Geneva Motor Show 2012: Citroën

We could hardly wait to get to the Citroën stand to come face to face with the DS4 Racing Concept. And this despite the fact that I’m not really a devotee of the brand. Still, I have to say the DS4 R has won me over: a real treat for the eyes and genuinely beautiful, one of the most eye-catching cars at the show.

The DS4 R is the product of collaboration between the brand’s Design department and Citroën Racing. Although it is purely a styling exercise, it catches the eye with its wider track (wider at the rear). It incorporates various elements such as a diffuser, the spoiler that tops off the front bumper, side skirts along the bodywork and more pronounced wheel arches. The front axle features four-piston brake calipers and dedicated discs with a diameter of up to 380 mm. Finally, it is fitted with 19-inch wheels on 235/40 tyres. The engine is the 1.6-litre turbo already mentioned, producing 256 CV, equivalent to 160 CV per litre.

To finish with the DS4 R, it’s worth mentioning the matt grey paint of the concept, which accentuates every line and curve of the car. All of this is enhanced by a granular effect that seems to give texture to the surface of the bodywork.

Another premiere in Geneva is the updated Citroën C4 Aircross, a more than finished example of the agreement between the PSA Group and Mitsubishi, which has already borne its first fruit in this C4 Aircross: a French car with Japanese-style interiors, as it is derived from the Mitsubishi ASX and built in Japan, no less. Technically, it offers three driving modes that can be selected manually (2WD, 4WD and LOCK). On the environmental front, it emits only 119 g/km of CO2 in the two-wheel-drive HDi 115 version, which places it at a good level for emissions, and it includes Stop&Start.

Citroën will also be showing two new variants with the Citroën Berlingo Multispace and the Citroën Jumpy Multispace, and is using the show to place the entire DS series at the top. So, in addition to the DS4 R, we had the DS5 Hybrid4, DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb, DS3 Ultraprestige, DS4 Paris Rendez-Vous and DS5 Paris Rendez-Vous.

Via | Equipo Highmotor