Citroen missing a huge opportunity?

saxo is dead, long live the C2.

a C2 cup is probably on the cards. doubt a turbo one tho... and the C4 is orrible,

Peugeot missed the same thing with the 206 too, nevermind...

Because it was arse, capable in every area without actually being overly competent. The ZX was a fine car 14 years or so ago, but putting a new skin on it and relaunching it as a modern car was never going to be a recipe for success.

Don't think Citroën are actually interested in fast cars anymore are they, just tarting up models to 'look' like they might go fast.

Huh ?

It's already got 180bhp - I fail to see what else they could do with it !

There isn't enough volume in fast models to justify the development costs, 4wd conversions of a Fwd car are rather expensive.

Citroen doesn't do an Activa version of the C5 because the Xantia Activa didn't do a whole lot of volume and needed a load of unique parts (which have to be imported from France usually because nobody stocks them).

-- James

Could be, though. Even seen a Citroen Visa 1000Pistes?

Richard

That, and the C5's suspension system is totally different, negating the need for Activa as used on the Xantia.

Richard

No hes talking about the 206 GT - which was the one with big bumpers that they made, was it 1000 or 5000 of, so they had a 206 model that was long enough to be used as a WRC car. It would have been better as a 220bhp 4x4 obviously :)

They have taken advantage of it. Haven't you seen their brilliant advert where the rally car is driving around a showroom :P? I reckon Citroen would need to do well again to get noticed, or have someone British driving for them. That's IMO why everyone knows about the Subaru, whereas not quite as many know about the Evo.

Logic therefore decrees that it should be developed from the outset. Or don't these people have a strategy of any kind ?

What is so different about it? It has MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear just like the Xantia (and BX for that matter).

Hydractive 3+ is basically the same system as Hydractive 2 that the Xantia had with a few bells and whistles (i.e. the ride hight lowering itself at speed etc). Hydractive 3 doesn't give the driver the "sports mode" that Hyrdactive 2 did (where as 3+ does).

The Activa had active anti roll bars as well as Hydractive 2, which meant absolutely NO body roll at all, in fact the anti-roll bars could keep the car completely level even compensating for tyre deformation. The C5 has no active anti roll bars and so has body roll.

-- James

The Citroen's and Pug's are not engineered to be 4x4 or RWD. The cost of re-jigging the floor pan and rear body shell to make a 4x4 out it would be too much to get a pay back on the investment. A WRC car runs around £200,000. The floor pan mods, additional transmission and turbo on a small run of 5,000 cars per year would put the price up by over £15K - a £30K Pug or French Lemon?

They have to give the FWD cars away with cash back offers and free insurance. The ad that suggests that the 4x4 rally car is anything at all to with any car in the showroom should be banned under the trade description act.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

I has the same name and a few basic components :) The badge, the front grill....

Like the Shelby Lola GT40 had Ford badges and a side valve V8 block?

Anyone know if JC's sucking up got him one of the new GT40's? He couldn't fit in the real ones but the new one is bigger so Yank's and JC can fit.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

Putting the under floor space required by prop shaft and diff for 4x4 into the initial design would cost more due more complex tooling and reduce cabin space on the FWD. Result would be lost sales to makers producing models that are not compromised.

If you want a performance car buy one, they are designed and built for purpose without compromise - except usability as a daily driver. If you want a FWD family car buy one, they are built to be jack of all trades. Don't confuse the two.

-- Peter Hill Spamtrap reply domain as per NNTP-Posting-Host in header Can of worms - what every fisherman wants. Can of worms - what every PC owner gets!

More components than that are shared, albeit very heavilly modified components... e.g. seam welded body shell with added roll cage, rather modified engine etc.

-- James