Citroen confirms DS5 diesel hybrid

CITROEN has confirmed its diesel hybrid drive system will enter production in 2011 – in the third member of the French maker’s new premium vehicle range, the DS5.

The diesel-electric DS5, which promises to set new standards for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, has also been confirmed for Australian sales by mid-2011, at a price that is yet to be announced.

The first production car to revive one of Citroen’s most famous nameplates will be the C3 and Peugeot 207-based DS3, which was previewed by the DS Inside concept revelaed in Paris in February and, in near-production form, at the Geneva motor show in March.

The DS3 will be launched globally in 2010, positioned above the C3, and will be followed in Citroen’s new upmarket vehicle range by the DS4 and DS5 in 2011.

Citroen says the DS5’s diesel hybrid system will produce 35 per cent lower CO2 emissions than an equivalent-sized small car.

Just as significantly, however, it will usher in what the French maker describes as a new breed of four-wheel drive system, which gives drivers the option of front-drive from its diesel engine, rear-drive from it electric motors, or all-wheel drive with both systems operating.

In preparation for DS5 production, PSA Peugeot Citroen has pilot-engineered new production lines and processes at its Mulhouse and Sochaux factories to allow the DS5 and other future Citroen models to be fitted with the new electric rear axle drivetrain assembly.

Citroen says it used a full-scale three-dimensional model to create a virtual workshop that aims to identify improvements in both the efficiency and quality of the installation process.

The simulations are designed to optimise the use of floor space, enhance workstation ergonomics and facilitate general handling and assembly while streamlining logistics flows, the results of which will also be used to develop exact component specifications for suppliers.

Read more:

First look: Citroen’s Mini-style DS