Photo: Citroen
Here at autoevolution, we like to give Citroen a bad time. And by that, I mean that I do that and hide when the 'purists' start commenting. But, like Buick, the French brand has found new life in the People's Republic of China.
This is the largest car market by volume, and if you can make it there, you don't need New York. Sorry, Alicia Keys! There's a variety of Citroen models that you can only buy there, and this is the latest and most exciting, the all-new C6. What's more, Europe supposedly doesn't want it, which is a huge mistake.
So how have the Chinese made French cars better than the French? For starters, the C6 is cheap. According to local media, prices range between 189,900 and 279,900 yuan, which is equivalent to between €25,700 and €37,880.
That is extremely cheap by European standards, about the same as a high-grade Peugeot 308. And let's not forget that we are talking about a flagship with the endless history behind it.
So how have they made it this cheap? Well, for starters, they've used the EMP2 platform, but most of the development work had already been done for a nearly identical car called the Dongfeng Fengshen A9. The good news is that they upgraded the C6 to have a digital dashboard and a better interior.
Just like the Renault Talisman, this uber-large Citroen uses small engines. The basic one is going to be a 1.6 turbo rated at 67 horsepower and 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) of torque, followed by a 1.8-liter turbo that's unique to China and produces 180 hp plus 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) of torque. Do we need to remind you of the V6 in the European C6 or that fact that it's a presidential car?
So what do you guys think - does French green play into this, or is it a case of lower wages in China? Let's not forget why Audi moved the Q5 to Mexico.
So how have the Chinese made French cars better than the French? For starters, the C6 is cheap. According to local media, prices range between 189,900 and 279,900 yuan, which is equivalent to between €25,700 and €37,880.
That is extremely cheap by European standards, about the same as a high-grade Peugeot 308. And let's not forget that we are talking about a flagship with the endless history behind it.
So how have they made it this cheap? Well, for starters, they've used the EMP2 platform, but most of the development work had already been done for a nearly identical car called the Dongfeng Fengshen A9. The good news is that they upgraded the C6 to have a digital dashboard and a better interior.
Just like the Renault Talisman, this uber-large Citroen uses small engines. The basic one is going to be a 1.6 turbo rated at 67 horsepower and 245 Nm (181 lb-ft) of torque, followed by a 1.8-liter turbo that's unique to China and produces 180 hp plus 280 Nm (207 lb-ft) of torque. Do we need to remind you of the V6 in the European C6 or that fact that it's a presidential car?
So what do you guys think - does French green play into this, or is it a case of lower wages in China? Let's not forget why Audi moved the Q5 to Mexico.
Google News