Saturday, November 13, 2010

Citroen Metropolis concept heads for production



Citroën's CEO of Asian operations, Gregoire Olivier, has revealed that the company is planning a production version of the Metropolis concept car to compete against German luxury brands, primarily in China.


The sporty looking limousine, which will most likely be called the DS9, will be built by PSA/Peugeot-Citroën's joint venture with Changan Automobile Group in China. Olivier did not reveal the estimated production volume or a market launch date for the production version of the Metropolis. Introduction of the DS9 to markets outside China is not known at the moment. However, PSA executives have noted that they are not sure if they'll sell a hybrid version of the car in China, which leads to speculation that the DS9 could be offered in other markets including Europe as the firm's flagship model.

The Metropolis concept car is the creation of Citroën's international design team that is based in Shanghai since 2008. Even though it is built on the same platform as the Citroen C6 and Peugeot 508, the imposing limousine measures an impressive 5.3m in length, 2.0m in width and 1.4m in height, making it larger than the long wheel-base version of the new Audi A8.

In concept form, the Metropolis features a hybrid powertrain comprising of a 2.0-liter V6 engine with an electric motor, connected to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission At low speeds, the concept can run in pure electric mode with the battery-powered motor delivering a continuous 55bhp and a peak output of 95bhp. According to Citroen, the V6 engine churns out 272bhp with 375Nm of torque .When additional performance is required, the car uses both the powerplants to deliver a maximum output of 460bhp and 430Nm of torque. It also features a four-wheel drive mode for when extra grip is needed.

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