GALLERY: Haunting images of the Citroën Metropolis

This is the Citroën Metropolis concept car, which shows off the French brand’s typical wackiness on a long limo body. To make its debut at the World Expo in Shanghai, the Metropolis was created by PSA’s Shanghai design studio as a “homage to China’s extraordinary development” and is meant to convey the country’s “avantgarde status, grandeur and vitality”.

The imposing 5.3 m long/2.0 m wide limo is a plug in hybrid powered by an electric motor and a 2.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Combined, 460 bhp and 430 Nm of torque is channeled to all wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

This latest gallery after the jump is as dramatic as the car itself. 

Citroen teases the DS4 concept?

What you see above is believed to be a teaser image of the Citroen DS4 and many are saying that it is a concept instead of a production-ready version. This vehicle, concept or not is said to be based on the company’s C-SportLounge concept that was shown back in 2005. Unfortunately we have nothing more to share with you at this moment but we know that Citroen will unveil the DS4 at the Geneva Motor Show which will take place next month. Stay tuned!

Citroën DS High Rider info and images released

More information and images released by the French carmaker of its Geneva showstar. Called the DS High Rider, it’s supposed to “represent a bold and radical vision of the future, combining compact dimensions with generous internal volumes, dynamic performance, sophisticated style and consummate quality,” according to Citroën.

Typically Citroën, the DS High Rider’s windscreen soars over the heads of its front occupants. The muscular appearance is also brought by the high waistline and 19-inch alloys, while the bold front end features gaping air intakes, long headlights and defined ridges along the bonnet. Citroën says that the roof is covered with a “coated textile material”, whatever that is. Dimensions are 4.26m long, 1.82m wide and 1.48m high. To get a mental picture, that’s the same width as a Honda CR-V, but 20cm lower and 26cm shorter than the Honda.

Under the skin lies a ‘Full Hybrid’ drivetrain that combines PSA’s acclaimed HDi diesel engine with an electric motor located on the rear axle. Citroën says that the DS High Rider has fuel efficiency and power of an HDi diesel engine with the ecological benefits of an electric vehicle.

Citroen DS3 Racing

The first ad I noticed once touching down at the Geneva airport was one for the citroen DS3 which had the headline “anti-retro”. We all know that the DS3 is pitched as a rival to BMW’s Mini, and the ad is clearly a jibe in the direction of the bug-eyed car. I understand the DS3’s appeal for those who either don’t “get” the Mini’s retro looks or simply look at it as a fashion fad. With creative design typical of Citroen and a modern, classy cabin, we reckon that it will do very well in Europe.

At the Geneva show, Citroen Racing (Citroen’s STi/RalliArt) paraded the DS3 Racing that’s set to go on sale in the second half of 2010. Limited to 1,000 units, the DS3R comes with plenty of carbon trim – on the front bumper, lower body trim, wing extensions, door side mouldings and spoiler, to be exact. The grey showcar was nicely contrasted with orange on the roof, wing mirrors, grille and rims (18-inch, looks really wicked) and wore some funky decals. Orange and carbon are also repeated in the cabin, which has a high-quality feel to it.

Citroen took the 1.6 THP engine (as found in our Peugeot 308 Turbo) and boosted output to 200 bhp, while torque is up from 240 Nm to 275 Nm. The gains were achieved by “optimising powertrain components”, modifying the turbo, remapping the ECU and adding a sports exhaust system. With these figures, the DS3R will outpace a Mini Cooper S, but will it outpoint the Brit in the bends?

For starters, the standard front and rear tracks have been widened by 30 mm and the DS3R sits lower by 15 mm. Stiffer springs, retuned shock absorbers and “specific steering mapping” for a more precise helm have been added as well. To cope with the added grunt, Racing spec brakes have been installed – four-piston calipers up front and drilled discs for the back. Also, the switchable ESP system has been tuned for “extra vitality, sportiness and driving pleasure” – in other words, it’s less restrictive.

We’re bound to see more of the DS3 in the sports pages, as it will replace the C4 as Citroen’s WRC machine – the French brand is a five-time WRC champion and is defending both driver and constructor crowns with rally king Sebastien Loeb.

