Citroen’s DS4 was first released in Australia without the option of an automatic. Now the company has released the coupe crossover with a more powerful engine and matched it to their six-speed automatic gearbox.   The brand are claiming that the DS4 with the full automatic loses none of its performance as the state of the art six speed automatic and the new THP 120 engine are tuned specifically to match each other’s characteristics. The new engine boasts an additional five kilowatts and this, added to the punchy 240 Nm of torque, means that the DS4 THP 120 automatic actually has a better 0-100kmh time, down from 9.9 to 8.6 seconds, more than maintaining the DS4’s sporting credentials.   Citroen Australia expects the new DS4 DStyle THP 120 kW to be the dominant variant in the Citroen DS4 range, but adds that it also complements the existing variants, each of which is tailored to specific customers from the advanced environmental credentials of the micro hybrid e-HDI to the performance of the THP 147, providing a DS4 variant for all.   Citroën now has four different models in a market area in which it previously had just one body with a choice of three or five doors. By offering separate models, rather than variants of one model, the four new models are able to be tailored much more accurately to the market areas they serve and are not limited by compromises.   The new Citroen DS4 DStyle THP 120 kW automatic slots into the DS4 range at a recommended retail price of $35,990, with the advanced micro hybrid Citroen DS4 DStyle e-HDi at $36,990, while the Citroen DS4 DStyle THP 115 kW opens the DS4 family at $35,990 and the DS4 DSport THP 147 kW tops the range at $49,990, all excluding statutory charges, delivery and dealer costs.   The two mainstream models are the Citroën C4, which covers the traditional five door small car market sector and which, in its latest incarnation, offers more comfort and space, and the Citroën C4 Picasso, which, freed of the requirement of sharing a floor pan with the C4 hatchback, is a versatile, flexible and high capable seven seat people mover. The Citroën C4 AirCross, enables Citroën family of ‘4’ models to cross over into the all-wheel drive market. The Citroën DS4, meanwhile tackles the premium and prestige sections of this market sector.   Occupying a unique position in the premium lower medium segment, DS4 offers a stylish coupé design that doesn’t suffer the negatives of long, heavy front doors, limited access or compromised versatility.   The DS4 is a new proposition that will appeal to free-spirited drivers looking for a vehicle with dynamism, sophistication and a premium character.  The car’s distinctive styling blends dramatic coupé lines with versatile hatchback functionality, together with the raised-stance of a cross over.   The Citroën DS4 is positioned at an intersection of different competitor types – such as three-door coupés (e.g. VW Scirocco, Renault Mégane Coupé), 3 & 5-door hatchbacks (e.g. VW Golf, Honda Civic) and Crossovers (e.g. Mini Countryman).  The DS4 is expected to attract attention from buyers in these segments.  Key rivals also include five-door premium and semi-premium hatchbacks that offer a similar blend of status, dynamism and versatility, such as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 Sportback.   Citroën’s target of providing enhanced style, design and exclusivity with the Citroën DS4 is already well on its way to being met with the DS4 having already been voted “Most Beautiful Car of the Year” by more than 60,000 web users in 62 countries, a jury from the worlds of design, sport, culture and the media presented the DS4 with the “Most Beautiful Interior” prize at the 26^th International Automobile Festival and the DS4 has been honoured at the 2011 Auto Bild Design Awards in Germany where it was named “Most Beautiful Car” in the City and Compact Car class.   The DS4 combines head-turning good looks with an unrivalled driving experience – both fundamental to the DNA of the DS line.  By abandoning the norms of conventional design, Citroën have created a pioneering and singularly desirable addition to the DS range.  Designed first and foremost as a sleek coupé, but with 5-door flexibility and a commanding, raised stance, the DS4 takes ‘Créative Technologie’ to a whole new level.   The DS4 is dominant, confident and powerful – a perfect sequel to the multi-award winning DS3. The DS4’s striking profile immediately portrays presence and prestige.  Its eye-catching lines are enhanced by a chrome-finished waistline and dark tinted windows.  Sculpted wheel arches emphasise the stylish alloys. The taut roofline and rear spoiler add extra prowess.  Striking ‘always on’ light signatures at the rear and around the front fog lights ensure that the DS4 stands out from the crowd.   The DS4’s defined coupé physique belies its versatile 5-door layout.  Three full-size rear seats are accessed via seamlessly integrated rear doors with handles encased in the car’s extended window frames.  When open, these rear doors reveal their angular shape as a uniquely elegant design touch.   A sophisticated and well-appointed cabin offers exquisite comfort in a premium environment.  The interior exudes a sense of status, innovation and finesse through meticulous attention to detail.  