The next Citroen C4, due to be launched at the end of 2010, will be lighter and more efficient than the current car, the company’s product boss Vincent Besson has told Autocar.
Talking at the Frankfurt motor show, Besson also revealed that the new hatchback is likely to be offered with three cylinder engines and, possibly, petrol-electric hybrid power during its lifetime, although not from launch.
Besson also laid out the company’s strategy for hybrid and electric vehicles, saying that petrol-electric power is not necessary or economically viable in small city cars, and only for high-end versions of the next C4. However, he expects that "a large part of a future C5 range" will have hybrid power.
Citroen will launch its first EV in early 2010 with the electric Berlingo, and Besson predicts that the early take up for battery powered vehicles will be for urban delivery vans.
However, he admitted that Citroen’s first passenger EV, based on the Mitsubishi i-MIEV will be arriving at the end of 2010, and added that more cars will be on the way.
"It doesn’t mean the [Mitsubishi based car] will be our only offering," he said.
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