we are sure to develop and expand our expertise and to build a European leader in the field of automotive hybrid innovation”, noted Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Managing Board of PSA Peugeot Citroën.

Euro NCAP's Best and Worst Performers of 2010

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:

------ Executive category: BMW 5 Series
------ Small Family category: Alfa Romeo Giulietta
------ Supermini category: Honda CR-Z
------ Small off-road 4×4 category: Kia Sportage
------ Small MPV category: Toyota Verso

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.

The European body noted that the cars in the top list "accomplished a high combined score based on the scores in each of the individual four areas of Euro NCAP’s assessment, while notably exceeding the thresholds for a 5 star overall rating". Along with the five top achievers, Euro NCAP said that the Suzuki Swift, Kia Venga, BMW X1, VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra, Citroen C4 all exceeded the 80% mark in overall score putting them on the runner-up list for the safest cars of 2010.

Commenting on the results, Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General said: “Every year, car manufacturers constantly work to innovate and make their cars better and safer for the driver, whatever the size of the vehicle. The presence in these categories of high performing 5 star cars demonstrates car manufacturers’ commitment to safety for all sizes of vehicles.”

In early 2009, Euro NCAP implemented tougher crash testing procedures that make it more difficult for vehicles to receive a five-star rating. Last year, the European body crash tested a total of twenty-nine vehicles from numerous categories, of which 65 per cent reached the five star rating, compared to 90% in 2009...

Citroën CX 25 GTI Turbo 2

S4 / 2.500 cc / 168 PS / 217 lb/ft (294 Nm) @ 3.250 / turbo / 0 - 62 mph (100 km/h): 7,8 s / Vmax: 139 mph (223 km/h)

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My Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010

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!

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Citroën DS Plateau Tissier

No technical specification available

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