Citroen has revealed the pricing and specification details of its highly-anticipated DS5, the first model in its line-up to make use of hybrid technology.

The latest model in its upmarket DS sub-brand, the DS5 is a D-segment model which will take Citroen into the premium executive sector for the first time. With five doors, five full-size seats and up to 465 litres of boot space, the French car maker hopes that the model will offer the right mix of quality, space and fuel economy to appeal to the competitive business car sector, taking on with the likes of the Volkswagen Passat, Vauxhall Insignia and Audi A4.

In terms of powertrains, the new DS5 will be available from launch with a choice of four engines; THP 200, e-HDi 110, HDi 160 and the new 200bhp diesel electric Hybrid4.

The hybrid model uses a combination of a 2.0 HDi diesel engine delivering 163bhp combined with a 37bhp electric motor fitted to the rear axle. Thanks to this combination of diesel economy and electric power, the DS5 HYbrid4 is rated as emitting just 99g/km CO2 meaning it is exempt from VED, the London congestion charge and, for business users, attracts a BiK tax rate is just 10 per cent, missing out on the +3% supplement usually added to diesel models.

However it is not just the HYbrid4 model which offers strong economy. The e-HDi 110 Airdream with a new-generation Stop & Start micro-hybrid technology that reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 15 per cent when driving in congested urban areas.

There will eight choices of body colours to choose from with pearlescent or metallic paint options and six stylish alloy wheel designs from 16-19inches in diameter. The DS5 is offer in three trim levels too; DSign, DStyle and DSport. Ownership starts at just £22,400 for the e-HDi 110 DSign, rising to £32,200 for the range-topping Hybrid4 DSport. The most popular models are forecast to be the HDi 160 DStyle manual and automatic versions.

Standard kit includes electrically foldable door mirrors, front fog lights with cornering function, keyless access and start, cruise control with speed limiter and memory settings, front and rear electric windows with ‘one-touch’ operation and anti-pinch, automatic digital air conditioning with dual-zone temperature setting, automatic rain-sensitive windscreen wipers, automatic illumination of headlamps and electrochrome rear view mirror and Bluetooth system with USB socket.

A sales mix of 85 per cent diesel, 5 per cent petrol and 10 per cent Hybird4 is anticipated. The sales split is forecast to be approximately 30 per cent retail and 70 per cent fleet/business.

New Citroën DS5 is available to pre-order now, with first deliveries from the official ‘on sale’ date of 2 April 2012.

If you are excited about the near imminent launch of the new diesel hybrid DS5, then this new competition from Citroen could be your chance to to be one of the first to drive the new family saloon model.

Citroen DS5 hybrid deals on TheHybridCarWebsite.co.uk

If you have ever watched the Top Gear presenters and thought you could do better then Citroen is offering you the chance to prove it and test drive its latest model while on a luxury weekend away in the south of France. Opening a new Facebook competition this week, the French car maker will reward five winners with a five-star weekend trip to St. Tropez where they’ll get to test drive the latest model in its luxury DS line-up.

The luxury weekend on the Rivera will follow the theme of ‘The Refined, Redefined’ – New DS5’s promotional strapline – with the winners taking part in fun and distinctive experiences. The winners will also be filmed at various stages throughout the weekend so they can present their own video reviews of the car.

To enter the competition, users should visit the ‘DS5 Star Experience’ tab on Citroën UK’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/citroenuk) and write 50-100 words on why they deserve to be one of the first to drive the brand new Citroën DS5.

The competition closes on 31 January at 6pm and the five successful candidates will then be selected. The winners and their guests will fly out on Friday 10 February, returning on Sunday 12 February.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/citroenuk or http://www.ds5starexperience.info/

The DS5 is expected to go on sale in the UK this spring. Available with the car maker’s HYbrid4 technology, the DS5 is capable of delivering an impressive 200bhp,  will have four wheel drive capability; emission-free electric power for a limited range and have CO₂ emissions rating from just 99g/km.

