Car news & car reviews from Citroën UK 

Citroën and Chef Tim Anderson, the winner of BBC MasterChef 2011, are joining culinary forces to create a unique pop-up restaurant at a secret location in Shoreditch, London, as part of the launch for Citroën’s stylish new flagship DS5. Citroën has commissioned a series of delightful cinemagraphs – subtly moving images - highlighting Tim’s culinary talents!

Football, ballet and New Citroën DS5 - it’s an unusual combination to be sure but the three icons of sport, culture and motoring have joined forces for a unique campaign.

Arsenal players, best known for their fancy footwork on the pitch rather than the stage, performed alongside dancers from the English National Ballet in a series of videos to promote New DS5. It is the latest phase of an innovative ongoing campaign for DS5 that has already won the Top Gear Family Car of the Year prize.

Citroën UK and Facebook have joined forces for a very special design-a-car project – a crowd-sourced New Citroën C1, the popular city car. A special edition New Citroën C1 Connexion will be designed by members of the public via the Citroën Facebook page. This exciting use of social media will result in the first production car in the UK created as part of a direct partnership between an automaker and a social networking site.

The configuration process means Facebook fans will choose the features they want on the car and the most popular variant will go into production with a competition to win the first Citroën C1 Connexion models. The project has the strapline of ‘You like it. We make it.’ and it will take place on a specially created app on Citroën UK’s official Facebook page www.facebook.com/citroenuk. The car design process is open until 30 April.

The Geneva Motor Show will be the site of the great unveiling of Citroën’s latest concept car, DS4 Racing. It sends out a clear signal as to where Citroën plans to go with its highly successful line of high performance cars.

Citroën DS4 Racing is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with 256bhp, a record for a Citroën performance car. Despite this impressive power, CO2 emissions are still only at just 155g/km.

The winners of New Citroën’s DS5 Star Experience competition have tested out their Top Gear TV presenting skills in the south of France. Review videos starring all five winners were made featuring their road tests of Citroën’s new flagship vehicle as they took the car through its paces against a backdrop of stunning scenery and five-star lifestyle experiences. They are now all online on the Citroën Facebook UK page so fans can vote for their favourite video and win a luxury weekend away.

The competition was fierce with 802 entries from 87 countries - but there could only be 10 winners of the 2012 Citroën Creative Awards. A prestigious panel of judges chose winners in the three categories and they were presented at Citroën’s international showcase, C_42, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Both experienced and amateur designers took part. The ‘Ideas Contest’category focused on the travelling comfort of the Citroën cars of the future, the ‘Video Contest’ focused on capturing the visionary design of the new DS5 and the ‘Style Contest’ allowed aspiring fashion designers to create an outfit inspired by the Citroën DS3.

The Citroën stand at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show will feature as its star attraction the world premiere of new Citroën C4 Aircross.

Marrying style, innovation and practicality in a compact SUV, an exclusive version of the C4 Aircross will be on display in Geneva with all-new Vapor Grey frosted texture paint. There is a chrome finish on the roof bars, door mirrors and door handles and two-tone diamond-effect wheel rims. Motorists will enjoy a high driving position and everyone in the car will appreciate the panoramic glass roof.

The five winners of Citroën UK's DS5 Star Experience competition got to be among the first British drivers to get behind the wheel of Citroën's newest launch and carry out a real DS5 review, while experiencing the best the south of France has to offer.

Starting out at an ultra-luxurious and modern hotel, truly reflecting the brand values of new DS5, Kube Hotel was the perfect choice as the accommodation for the winners. The glass cube reception area, which gives the hotel its signature name, is reminiscent of the panoramic glass roof of new DS5 and both the car and the hotel have stylish, modern interiors.

Citroën has enjoyed tremendous success with the DS3 line-up of cars and this is set to continue with another model now available in UK showrooms. Hot on the heels of its premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, new DS3 Ultra Prestige adds a prestigious new dimension to this personality-laden range.

There is a petrol and a diesel engine to choose from for your new DS3, with the petrol version costing £20,700. The CO2-efficient eHDi diesel is priced at £20,900 and features Stop & Start, a great fuel-saving option especially in city traffic. Both versions come with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The scenic south of France was the stunning backdrop for a mass test drive of new Citroën DS5. It was a test drive with a difference as five Citroën UK Facebook fans won the chance to be among the first to experience new DS5, review the car and show off their skills as aspiring Top Gear presenters in the DS5 Star Experience.

