Citroen C-Quatre Unveiled at 2009 Shanghai Motor Show
China, and particularly Shanghai, is the main attraction these days for all car enthusiasts around the world who are waiting for new models to come out at the local show. Car lovers can admire a global premiere as the French-based auto maker Citroen has unveiled the C-Quatre sedan for the emerging Chinese market. It’s not a totally new car, as the C-Quatre is basically based on the new Citroen C4, which is a hatchback. The C-Quatre was previously known as the C-Triomphe in China since the latter part of 2006 and now along with the new name, it features design elements that are carried over from the facelifted Citroen C4
Unlike the C5 which has a full boot while maintaining the enlarged cavity offered by a hatchback, the C-Quatre is a more typical 3-box, also known as sedan notchback. This appearance is preferred by Chinese consumers the French carmaker has said.
The sedan is a product of a joint-venture between Peugeot-Citroen PSA and Dongfeng Motor Corporation and it features a restyled front end with a more forward nose, as well as a slightly touched up side profile along with a sedan rear end, instead of the C4’s hatchback. You get the same lovely interior with that amazing steering wheel but with new trimming and upholstery and new multimedia system with Bluetooth and navigation.
As for the engines, C-Quatre is identical to the hatch back version and comes with the same range of petrol and diesel engines. If you go for petrol, you can have it with either 120 or 150 horsepower, while for HDi diesel engines you get 92, 110 or 140 hp.
Details are pretty sketchy at this time, so it’s impossible to say for sure whether the manufacturer intends to sell the new model globally, or keep it in China for a few years. Still, according to several rumors, the C-Quatre is expected to go on sale in the country this June.
The car sports several exterior styling modifications, including the front fascia, the front bumper and the fog lights but technical information is yet to be released.
The French manufacturer also displayed at the show the C5, a model that is expected to hit Chinese streets in early 2010. The car will be produced locally at the new Wuhan plant, Citroen said in a statement for the press: “Strengthened by its success in Europe - with some 87,000 sales in 2008 - the new C5 is a major asset for Citroën success in the high-end segment in China”.