Monday 19th April 2010

Citroen Metropolis: The French A8

Luxury Citroen concept aimed at Chinese market

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This sleek saloon concept is the Metropolis, Citroen's stab at a full-on luxo-barge, and the first to be developed by Peugeot-Citroen's Shanghai design studio.

If the idea of a luxury Citroen Limousine designed in China seems weird, just have a look at the Metropolis's specification. It's 5.3 metres long, which makes it bigger than the new Audi A8 L or long-wheelbase Mercedes S-class, and is powered by a version of Citroen's HYmotion4 hybrid drivetrain - in this case a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol V6 combined with an electric motor that drives all four wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox.

The Metropolis concept actually makes quite a lot of sense for Citroen, however. China is Citroen's biggest market after France, and the Chinese are traditionally very keen on large luxury saloons - this week's Beijing show will be the venue for the launch of both a stretched BMW 5-series and the LWB Audi A8 L. A production version of the Metropolis could put Citroen in a fine position to take on the established German prestige competition - at least in China.

As for that hybrid drive train, Citroen says that the petrol turbo V6 produces 272bhp and 277lb ft of torque while the electric motor adds 55bhp to the mix (although can be persuaded to provide up to 95bhp in short bursts). The petrol engine has an overboost function, too, which combines with the electric motor to make up to 460bhp and 317lb ft.

That's enough, reckons Citroen, to create performance equivalent to a 4.0-litre petrol V8, but with CO2 emissions of just 70g/km. This is a concept, though - so we'll take those figures with a large helping of salt for now...

Underneath the sleek bodywork - which builds on Citroen's large car design language started by the Citroen Hypnos and continued into cars like the recent GQ by Citroen concept - is an extensively re-worked version of the same platform that underpins the Citroen C6 and Peugeot 407.

The Citroen Metropolis will be revealed properly at the Shanghai Expo next month.

 

[dpbird90]

I really want that

[soad]

Looks bloody huge, i quite like it too.

[Griffo2008]

Tasty looking car. Would have to change those wheels though!

[GTRene]

looks are good for that type of car.

[Riggers]

soad said:

Looks bloody huge, i quite like it too.

To give you a bit of perspective, those tyres are 265/35 21s. Looks bloody huge, is bloody huge...

[glazbagun]

Best Chinese styled car to date?

[Mattt]

Very nice, if they make it, a second hand bargain.

[gumsie]

glazbagun said:

Best Chinese styled car to date?

Don't care, like it. A lot.

[croyde]

Will be priced high but available well cheap second hand after a year.

I say that as a Citroen fan.

Have owned a DS, CX and an XM.

[Hellbound]

A veritable football pitch for Sarkozy.

[james_tigerwoods]

Looks good? Check.
Bonkers? Check.
French? Check.
Likely to make it to production? As it's French... Check.
Stratospheric depreciation? Check.

[loltolhurst]

lots of aston / jag influences is nice

[louismchuge]

Photocopy it on 75% and actually stick in a 4 litre V8 and that would be perfect

[sprinter1050]

I was going to say "..but why only a 2L V6 in a thing that size??"

Then I read the rest. Extraordinary expectations (?) of combined output- but it would need every one of them ponies for its size.

[teen_cerbera]

Will it ever get made though? They havnt built that Supercar that was loved by the public yet and that was revealed years ago.

Add the supercar and this to their line up & the whole Citroen range will shoot up the desirability chart..

Needs big power though, 300bhp should do it, Some sort of TT Diesel lump...

[DonkeyApple]

The French certainly seem to be coming out of their decade of design doldrums and back to penning some impressive cars. Citroen especially appears to have been handed its balls back.

[Loki660]

That car looks like it hit every branch in the car design ugly tree.

[Speedracer329]

Whilst I will never be in the market for this type of car, I love the styling.

[Parrot of Doom]

A 2 litre V6 in here?



Where, exactly?

[ian_c_uk]

Scale it down, replace the C4, job done.