Citroën scores its seventh consecutive victory in Argentina!

Rally Argentina was marked by several twists and finally Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena came out on top for the sixth time on the bounce! The seven-time world champions took the lead in the last stage after having made up the one-minute penalty they received on the first day. Despite a roll in the longest stage of the event, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia finished on the third step of the podium. Citroën continued the series of wins in South America, which began in 2004.

The last day’s programme of Rally Argentina was an atypical one with a stage of over 48 kilometers to be tackled as the sun rose. The crews had been up since 5h00 in the morning and they had a quick stop in the Villa Carlos Paz service park before battle began. They then set off for Ascochinga for the longest stage since the start of the season!

Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia, first out on the road; made a cautious start to nurse their 43.7s lead. In the final kilometer of the stage their Citroën DS3 WRC rolled onto its roof!” A stupid mistake,” admitted Ogier at the finish. “All we had to do was to drive on to victory. I had noted an apex to be taken in a corner, and it ended in a roll. We were able to restart but the car was damaged. In addition to the superficial damage, we no longer had power steering. The windscreen was broken and we lost our rear wing.”

Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena in third place quickly realized that the nature of the terrain wouldn’t allow them to get the better of Mikko Hirvonen: “There was fog and it was very damp. In these conditions there’s no sweeping. Our first split times weren’t great. We had to go pedal to the metal to overtake.” The winner of the last five Rally Argentinas managed to snatch second place in the overall classification at the very end of the timed sector.

In the last three stages – some ten kilometers - Ogier tried to defend his position. Before the start of the Power Stage, he was only 3.3s in front of Loeb and 5.7s in front of Hirvonen: “It was really tough. In the last stage I felt that I wouldn’t be able to hold the wheel. Without power steering the car became incredibly heavy. We were totally unable to fight our corner,” summed up Sébastien.

While Loeb and Hirvonen took advantage of Ogier’s problems to overtake the Frenchman, he saved the points for third place: “It’s a lesser evil for the team. We haven’t lost too many points in the manufacturers’classification. On the other hand, it’s not a great result for the drivers’ title chase. I’m really very disappointed.”

Loeb was in attack mode right till the very end and took over the lead from his team-mate. At the flag he was 2.4s in front of Hirvonen: “After Friday’s penalty I wasn’t counting on this victory. We pushed really hard to get back in contact with the front-runners and to beat Hirvonen. Once again the outcome was decided by a hair’s breadth. It seems that Rally Argentina is my happy hunting ground!”

Loeb congratulated his team-mate, and insisted on the fact that: “I understand what he must be feeling. I’ve had similar misadventures. It’s frustrating and disappointing but these mistakes can happen. Still he managed to bring the car home to the finish, and that’s very important for the team.”

Fastest times in the stages

Day 1 – SS1: Sébastien Loeb (Citroën DS3) – SS2 to 5 Jari-Matti Latvala (Ford Fiesta) – SS6 : Petter Solber (Citroën DS3) – SS7: Sébastien Loeb.

Day 2 – SS8: Sébastien Ogier (Citroën DS3) – SS9 to 11: Sébastien Loeb – SS12 and 13 : Sébastien Ogier – SS14 and 15: Sébastien Loeb.

Day 3 – SS16: Sébastien Loeb – SS17: Jari-Matti Latvala – SS18 and 19: Petter Solberg.

Best performers: Loeb, 8 fastest times – Latvala 5 – Ogier and Solberg, 3.

Leaders: SS1: Loeb – SS2 to 12: Latvala – ES13 to 18: Ogier – SS19: Loeb.

THE CITROËN DS4: A 5-STAR CAR RECOGNISED BY EURO NCAP ADVANCED

The Citroën DS4 has not only achieved a 5-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests with a score of 97% for its assistance systems. It has also received the Euro NCAP Advanced award, like the Citroën C5, New C4 and DS3 before it. An award that confirms the Marque’s commitment to creative technologies that are useful every day.

The Citroën DS4 delivers a dynamic ride with no trade-off in safety or comfort. 
Safety is a key concern with an array of driving aids as standard, including electronic brakeforce assistance, emergency brakeforce assistance, intelligent traction control and ESP. Looking beyond ride qualities, the cabin also places the emphasis on safety with six airbags as standard (driver, front passenger, side and curtain). 

Comfort is also to the fore, with a top score in driver assistance systems. The Citroën DS4 ships with innovative, intelligent features delivering comfort and relaxation for the driver, passengers and others.