The full-hybrid system combines several technologies, including a 2.0HDi 160 diesel engine, a Stop & Start system with a second-generation reversible alternator, an automated 6-speed gearbox with optimised shifts and a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor fitted on the rear axle.

Citroen’s popular new low emission model, the DS3 supermini is to release a special edition as part of celebrations of the DS3’s sales success.

The new DS3 Ultra Prestige offers higher levels of luxury and is available with either the punchy THP 155 petrol engine or a fuel efficient e-HDi 110 diesel with Stop & Start. Prices start from £20,700.

Based on the already generously equipped DSport trim level, DS3 Ultra Prestige is available with a choice of two body colours – Polar White and Thorium Grey – and feature a sports spoiler, dark-tinted side and rear windows and 17” charcoal-grey alloy wheels. The ‘Ultra Prestige’ graphic that covers the model’s black roof with the DS insignia, provides a range of subtle contrasts, shifting from matt to gloss as the light changes. There is also a ‘Dark Chrome Signature’ option, including black door mirrors with dark chrome base, dark chrome side rubbing strips, front grille surround, front fog light surrounds and an insert on the rear number plate moulding.

Inside, featuring a ‘watchstrap’ design, the front seats are covered in leather. Inspired by the world of fashion – and made using a process specially created for Ultra Prestige – the colour of the leather on the front seats gradually changes from white at the top of the seat back to black on the seat base.

The dashboard strip is covered in ‘Alpine’ white leather, embossed with the DS signature. The colour of the dials also matches the white of the interior detailing. There are ultra-thick protective mats, braided with double top-stitching in contrasting colours. As an extra touch of luxury, leather trim is also fitted to the door panels and central armrest.

Adding to the DSport’s equipment specification that already includes automatic digital air conditioning and a Bluetooth^® enabled Hi-Fi system, DS3 Ultra Prestige gains Citroën’s integrated MyWay colour satellite navigation system, rear parking sensors, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, electrically heated and folding door mirrors and an electrochrome rear view mirror.

The Ultra Prestige fitted with the diesel e-HDi 110 Airdream 6-speed manual achieves 74.4mpg on a combined cycle, emits just 99g of CO₂/km and costs £20,900. Fitted with the DS3 THP 155 6-speed manual, the Ultra Prestige emits 139g/km  CO2, achieves 47.1 mpg and costs £20,700.

City car models, the Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 are both set to benefit  from a refresh which will see emission levels cut below 100g/km CO2 for the first time.

That means the two models, which are based on the same platform developed by parent company PSA Peugeot Citroen, will be able to qualify for London Congestion Charge Exemption and pay nothing in road tax.

Using a frugal 1.0 litre, three cylinder petrol engine, the models cut their emission levels to 99g/km CO2 and improve their fuel economy too. The refresh for 2012 also sees the models benefit from subtle restyling and improved equipment levels as standard.

Both massively popular models, the 107 and C1 have attracted 650,000 and 620,000 customers respectively since launching in 2005.

Now the new 107, which goes on sales from next month, will be available in a choice of three trims (Access, Active and Allure) and offer economy as strong as 66mpg (combined cycle). With its trim level brought into alignment with the rest of the Peugeot range features such as Peugeot Connect Bluetooth and USB and LED Daytime running lights are now available for the first time on the 107 range. What’s more, Active level models include air conditioning as standard. Restyling touches include a new front bumper, deeper lower front panel with a housing for the front fog lights, LED daytime running lights.  The new 107 is priced from £7,995.

Meanwhile, the new Citroen C1 will arrive in the UK from April. Likewise, the new model boasts improved equipment levels and subtle restyling to the front end. Equipped with a manual gearbox, the new Citroën C1 also boasts improved fuel economy of up to 65.7mpg (combined cycle). The latest model will also be available in a special launch colour that already adorns the C3 and DS3; Botticelli blue and will also be available in colours including Scarlet red, Electra blue, Lipizzan white, Caldera black and two grey tones – one light, Gallium grey, and one dark, Carlinite grey.