Sabina Green and her husband Simon left their three kids at home to enjoy a luxury escape in the south of France. Jeff Walsh, an engineer, had a very personal connection to DS5 as he had worked on the Concorde which has featured in a creative photo shoot with new DS5 as well as the classic DS model. Ivana and Ed, the fun young couple of the group are both driving enthusiasts who had a hard time deciding who'd get behind the wheel first!

The UK market has been eagerly awaiting the arrival of new Citroën DS5, already voted Family Car of the Year by Top Gear magazine. It is now on sale and the full details about DS5 prices and specifications have been released. It will be priced from £22,400 up to £32,200 for the top-of-the-line DSport Hybrid4 version. And don't worry, you won't have to wait long for the DS5 UK release date!

As well as uniquely sleek exterior lines and an aviation-inspired interior with a three-part glass roof, the big news is that it is the first production Citroën to be offered with a Hybrid4 full-hybrid diesel engine.

The Citroën Berlingo van has won a major award thanks to its versatility and efficiency. Awarded 'Best LCV of 2012' award by the Institute of Transport Management (ITM), a great honour and testament to the attraction of the Berlingo LCV amongst businesses, especially fleet buyers.

Despite tough financial times, Citroën has proven it can succeed in a crisis and help local businesses in the process. Citroën Business Centres have reported a 71.4% increase in car sales to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a 23.3% increase in LCV sales in 2011. Futhermore, the 90-strong Business Centre network posted a 40% increase in B2B car sales last year.

This success, which has outperformed market trends, has been largely attributed to the Business Centres making fleet car sales and other vehicle purchases a simple task for British businesses. The centres offer a one-stop-shop solution for SME customers.

Citroën UK's commitment to customer service in the real world and the virtual world has been recognised with multiple honours at the 2012 What Van? Awards.

The Citroën Vans - Business Class programme has taken out the What van? Innovation Award while the Citroën Ready To Run special vehicles programme has won the What Van? One-Stop-Shop Award for the fifth year in a row. To top it off - and as a nice follow-on from winning the best website in the Car Dealer magazine e-wards - Citroën UK's car website gained a highly commended mention in the What Van? website category.

For the second year in a row, Citroën UK has won Car Dealer Magazine's Eward for the automotive manufacturer with the best website design. The judges were looking for the car website that served the dual purpose of being user-friendly for both consumers and dealers. After winning the prize last year, Citroën UK has retained their title with a website that has been upgraded since then - this didn't escape the judge's attention with features such as easier navigation and social media integration ticking their boxes. Describing the car site's design as "bold, detailed and engaging", the carousel feature of Citroën's design has again won plaudits from the judges.

Another attraction for the judges was the interaction with consumers with offers of genuinely great prices. The free fuel offer, a chance to win a Citroën DS3 Racing, motorsport updates such as the success of the World Rally Champion team and the facility to "like" Citroën on Facebook were among the strong promotional features praised by the judges.

Citroën UK and Arsenal Football Club have produced a series of cinemagraphs – subtly animated images – featuring New Citroën DS5 and first team players Mikel Arteta, Laurent Koscielny and club captain Robin Van Persie.

Revealing hints of movement in each composition, the cinemagraphs show the players executing their best ball skills around Citroën's brand new flagship and executive car, DS5.

Two icons - one automotive and one aeronautical - have come together for a special photo shoot for the holiday season. New Citroën DS5, which will be launched in March 2012, has been photographed alongside the Concorde aircraft at France's Le Bourget Airport by Laurent Nivalle, a photographer at Citroën Styling.

New DS5, as well as a classic example of the Citroën DS from the 1950s were featured in the photo shoot, which was part of an initiative by the C-Forum Citroën fan club. As well as bringing together two icons that are synonymous with France, the aviation-themed photo shoot is a clever nod to the stylish interior design of new DS5. Inside, there are pilot-style overhead switches inspired by aeroplane cockpits, a head-up display and a clever roof divided into three light wells.

The Brussels Motor Show will be the stage for the unveiling of one the cleanest, greenest compact cars ever produced by Citroën. It is the New Citroën C1, the popular entry-level car which has already sold more than 620,000 units worldwide. In the UK alone, more than 80,000 have been sold since its 2005 debut.

There is also a new gearbox, the Electronic Gearbox System (EGS) with paddle controls for better handling, part of Citroën's 'Creative Technologie' commitment. This version has CO2 emissions of just 104g/km and also boasts impressive fuel consumption at 62.8mpg on the combined cycle. It packs plenty of great features in a 3.44m-long body such as daytime running lights, a CD audio system with Citroën's integrated Connecting Box for Bluetooth® compatibility. Customers can choose from a three- or five-door body and there's plenty of storage including a boot that can go from 139 litres to more than 700 litres with a few easy adjustments.