GQbyCitroen

The GQbyCitroen concept is a concept car styled by GQ magazine’s editorial team and executed by Citroen’s design team, including Mark Lloyd, the man who was responsible for the new Citroen DS3’s design. If this is the case shouldn’t it be more like a CitroenbyGQ rather than a GQbyCitroen?

In any case, the car looks like a 2-seater to me. It’s just a concept so Citroen can probably say whatever they want in terms of what’s powering it but in this case they’ve chosen a plug-in hybrid system based around a 1.6 liter direct injection turbocharged inline-4 – probably the same 1.6 liter Prince engine found in nearly all of their cars now. 0 to 100km/h is quoted to be 4.5 seconds while CO2 emissions are just 80 g/km of CO2.

Despite the car being released somewhere around the Geneva Motorshow, the car was never shown at the show.

Mitsubishi sells 100,000 i-MiEVs to a single buyer?

Yes, that’s true, and the buyer in question is PSA Peugeot Citroën. Mitsubishi has announced the signing of a “Final Cooperative Agreement” that will see the French giant purchase 100,000 units of the i-MiEV electric car. PSA will market the rebadged i-MiEV as the Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero. Both French badged cars will go on sale in Europe by the end of this year, starting with their domestic market.

This sealed deal comes just after both parties failed to agree terms for a capital alliance in the style of Renault and Nissan. Mitsubishi Motors CEO Osamu Masuko and PSA chief Philippe Varin met at Geneva and jointly released a statement that a capital tie-up would not be realistic although both companies would continue to expand business ties.

Besides this latest deal, which would help Mitsubishi achieve better economies of scale for an expensive project, PSA also bases its Peugeot 4007 and Citroen C-Crosser on the Japanese maker’s Outlander SUV.

Citroën pays homage to China with Metropolis concept

Citroën should be one of the few remaining carmakers who believe that concept cars must deliver shock and awe above all – their recent creations like the GTbyCitroen, Revolte and the Survolt from Geneva look like beings from another planet. Their latest concept, Metropolis, takes all that wackiness and puts it in a limo body.

The French carmaker says that the Metropolis “pays homage to China’s extraordinary development” and reflects China’s “avantgarde status, grandeur and vitality”. What? Created by Citroën’s international design team – based in Shanghai since 2008 – the Metropolis will be on show in the French Pavilion at the 2010 Expo in Shanghai from 1st May to 31st October this year.

The Metropolis’ silhouette is imposing (5.3m long, 2m wide, 1.4m high), blending taut lines with smooth surfaces. Up front, the sculpted wings and kite-shaped grille hint at recent Citroen concepts. The headlamps have an “imperious and steely look” according to its maker. At the rear, there’s an active spoiler and Citroën’s signature concave rear window. Wrapping up is a ‘Pearl Silk’ body colour that changes under different light conditions.

This car is a plug in hybrid which consists of a 2.0-litre V6 petrol and a 7-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. At low speeds, the limo runs in zero emissions mode, its electric motor developing a continuous 55 bhp, peaking at 95bhp. At steady speeds, the engine provides 272 bhp and 375 Nm. When additional performance is required, both sources combine for 460 bhp and 430 Nm of torque channeled to all wheels. The Metropolis sits on Citroën’s Hydractive suspension, of course.

PSA Peugeot Citroen to rebadge Mitsubishi ASX

PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi have announced that the Mitsubishi ASX (called RVR in Japan) will be built for PSA Peugeot Citroen. This comes as no surprise considering how many other “rebadge” deals PSA and Mitsubishi have been having in the past – the Outlander rebadged as the 4007 and C-Crosser as well as the i-MiEV rebadged as the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-zero.

The Peugeot and Citroen versions of the Mitsubishi ASX will have their own styling, much like what they did for the Outlander project. PSA Peugeot Citroen will be using its own 1.6 liter HDi turbodiesel for its versions of the ASX. They are targetting a fuel consumption of 4.7 liters per 100km for the two wheel drive version. An all-wheel drive version will also be available.