Technology enhancements include steering-mounted paddle controls available for the Electronic Gearbox System-a first for the C1. An all-new CD audio system comes with a Connecting Box (optional from the second trim level and standard on top of the range models), which is able to read all MP3 formats and is equipped with a Bluetooth® function.

The pricing for the new C1 has yet to be revealed, but we’ll know more when the model makes its world debut at the Brussels Motor Show on 10 January.

Citroen has announced the release of a new, even more fuel efficient version of its C3 supermini-emitting just 87g/km CO2.

The new C3 e-HDi 70 Airdream EGS VTR+ achieves a staggering 83.1mpg, making it the most efficient diesel car the French firm produces, and one of the lowest emission models in its class. The new model, which first appeared at September’s Frankfurt.

The new model achieves its impressive fuel economy through the use of Citroen e-HDi micro-hybrid stop&start technology and the use of an efficient 68hp HDi diesel engine.  

Jules Tilstone, Citroën UK’s Marketing Director, commented: “Citroën is committed to driving down the cost of motoring and this new model is a perfect example of that.  With impressive fuel economy, low CO₂ emissions, a BIK rate at just 13 per cent, free VED and the benefit of no London Congestion Charge, this stylish model is a financially and environmentally attractive addition to the Citroën range.”

Jules continued: “Underlining the brand’s firm environmental commitment, a full 50 per cent of Citroën cars sold this year emit under 130g/km of CO₂ and there has been a five-gram decrease in average CO₂ emissions for the European range as a whole.”

The new Citroen DS5-Citroen’s first diesel hybrid model- is set to make its UK debut at the Top Gear Live show this November, appearing at both the NEC Birmingham and ExCel London venues.

Citroen DS5 hybrid deals on TheHybridCarWebsite.co.uk

It will be the first time the UK public will get to see the new car, the latest to join Citroen’s upmarket DS line. Joining the DS3 supermini and DS4 coupe, the DS5 will take Citroen into the premium executive sector for the first time.

It will also be the first time the car maker has offered full hybrid diesel technology on a production car, with the DS5 boasting emissions as low as 99g/km CO2.

The DS5 will launch in the UK in the first quarter of 2012. More details are expected to released at a later date.

Starring Clarkson, Hammond, May and The Stig with a host of celebrities and special guests, Top Gear Live runs from 11-13 November at NEC Birmingham and 24-27 November at ExCeL London.

In a bid to develop new electric vehicle mobility inEurope, PSA Peugeot Citroen will team up with General Electric.

The two companies will focus on electrical mobility including both fixed battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. It is a non-exclusive and renewable agreement with the companies seeking to develop a new electric vehicle mobility offer in Europe that will enable B2B customers to overcome the current electric vehicle constraints, such as mileage, charging time and vehicle size.

It is the intention of both to create an electric vehicle customer experience centre in France to promote projects. In addition, GE Energy’s Industrial Solutions will supply and deploy infrastructure products needed to make the projects possible, and particularly charging stations and an installer network. They will also work together on a joint commercial offer for PSA Peugeot Citroen customers, which is likely to include an electric vehicle and charging infrastructure.

Furthermore, GE Capital will lease electric vehicles across Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. 

It’s not the first collaboration between the two – back in July 2011, GE Capital announced the first European supply of electric vehicle Citroen C-Zero cars to technology giant 3M with GE also showing interest in buying up to 1,000 electric vehicles from PSA Peugeot-Citroen by the end of 2015 for all of Europe.

Citroen’s third model in its upmarket DS line-up, the DS5, will be one of the highlights at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.