From the carefully tailored acoustics to the premium cabin materials, the DS4 projects an air of confidence and sophistication.   A large panoramic windscreen offers enhanced occupant visibility and illuminates the driver-focused cockpit, creating a bright and welcoming environment.   In keeping with Citroën’s focus on ‘Créative Technologie’, the interior is home to a range of clever storage solutions for maximum convenience.  The intelligent cabin design includes a raised centre console (available on models fitted with the EGS gearbox) with a cooled, illuminated and protected compartment that holds up to four 500 ml bottles and houses a connectivity area with a USB port and a 12-volt socket.   With its raised, taut and agile stance, the DS4 is tuned for dynamic performance that will set the heart racing. The suspension and steering are engineered to be highly responsive and smooth, with exemplary control.   Citroën’s new DS4 is powered by a range of four Euro 5 compliant engines, delivering refined performance with optimised fuel and CO₂ efficiency.  There are three petrol engines with a choice of 115, 120 or 147 kW and the 82 kW e-HDI is fitted as standard with Citroën’s micro hybrid system.   The spirited 147 kW THP dispenses thrilling power and performance with a top speed of 235kmh and 0-100kmh time of 8.5 seconds.  Efficient, this engine returns 6.4 l/100 km over a combined cycle with low CO₂ emissions of just 149g/km.   The Citroën DS4 e-HDi  boasts  Citroën’s innovative micro-hybrid technology, with second generation Stop & Start, boosts fuel economy by up to 15 per cent in city driving conditions and lowers the model’s official CO₂ emissions to just 114g/km, while offering a combined fuel consumption figure of just 4.4 l/100 km.   One of the safest vehicles in its class, DS4 has been awarded a maximum 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating with a 97 per cent score in the ‘Safety Assist’ category.  An extensive range of safety features are available as standard, including ESP with Intelligent Traction Control, ABS with EBD and EBA and six airbags. Other safety enhancing technology includes programmable cruise control with speed limiter and Citroën’s new blind-spot monitoring system.   Both trim and equipment versions of the DS4, the DStyle and DSport, are comprehensively well equipped with all the features expected in the premium end of the market as well as unique Citroën touches such as the extra-large windscreen that has become a Citroën touchstone, drinks coolers, a rechargeable torch and elegant interiors.  

The new Citroen DS5 is the epitome of innovation with an audacious approach to design, comfort and refinement. The DS5 appeals as it is an original approach to the premium luxury car that meets both rational and emotional ownership demands.   Inspired by the striking C-SportLounge concept car, DS5 completes the current DS line. An instantly recognisable range, the DS line appeals to both the emotional and rational decision-making process of today’s car buyer. All three models in the premium DS line offer creative design, outstanding quality and desirable technology.   This combination of rational and emotional attraction provided by the DS5 is reflected by the awards it has collected – on one hand the DS5 is the ‘2012 Car Design of the Year’, presented by Car Design News for its aesthetic styling achievements, while Top Gear UK have made the DS5 its ‘2012 Family Car of the Year’ thanks to its high level of rational and practical design.   Not only does the Citroen DS5 come as standard with all the equipment and features expected in this class, these features have been enhanced. For example, the standard Climate Control Air Conditioning offers three different air flow intensities while maintaining full automatic control; the glass sunroof comes in three sections, each with its own sun blind to allow each occupant to set their own level of roof light; front and rear parking sensors are backed by a rear parking camera; the automatic headlights also have an automatic high beam function.   At the same time the Citroen DS5 offers equipment and features as standard that are expensive options on other cars, such as the full colour head up display that provides vehicle speed, cruise control status and navigation instructions; electric front seats with memory and massage functions for the driver’s seat; a cooled compartment for food and drinks; a full alarm system and dual function Xenon steerable headlights; LED interior mood lighting.   Power for the Citroen DS5 comes from a sophisticated 1.6 litre turbocharged engine developed in conjunction with BMW which produces 115 kW and 240 Nm of torque at just 1400 rpm, which, matched to an electronically controlled six speed automatic gearbox provides the DS5 with a 0-100 kmh time of 9.7 seconds and a combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3 l/100km.   The Citroen DS5 arrives in Australia as a single, fully equipped and specified model that is powered by a responsive turbocharged engine matched to an advanced six speed gearbox and priced at $47,990 excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and delivery, adding value for money to its already impressive list of design, style, safety and equipment achievements.

