1968 Citroen Ds20 on 2040-cars

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Peugeot will prove it doesn't offer cheater diesels

Our diesels are clean, really. That's the message from French automaker PSA/Peugeot-Citroen as it plans to go on the offensive in response to Volkswagen's diesel-emissions scandal. PSA will go out of its way to prove its diesels are as clean as advertised. The company is looking at disclosing "real-world" fuel-economy statistics as soon as next spring and will use an independent entity to vet the numbers, Automotive News Europe says, citing comments that PSA/Peugeot-Citroen financial chief Jean-Baptiste de Chatillon made to reporters this week. Such efforts may be vital, since roughly two-thirds of the vehicles Peugeot-Citroen sells in Europe are powered by a diesel engine. Last month, VW admitted that as many as 11 million of its diesel-powered vehicles were programmed with software designed to cheat emissions-testing systems. The news shook up the industry, especially companies that sell a good chunk of diesels. The EU itself may start instituting "real world" fuel-economy and emissions testing as soon as 2017. French regulators have said they may eliminate diesel-fuel subsidies that currently make diesel fuel cheaper to customers than gas. That adjustment may occur as soon as next year, since it's been pushed up in response to the VW scandal. Peugeot-Citron continues to reiterate that it has never installed software that was designed to cheat emissions-testing systems. Additionally, the automaker was more than a decade ahead of European Union mandates for engine components designed to cut soot emissions, so the company is hoping its track record makes a difference. It wants to be perfectly clear about that. News Source: Automotive News Europe-sub.req.Image Credit: Cletus Awreetus/Flickr Green Volkswagen Citroen Peugeot Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal France psa peugeot citroen

Dongfeng and PSA extend Chinese joint venture

BEIJING/PARIS — China's Dongfeng and Peugeot maker PSA are extending their business cooperation, despite the Chinese company reducing its stake in PSA to help smooth the French carmaker's merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). Dongfeng said on Thursday it had agreed with PSA to extend the duration of their joint venture Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobiles (DPCA). Under the deal, the venture could get the rights to PSA's new brands in China and will benefit from new technologies and intellectual properties, the Chinese company said. PSA was not immediately available for comment. The announcement comes a day after the companies said Dongfeng would reduce its 12.2% stake in PSA by selling 30.7 million shares to the French company. Analysts said the move could smooth U.S. regulatory approval for PSA's roughly $50 billion (GBP38.97 billion) merger with Italian-American carmaker FCA. The sale of Dongfeng's shares in PSA, worth around 680 million euros ($757 million), will leave the Chinese group holding around 4.5% of the merged PSA-FCA, which is set to become the world's fourth-biggest carmaker by sales volumes. "As the cooperation between Dongfeng and PSA deepens, we expect the joint venture to continue making good progress in China," a Dongfeng representative said. On a conference call, Dongfeng said DPCA would have exclusive rights to PSA's Opel cars should the partners agree to bring the brand to China, and enjoy lower prices on car parts imported from PSA. Earlier this year, a document seen by Reuters showed Dongfeng and PSA plan to cut jobs at Wuhan-based DPCA and reduce its number of car plants to try to make the venture more profitable. Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Citroen Peugeot China FCA PSA Dongfeng

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