Citroen DS5 hybrid deals on TheHybridCarWebsite.co.uk

It will be the first car from the brand to feature the HYbrid4 diesel hybrid technology developed by parent firm PSA Peugeot Citroen, and first debuted on the newly launched Peugeot 508 HYbrid4 car.

With special edition of the DS3 and a DS4 model also in tow, Citroen is eager to showcase the range which has already proven very popular with the press and public alike.

The newly launched DS4, described as a ‘raised stance, five-door coupe’ has already secured almost 15,000 orders since its launch earlier this year.  It has also been voted ‘Most Beautiful Car of the Year’ at the 26^th International Automobile Festival, continuing the flow of accolades to the DS range, which started with the DS3. That first supermini model claimed the 2010 Top Gear Car of the Year award.

Meanwhile, the DS5, a family saloon model will make its European premiere at the Frankfurt Show this September before going on sale in the UK in early 2012.

Featuring HYbrid4 technology, the DS5 is capable of delivering an impressive 200bhp and will also have four wheel drive capability; emission-free electric power for a limited range and have CO₂ emissions from just 99g/km.

The full-hybrid system combines several technologies, including a 2.0HDi 160 diesel engine, a Stop & Start system with a second-generation reversible alternator, an automated 6-speed gearbox with optimised shifts and a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor fitted on the rear axle, developing power of up to 27kW (37bhp)

With a choice of four driving settings, the driver can choose; ‘Auto’ mode, which automatically switches between the diesel engine and the electric motor , ‘Zero Emission Vehicle’ (ZEV) mode, for driving with the electric motor alone, at speeds of up to 60km/h (37mph), ‘4 Wheel Drive’, for more traction at low speeds by using all four wheels (front wheels powered by the diesel engine, rear wheels by the electric motor) and ‘Sport’, for quicker responses, through the maximum use of the electric motor in addition to the diesel engine.

The DS5 and the rest of the Citroen DS range can be seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show which runs from the 13-25 September 2011.

In an effort to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles, the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group has adopted a plastic glazing made from polycarbonate resin in the rear quarter windows of its Citroen DS5 five-door hatchback.

Citroen DS5 hybrid deals on TheHybridCarWebsite.co.uk

The aim is use increasingly lightweight plastic for the production of vehicle frames, bodies and windows. The quarter polycarbonate windows use Teijin Chemicals’ proprietary material technology that was developed jointly with freeglass GmbH.

Both Teijin and freeglass worked on a specific grade of black polycarbonate alloy material which is included in the composition of the quarter windows. It is manufactured by moulding a transparent glazing and a black gloss pillar cover into an integrated piece by multi-component injection-compression and then applying hard coating on the internal and external sides for durability. Glazing weight has been reduced by 20 per cent.

Teijin Chemicals’ Panlite is already being used by a number of vehicle manufacturers including the likes of Porsche, Honda, Smart, Daimler and Seat; while several new vehicles are expected to be equipped with plastic glazing manufacturers by freeglass in 2011 and 2012.

As part of measures to reduce running costs, Scottish Borders Council has set up a new electric car pool scheme using the newly launched Citroen C-Zero.

Three C-Zero models will will be used by the council’s social work team-one of its largest car user groups due to the hands-on nature of its work.

A grant from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme not only funded the purchase of the vehicles but also paid for the set up of a network of public charging points across the central region the cars will operate.

The Citroen C-Zero, a battery electric car based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, has a driving range of up to 93 miles and a top speed of 81mph. It went on sale in the UK earlier this year, priced at £23,155 including a Government Plug-in Car Grant worth £5,000.

Councillor Jim Fullarton, Executive Member for Roads and Infrastructure, commented: "With the current fuel prices it’s a great help for our Social Work Department to be able to recharge the C-Zero at minimal cost.  While the C-Zeros will initially be limited to use in towns, with more recharging points we will widen the area they can operate."

The Scottish Borders Council administers an area covering 1,830 square miles, stretching from 15 miles south of Edinburgh to the English border.