Classic Citroen
As mentioned in a more recent blog, Stellantis is official: PSA and FCA have merged under the name Stellantis. The name Stellantis originates from the Latin verb “stello” which means “to brighten with stars”. Car maker, Stellantis, now has 14 car brands under its wing, and they include: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall. As far as its size goes, Stellantis is now the 4th-largest carmaker in the world, behind Toyota, VW Group, and the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan Alliance.
As you might have noticed, one of the 14 car brands is Citroen. Stellantis is planning to launch a new model under the Citroen brand for India and Latin America in 2022. The idea is for Stellantis to push outside the boundaries of its conventional European sales territory and branch further into emerging markets where it has had much less exposure.
Citroen left India in the 1930s, so some water has certainly past under the bridge since then. At a time when some other foreign carmakers are leaving India after struggling to make a profit there, Stellantis is seizing an opportunity with its Citroen-based products and heading straight on in. The company recently said it plans to produce a new version of the Citroen C3, which is commonly a city car in Europe, will be launched into India and Latin America in the second half of 2022. The car will be produced in India through a joint venture with CK Birla, and in Brazil. It is likely to be the first of 3 models aimed primarily for India and Latin America – these 3 models being produced over the next 3 years. By 2030, Stellantis expects India to become the world’s 3rd biggest car market after China and the U.S.
Citroen C5 X
However, Stellantis isn’t running away from Europe car markets anytime soon. It is well-known that the big German brands are dominating the midsize car segment in Europe, however Stellantis’s European focus is ramping up. Following the Peugeot 508 and glorious Citroen DS9, Citroen has a new flagship model that they want to put against the classy Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Audi A6 models. What is exciting is that the new Citroen C5 X will be a car that is a bit sedan, a bit wagon and a bit SUV in its design. The relatively flat roofline has a bit of sedan in its lines. The drawn-out rear-end brings the station wagon style, and then the tall ride height is more SUV – reminiscent of the C5 Aircross. At 4805 mm long, 1865 mm wide and 1485 mm tall, the new Citroen C5 X is smaller than its potential German rivals. It offers 545 litres of boot space behind the rear seats, which can be expanded to 1640 litres after the rear seats have been folded flat.
Citroen C5 X
It has to be said that the new Citroen C5 X boasts a quirky exterior that takes after the 2016 Cxperience concept. Its interior will be loaded with technology – all the very best tech that Citroen has to offer. A 12-inch touchscreen for infotainment, a large head-up display with support for augmented reality, a fully digital driver’s display, separate physical controls for the climate-control settings, sumptuous seating, and superior ride quality and comfort are just some of the features of the soon-to-be available Citroen C5 X will provide.
Citroen C5 X
Speaking of Citroen ride quality, the new Citroen C5 X flagship will come with the patented Citroen Advanced Comfort suspension, with the plug-in hybrid version making comfort even further advanced by featuring an active suspension. It boasts what the French automaker refers to as Progressive Hydraulic Cushioning, which when combined with exceptionally comfy seats, it should enable a silky-smooth ride even on bumpy surfaces – all in legendary Citroen fashion.
A variety of petrol-fed engines are planned; however, Citroen highlights the plug-in hybrid powertrain with 168 kW and more than 50 km of electric range as a special model to take on the gradual change to hybrid and EV technology. The Citroen C5 X PHEV model will be able to travel at speeds of up to 135 km/h in full electric mode.
The brand-new Citroen C5 X, made under the Steallantis name, will go on sale in Europe in the second half of 2022. Let’s hope that we see it as part of Citroen Australia’s line-up, too. With Australia’s growing love of the SUV, it would seem a logical model to bring over here…
For something a little different!
Citroen DS 1970
The 1955–1975 Citroen DS is still regarded as one of the most unique and interesting cars to have ever been made. The idea of retrofitting one of these to modern electric propulsion would be in the spirit of all things Citroen. A company known as ‘Electrogenic’ decided to reinvent the Citroen DS model with a battery-powered conversion.
The Oxford-based company retained the original car’s aerodynamic body but swapped the 2.0-liter petrol-fed engine for a brushless electric motor that produces 89 kW of power and 235 Nm of instant torque – a rather meaty performance upgrade. Interestingly, the power is delivered to the front wheels through the car’s original manual gearbox.
Providing the electric energy for the powertrain is a 48.5-kWh battery pack that is housed within the DS’s body. Electrogenic stated a real-world driving range of about 225 km per charge was doable. A 29-kW charger will refill the batteries to full capacity in about two hours. If the customer wanted a larger battery for a higher range between charges, it can be provided in a combination with a more powerful charger.
One of the fine attributes of the old Citroen DS was its silky-smooth hydro-pneumatic suspension. Electrogenic has also improved the hydro-pneumatic system by replacing the standard mechanical pump with an electric pump, which is more silent and delivers a more sophisticated ride than the original.
From the outside, the only visual differences between the original DS and the electric-powered conversion are the lack of exhaust pipes and the subtle but distinctive “DS EV electronique” decal on the boot.
Steve Drummond, director of Electrogenic, says that “Repowering classic cars with all-electric drive brings a number of benefits, from the ease of use to reliability and performance gains”. Of course, the quiet EV function brings out the best in old-timer classics.
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