Australian rally driver Molly Taylor has set her sights on a solid result when she returns to World Rally Championship competition in England later this month. The young Sydneysider is tackling the famous Wales Rally GB with British co-driver Seb Marshall in their United Business/BP Racing Citroën DS3 R3T. The duo put in an excellent performance in Neste Rally Finland, leading their class with two stages to run until they were forced to abandon the fight for a podium finish due to an electrical fault. Now Molly and Sib are looking forward to another run over the roads of Wales Rally GB. It was here last year that they took their first stage win while competing in the one-make WRC Academy series. The team has scheduled a test day before the event to allow Molly to fine-tune the set-up of the Citroen DS3 R3T before embarking on the dirt roads through the Welsh forests. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to compete at Wales Rally GB,” said Taylor. “From all the WRC Academy events we did last year, I have the best memories of this event and it is where we got our first WRC Academy stage win. “I have also done a few smaller rallies around the same area, so while the stages will be different, I have a good idea of the nature of the roads. I really enjoyed Rally Finland and am looking forward to spending some more time in the car and progressing from what we learned there.” According to United Business chief, Pier Liberal, the team is very pleased with the way Molly is progressing. “Both Molly and Sib have proven to be two excellent professionals, inside and outside the cockpit,” said United Business chief, Pier Liberal. “Both myself and my staff are pleased with the steady growth that Molly is achieving, race after race and test after test. Her feeling for the car improves just like her performance. “The program we had planned with her ends with Wales Rally GB, but we will see whether, by the end of the year, there will be the opportunity to tackle some other rallies. But this is not a priority. “The most important thing on which we are now focused is to plan the 2013 racing season in the best way. We are evaluating and exploring different options and proposals that we have received. We hope to make the best choice. “Next year will be a very important year for Molly Taylor and her sporting career. We will try to make the right choice.” Wales Rally GB will start in Llandudno on Thursday, September 13 at 7pm GMT, and will end in Cardiff on Sunday 16th at 3.40pm GMT, after a total distance of 1606 km, of which 325km is timed competition, divided into 19 special stages. Photo by Greg Rosion

Matching the medal-winning achievements of the French athletes at the London Olympics, Citroen’s Sébastien Loeb produced another stunning performance at the weekend (1-4 August 2012) to win the World Rally Championship Rally of Finland for the third time, leading a Citroen 1-2, the team’s fourth successive 1-2 win this season. Chased throughout the race by his team-mates Mikko Hirvonen, Seb won what was also the 500^th event in the FIA World Rally Championship. This fourth successive one-two finish meant the Citroën Total World Rally Team and its crews moved a little further ahead in the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championship standings, with Loeb leading Hirvonen 171 to 128 points, and Citroen now leads Ford by more than 100 points in the manufacturers’ title chase. Australia’s leading rally driver made his return to the World Rally Championship in his second drive for Citroen, this time at the wheel of the Citroen DS3 WRC and was well on the pace on day one in line with his target of a top five finish. It seemed that radio problems were start of a series of issues for the Aussie as he then found himself stuck on an embankment on SS8. Despite losing 16 minutes, he kept racing until one of his wheels was torn off when he hit the same rock as his team mate on special stage ten. Like his stable-mate, Chris was able to compete on the final day thanks to the work of Citroën Racing Technologies’ mechanics, whose night was reduced to a minimum. Having to deal with running second on the road, he rebuilt his confidence before really enjoying the Ouninpohja stage. “It was really fantastic to drive on this stage again. I’d really like to thank the entire team. We have spent the weekend in a top class car,” said Atkinson. “If I hadn’t made that mistake, I think we could have achieved my goal of finishing in the top five. I don’t know when I’ll be back in the WRC, but I hope it will be soon and with Citroën if possible.” Up and coming Australian rally driver, Molly Taylor, behind the wheel of a Citroen DS3 R3T, made a solid start to the 2012 Rally of Finland, completing the first stage in 55^th place in a field of 97 runners. She then began her steady climb up the leader board as she learnt more about unique conditions in Finland and how her Citroen coped with them. By the end of day one she had climbed to 50^th place and day two say Molly in 38^th, well ahead of Chris Atkinson. By stage 15 on day three she was in 36^th and had inherited the class lead. But cruelly, with just the final stage to go, her Citroen DS3 succumbed to a mechanical problem, turning it into a three cylinder DS3, and she was out of the event. Her comment on Twitter said it all. “Gutted to say we’re out” but she added “Has been a great event for us though, learning lots and really enjoying stages. Huge thanks to United Business and BP Racing for the opportunity.” 2012 RALLY OF FINLAND RESULTS 1 Loeb / Elena Citroën DS3 WRC 2:28:11.4 2 Hirvonen / Lehtinen Citroën DS3 WRC +6.1 3 Latvala / Anttila Ford Fiesta RS WRC +35.0 4 Solberg / Patterson Ford Fiesta RS WRC +56.1 5 Østberg / Andersson Ford Fiesta RS WRC +2:32.1 6 Tänak / Sikk Ford Fiesta RS WRC +2:47.6 7 Rantanen / Lukka Ford Fiesta RS WRC +4:51.7 8 Ketomaa / Stenberg Ford Fiesta RS WRC +6:01.9 9 Prokop / Hruza Ford Fiesta RS WRC +6:04.3 10 Ogier / Ingrassia Skoda Fabia S2000 +8:46.0  

Nasser Al-Attiyah handed the keys to his Citroen DS3 WRC rally car to Australian rally driver Chris Atkinson for last weekend’s Rally of Finlandso he could compete for Qatar in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Entering the men’s skeet shooting conpertition, Al-Attiyah has won a bronze medal, securing the first medal for his country at the games. Al-Attiyah qualified for the final with the fourth-best score of 121 out of 125, and then hit 23 of his 25 targets in the final at the Royal Artillery Barracks to tie for third overall with ValeriyShomin and force a shoot-out against the Russian. Al-Attiyah, who has driven a semi-works Citroen DS3 WRC this season, hit all of his targets in the shoot-out to triumph 6-5.