For example:

• the blind spot monitoring system. An innovative function that activates an orange light positioned in the angle of the mirror when it detects a vehicle in the driver’s blind spot;
• programmable speed limiter and cruise control. The driver can save up to five speed settings and find them easily on the road when speed limits change. 

The Citroën DS4 also received a Euro NCAP Advanced  award for its Citroën eTouch service. This award recognises innovative systems that increase safety while being available to the greatest number. 

Citroën eTouch is a range of innovative onboard services including emergency and assistance calls (depending on the country). These two free services, available 24/7, use an integrated SIM card. If an incident occurs or if the driver suffers or witnesses an accident, the vehicle can be located rapidly and the emergency services sent out.

Citroën eTouch also includes two services available online from the customer’s personal My CITROEN page: a virtual maintenance manual and EcoDriving. Drivers  receive advice on mechanical or safety incidents and on upcoming maintenance operations. They can also track their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. These services are free throughout the vehicle’s contractual warranty period.

Call Barretts Citroën Canterbury 0845 164 9778 NOW!

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This rare mixture of MPV and coupé is an entertaining addition to the Citroën stable

Reviewed by John Simister

It used to be simple. Normal cars were quite low. Sports cars and coupés were lower. MPVs were taller, with abbreviated noses.

SUVs, to use an American term for generally 4x4-shaped vehicles, are taller again. Then we had the "crossover", typically somewhere between a hatchback and an SUV. Now the genre-boundaries are dissolving yet more, and cars no longer fit into convenient categories.

Citroën's publicity material describes the new DS4 as a crossbreed. It also considers the newcomer "mischievous" and able to "dominate". The object of these assertions is a kind of upwardly-extended coupé with four doors, a tightly-drawn, sloping tail, rear wheels pushed far into the corners and a steeply-rising waistline. It looks squat and racy, yet the driving position is almost as commanding as an MPV's. Crossbreed indeed. But from crossbreeding can come powerful, healthy new genes. It works in animals, anyway. Can it work in cars?

The DS4 is the second ingredient of Citroën's upmarket and individualistic DS sub-brand. The DS3 hatchback, a racy three-door, came first and has proved quite a hit. The third will be the larger DS5, a particularly good-looking machine revealed at the recent Shanghai motor show. The DS4 is a different take on the notion of a mid-sized hatchback, with chrome accents and plush trim options to add to its unusual architecture. It is derived from the C4, a conventional five-door itself recently launched.

The C4 is a bland car by Citroën standards, lacking the obvious innovation by which Citroë* made its name. It is unmemorable both to look at and to drive. With the DS4's arrival the reason for this strategy is revealed: it is to brighten the halo around the new car, stress its advantages over the generic C4 and heighten its feelgood factor.

Which is considerable, it must be said. The DS4 looks assertive, muscular, ready to go. Grander versions – the hierarchy (from £18,500 to £24,000) goes DSign, DStyle and DSport – have leather trim with options of two-tone colouring or a "bracelet" stitching pattern said to resemble the links in a watch strap. It looks lovely, especially in combination with the stitched-leather dashboard covering. Top-end UK-market DS4s are to be denied this grand dashboard, however, because the UK marketing department thinks UK buyers won't be willing to pay for it. One other specification omission troubles the whole DS4 range. See those shapely, pointy rear-door windows? The glass can't be wound down, because it's too long to fit in the door below, nor can it be hinged outwards. To have made it do either would have spoilt the looks. On the plus side, however, the windscreen extends well into the roof for a panoramic view of the sky. Blinds obscure it if the sun proves too much.

Now, the driving. Various petrol and diesel engines are offered from Peugeot-Citroën's usual range, of which the two most enjoyable should be the 2.0-litre, 160bhp turbodiesel and the 1.6-litre, 200bhp turbo petrol.

First off, the DS4 THP 200. This a fine engine, and a frugal one given the effortless and engaging pace it provides. It sounds and feels crisp and keen, but the surprise is the extent to which the rest of the DS4 feels the same. The six-speed manual gearbox shifts precisely, the steering – geared for a quicker response than the C4's – is accurate and gives a focused picture of the road beneath. Brilliantly judged suspension damping means the DS4 stays both comfortable over bumps and composed as it nips into a bend; it handles like a low coupé, not a high one.

This is a genuinely entertaining car to drive. It tackles bends with brilliance, cruises with serenity. The turbodiesel can't quite match this flair with its nose-heavier feel and more lugubrious power delivery, but it too is a pleasing drive and has a lower CO2 output.

It's the THP 200, preferably in top trim, that best defines the DS4. Is it a new breed of car? Seems it is, and it works very well. Who would want a C4 now?

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/road-tests/citron-ds4-2284175.html