Citroen will roll out its first sport utility vehicle in the New Zealand market by the coming month with the onset of the Citroen C4 AirCross that will also complete its family of `four' models, with the C4 AirCross conjoining the Citroen C4, Citroen C4 Picasso and Citroen DS4 to offer a unique range in the same size category.
Lawrie Malatios, General Manager of Citroen New Zealand explained, "Although these four models sit in the same size category, they are four distinct models in their own right. By providing them with their own platforms and differing drivetrains, Citroen has allowed them not to be variants of one model and the carry the restrictions in their abilities that this would cause, but to be much more capable vehicles designed to meet the specific needs in each of their own market sectors and offer Citroen customers a wider range of choice."
The Citroen C4 is a conventional five door hatchback, the seven-seat Citroen C4 Picasso, on its individual separate platform, is a 7 seat people mover offering up the utmost inner space, the DS4 is a trendy status coupe/hatchback crossover with its exclusive chassis, and the innovative C4 AirCross is an SUV hatchback/4WD crossover.
Catered by a novel 2.0 litre 110 kW engine, the Citroen C4 AirCross will be obtainable with an option of two or four wheel drive in addition to manual or a CVT self-shifting gearbox.
The 4WD option privides a choice of two wheel drive for utmost economy; four wheel drive difficult conditions and '4WD Lock' for the toughest conditions, all effortlessly selected from the driver's seat.
A wide-ranging equipment list and the value for money pricing for which the complete Citroen family is famous will complete Citroen C4 AirCross when rates and specs are declared at its launch in July.
The Citroen C4 AirCross may be the first all-wheel drive Citroen available on New Zealand market, but it is by no means Citroen's first experience with four wheel drive. For a start, there are the four wheel drive systems used in the world-beating Xsara, C4 and DS3 World Rally Championship cars that have made Sébastien Loeb the most successful rally driver of all time, further back there are also the Rally Raid Citroens, while on the road Citroen has more recently provided the Citroen C-Crosser and the DS5 Hybrid also offers four wheel drive ability. Even the archetypal Citroen, the 2CV had four wheel drive for a while with the 2CV Sahara, named in honour of the Citroen expeditions to Africa in the 1930s.
Lawrie Malatios stated, "We have chosen this time to add a four wheel drive model to the Citroen range because, with the Citroen C4 AirCross, we have a model that perfectly complements the existing Citroen range, adding a new facet that is also an excellent fit with the New Zealand market's enthusiasm for this type of vehicle."