Citroën's big announcement for the Frankfurt Motor Show comes in the form of Tubik concept car, an innovative 9-seater vehicle that aims to prove that people carriers can be fun.

Combining the practicality of an MPV with the elegance of a Citroën saloon car, Tubik was inspired by the renowned Type H or TUB, a classic van that proved to be a massive success from 1947 until 1981. The Type H was marketed from the post-war era as a commercial vehicle. It had a payload of 1,200kg and it was an innovator of its era. It featured a new structural concept - a backbone frame of ribbed steel. Fitted with a 1,191cc, 50bhp engine, more than 490,000 examples of the Type H were built.

The Citroën 2CV is a pioneer in the small, economical car market. André Citroën was inspired by the 1930s economic crisis, and the original name for this compact four-door car was the TPV - an acronym of "tres petit voiture" or "very small car". A car aimed at urban and rural working classes and the specifications, drafted in 1936, state that the car must be able to transport four people and 50kg of potatoes or a barrel at a top speed of 60km/h.‬ ‪

Originally planned for a 1939 launch, this was delayed by WWII. In 1940, Citroën's Quai de Javel plant was bombed in the war but Citroën's engineers hid the 2CV prototype in the Rue du Theatre in Paris where it stayed safe. It was finally presented to the world at the 1948 Paris Motor Show, equipped with a 375cc engine and a centrifugal clutch. It was manufactured between 1949 and 1990 and in that time 5,114,920 were made, including 1,246,335 vans.‬ ‪

Qualifying for and getting a car designer job is a long process, but ultimately it can be a very rewarding career, especially if you see one of your designs out on the road. Design is a very important part of Citroën's heritage and its future.

To support great design, uphold the high value placed on visual innovation at Citroën and discover new talent, the Citroën Creative Awards are being held again after their success in 2010. Because of the large number of entries, the competition's closing date has been extended to January 15, 2012. Some early entries have already been posted online and visitors to the website can already score and comment on the entries (http://www.citroencreativeawards.com/idea/shortlist).

Pixie Lott's new song, What Do You Take Me For, will be released on November 7 featuring US hip-hop artist Pusha T and special edition Citroën DS3 Racing.

The music video starts and finishes with Pixie (triple-platinum selling pop singer-songwriter) driving a black DS3 Racing with eye-catching orange trim in a smart piece of product placement by Citroën. The explosive video, directed by Declan Whitebloom, will bring the DS3 Racing to a new audience.
Citroën UK's communications director, Marc Raven, says the brand's association with Pixie is 'a great way to introduce DS3 to a younger generation of music lovers ... The new single is a stand-out track, full of energy and fantastic performances – the ideal environment for DS3 Racing'.

Citroën's latest foray into the premium executive car market is the elegant New Citroën DS5. It was unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show and will be launched in February 2012.

With swooping curves, New DS5 follows the design cues of the supermini DS3 and stylish coupé DS4 but takes the dramatic styling to another level with its visual presence, technology and performance. Bold buyers with an eye for assertive, modern design should make a beeline for the new DS5.

Hybrid cars are, quite simply, cars which use two forms of power, usually a petrol or diesel engine in combination with an electric motor. With the stunning DS5 Hybrid4, Citroën launched its first production diesel hybrid, with the Top Gear Live show for its UK debut.

Environmentalists have heralded hybrid vehicles as an important advance in the development of more environmentally friendly motoring. This is because the car's partial use of an electric motor means less petrol or diesel is burnt, and when the hybrid car is operating in its purely electric mode it has zero emissions. Added technology to hybrid cars, such as stop-start technology and regenerative braking - whereby energy generated from braking is reused to power the car - add to the green appeal of hybrids.

It hasn't yet been launched on the UK market but that didn't stop Top Gear magazine from naming Citroën's new DS5 as their 'Family Car of the Year'.

The Top Gear team has been lucky enough to get up close and personal with the DS5 before the planned launch in the first quarter of 2012. Given that the team gets to experience almost every car on the market - and their reputation for brutal honesty - this award for the DS5 is high praise indeed.

'Why conform?' is the catchphrase for Citroën DS4. At first glance, the high-stance coupé crossover has great looks that stand out from the pack and will appeal to the driver who doesn't want to blend into the crowd.
When you look beyond the flowing lines of the attractive exterior, it soon becomes clear that DS4 has benefits that are more than just skin-deep. The high-stance offers the driver a commanding position and the body-hugging seats are comfortable and secure.

