The first half of the year has been full of news for Citroën, with the continuous development of models, particularly for international markets, in line with the brand's efforts to develop its sales there. However, Europe was not completely forgotten and Citroën was relatively present at the beginning of the year. This is the last part of a retrospective that shows the extent of the news that the brand with a rich history has celebrated with pomp.
A heritage honoured
With more than 100 years of history, Citroën has a strong heritage of legendary models that have marked its existence. In the first half of 2023, the brand celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Xantia and the 55th anniversary of the Méhari, both of which have become historic cars for Citroën, testifying to the unique link between the brand and families.
In March, Citroën celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Xantia, the successor to the BX, which made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show and marked an important milestone in the brand's history.
The Xantia is first and foremost a line of rare elegance, with just a few subtle lines underlining an atypical two-and-a-half volume profile, a seeming boot that in fact conceals a tailgate.
Elegance, comfort and technology are the hallmarks of the Xantia, which in its nine-year career has left its mark on a whole generation of people who have driven or bought it. To celebrate its anniversary, the brand has retraced its history and the conservatory has organised a meeting between Xantia owners to discover the history of the car.
The other important anniversary celebrated by Citroën is the 55th anniversary of the Méhari, which also marked a milestone in automotive history. Based on the Dyane 6 platform, the Méhari was unveiled at the heart of the events of May 1968 and is in a way its illustration, interpreting a delicious spirit of freedom.
Produced for almost 20 years, its career would end in 1987 with 144,953 units produced, a significant figure for a vehicle of this type. Its descendant took on the characteristics of the My Ami Buggy, the second series of which, limited to 1,000 units, was launched on 20 June.
Citroën also celebrated its heritage in February at the Retromobile show, where the brand wanted to celebrate lightness and aerodynamics in line with its oli concept. To celebrate the long tradition of the brand's models, Citroën exhibited various models, from the C10 concept to the latest oli. model.
This stand at Rétromobile also allowed Citroën to unveil, for the first time to the public, the tank designed by the brand for the Asterix and Obelix film, in which it was a partner.
The first half of the year was also an opportunity for Citroën to develop the C3 range in India, which has been in constant evolution, allowing the brand to keep the spotlight on its versatile small sedan.
In January, the 100% electric version of the C3 was launched, making it the first electric C3 in history. This specific version for India, which will not be offered in Latin America, is equipped with a 29.2 kWh Svolt battery, which gives it a range of 320 km according to Indian standards, which are more lenient than in Europe. Equipped with a small engine of only 57 bhp, the top speed is limited to 107 km/h, but its selling price is astonishing at around €13,000, making it one of the most accessible electric cars on the market. Indian.
If the brand develops the electric, it does not forget the thermal versions which have been enriched with a new high-end finish Shine allowing the brand to fill the gaps in equipment that the C3 could know such as no rear-view camera. This new finish, which tops the C3 range in India, first appeared with the naturally aspirated 82 bhp Puretech petrol engine, the turbo engine having disappeared for a few weeks to bring it into line with new anti-pollution standards, and has made its comeback in the current of May.
To conclude this series of articles, Citroën has not been idle during this first half of the year, oscillating between history, the present and the future, between celebrating its centenary and preparing future models that will complete an already rich history of 104 years in which Citroën has repeatedly turned the automotive world upside down. There is no doubt that the second half of the year will be even richer, in particular with THE big news that is the future C3 in Europe, but the rest of the range will not be forgotten, as new features will rain down on the entire range in Europe.