1977 Citroen 2cv on 2040-cars

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Citro?n heading to Beijing with DS 5LS R concept [w/video]

With the renaissance of the DS line, Citroën was clearly going for style and elegance. But in the years since it has also imbued some of its premium DS models with an added dose of performance. It used the DS3 as the basis for its World Rally Championship challenger, then rolled out the DS3 Racing hot hatch and the DS3 Cabrio Racing version, and applied a similar treatment to the DS4 Racing concept. Now it's doing the same to the Chinese-market DS 5LS luxury sedan.
Set to debut later this month at the Beijing Motor Show, the somewhat awkwardly named DS 5LS R may sound more like a new camera model but is actually a performance sedan concept. In its transformation, Citroën gave it a 1.6-liter turbo four with 300 horsepower on tap, lowered the suspension by 15 millimeters (0.6 inches), widened the track, upgraded the brakes, fitted 20-inch wheels and gave it looks to match.
The bodywork has been doused in a matte metallic shade of reddish magenta and accented with carbon-fiber trim, while the interior has been upgraded with leather and Alcantara trim, top-stitched in the same red as the exterior and similarly accented with carbon trim. Of course R logos feature prominently throughout. No matter what we think of it, though, a concept car based on a model made by a French automaker for the Chinese market stands absolutely no chance of ever seeing the inside of an American showroom or an inch of the Great American Road, so the closest we're ever likely to get is the high-res image gallery above and the video and press release below.

Stellantis expects to hit emissions target without Tesla's help

Franco-Italian carmaker Stellantis expects to achieve its European carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets this year without environmental credits bought from Tesla, its CEO said in an interview published on Tuesday. Stellantis was formed through the merger of France's PSA and Italy's FCA, which spent about 2 billion euros ($2.40 billion) to buy European and U.S. CO2 credits from electric vehicle maker Tesla over the 2019-2021 period. "With the electrical technology that PSA brought to Stellantis, we will autonomously meet carbon dioxide emission regulations as early as this year," Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares said in the interview with French weekly Le Point. "Thus, we will not need to call on European CO2 credits and FCA will no longer have to pool with Tesla or anyone." California-based Tesla earns credits for exceeding emissions and fuel economy standards and sells them to other automakers that fall short. European regulations require all car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions for private vehicles to an average of 95 grams per kilometer this year. A Stellantis spokesman said the company is in discussions with Tesla about the financial implications of the decision to stop the pooling agreement. "As a result of the combination of Groupe PSA and FCA, Stellantis will be in a position to achieve CO2 targets in Europe for 2021 without open passenger car pooling arrangements with other automakers," he added. Tesla's sales of environmental credits to rival automakers helped it to announce slightly better than expected first-quarter revenue this week. The next tightening of European regulations will soon be the subject of proposals from the European Commission. The 2030 target could be lowered to less than 43 grams/km. Related Video: Government/Legal Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Tesla Citroen Peugeot Emissions Stellantis

Citroen draws the curtain on 30 years of minivans and MPVs

Citroen announced on Thursday the end of its Grand C4 SpaceTourer model, a four-door minivan-like MPV, drawing a line under 30 years of small people haulers that embodied the brand's family image now overshadowed by SUVs. "Because customers' aspirations have evolved, expression of modernity and enhancement is today carried by other shapes (and) the way of thinking mobility is changing, Grand C4 SpaceTourer is now bowing out", the brand said in a statement. In France, minivan and MPV sales fell almost to zero in the first quarter as SUVs claimed the lion's share at 46% of new car registrations, racing with traditional sedans which bring in 47% of sales. In the U.S., SUVs have become a highly dominant body style, but minivans still sell. Among Stellantis brands in the U.S., the Chrysler Pacifica is the fourth best-selling model, though that number likely contains both consumer and fleet sales. Production of the Grand C4 SpaceTourer at the plant located in Vigo, Spain, will stop at the beginning of July after current orders are delivered, Stellantis added in a press release. Citroen, which retains two models of electric minivans in its catalog, plans to focus on its C5 Aircross SUV and its large C5X sedan. In 30 years, the brand sold nearly 4.5 million minivans worldwide, fuelled by the Evasion from 1994, the C8 from 2002 and, most importantly, the Xsara and C4 Picasso after 1998, whose rounded silhouettes and family-friendly designs found favor with customers. Related Video: Citroen Minivan/Van