Citroën UK has commissioned a series of 'cinemagraphs' - subtly moving images - to convey the personality and presence of the stylish New Citroën DS5 in a uniquely eye-catching format. These are the first official right-hand-drive visuals of the distinctive new Citroën flagship.

Fashion designer Johanna Pihl and musician Sam Alexander have both been inspired by Citroën's stylish new DS4. The high-riding coupé crossover represents a design breakthrough for Citroën with functionality and great looks working together.
"Reinterpreting cues opened up new possibilities, bringing practical and surprising solutions to automotive mobility" says Marc Pinson, DS4's chief stylist.

Traction Avant is French for 'forward traction', and this car was certainly a forward-thinking automobile. There were three model versions - a four-door saloon, a two-door coupé and a rare hatchback version - all featuring the world's first front-wheel drive steel monocoque production car and the successor to the Citroën Rosalie.

It was sold under quite a few different names in different markets and other badges worn by the Traction Avant include 11CV, 15CV, Light 15, Big Fifteen and Big Six.

The DS is a large, four-door saloon that replaced the Traction Avant as the flagship car in the Citroën line-up. A five-door Safari estate car and a two-door convertible were also produced under the DS badge.

The futuristic and still-influential body design was the brainchild of French aeronautical engineer Andre Lefebvre and Italian sculptor and industrial designer Flaminio Bertoni, who also designed the Traction Avant in 1933 and 1934. Along with the elegant, space-age lines, the DS had a fibreglass roof which not only looked great but helped make the car lighter.

It'll be a debut with a difference when the New Citroën DS5 makes its UK premiere at Top Gear Live this November. There has already been much publicity surrounding this stunning luxury car, but the Top Gear Live shows in Birmingham and London will give British car lovers a chance to see the car for the first time.

Great WRC news from Spain; with just one more round to go in the 2011 World Rally Championship, Citroën has wrapped up the world title early with victory.* This is the seventh WRC title for Citroën Total World Rally Team with leading drivers Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena driving the DS3 WRC.

*Subject to the official publication of results by the FIA.

It will be a busy time for Citroën when the Frankfurt Motor Show opens on 13 September. The Citroën stand will feature four showstopper cars as well as a display of the brand's latest technology.

The complete DS line will be making its European debut in Frankfurt. This includes a new DS3 Ultra Prestige model; the newly launched Citroën DS4 2011; and DS5, to demonstrate Citroën's Hybrid4 technology. For motor sport fans, the 300bhp Citroën Total World Rally team DS3 WRC will also be on show.

Citroën has strengthened its partnership with Arsenal Football Club and will be their official automotive partner for the next three years. Citroën vehicles including the non-conformist DS4, practical C4 and the eye-catching DS3, Top Gear Magazine's Car of the Year, will be driven by Arsenal's players, coaches and staff.

On 23 June 2011, Citroën gathered together three of the leaders on the new DS5 project. They reviewed and talked about the car's creation, technology and future live on web. Project manager (Pierre Monferrini), Design Manager (Andy Cowell), and Exterior Manager (Frédéric Soubirou), were on hand to answer questions from Citroën fans from all over the world.

Citroën will again be a strong presence at 2011's Goodwood Festival of Speed with some very special attractions for fans of design, automotive technology, and motor sport. Last year, Citroën was responsible for unleashing on Goodwood the show-stopping GT concept car, a computer game vehicle that became a reality.

Citroën has long been a leader in eye-catching car design; from the ambitious Traction Avant, to the super sleek DS3 and our recent Orla Kiely car. Here are five cars from five different decades that showcased Citroën's commitment to automotive style.

The quirky supermini that was the Citroën 2CV not only inspired drivers to embrace smaller cars, but also captured the imagination of film-makers from a wide variety of genres. Here are five examples of the Citroën 2CV on the silver (or small!) screen.

Citroën is currently a top performer in WRC thanks to Sebastien Loeb, but over the decades the manufacturer has played a vital role in a range of motor sports.

Orla Kiely has always been interested in showcasing her designs in new and innovative ways. Most famously she first expanded her range – from hats to handbags – after her first show at the London Fashion Week. Since then the UK designer's prints have made their way far and wide onto clothing, wallets, furniture, wallpaper, lampshades and tableware. If you want, you can even buy Orla Kiely fabric yourself to make her designs part of your own!

From early 2011, Citroën customers who want to be environmentally conscious will be able to buy the first electric car purpose-built by the manufacturer. This model, the C-ZERO, will give consumers an additional option alongside the conversion of the C1 city car offered by the Electric Car Corporation.