Citroen DS5 Diesel Hybrid Now Available To NZ Drivers

Citroen DS5 Diesel Hybrid Now Available To New Zealand Drivers

One of the most advanced cars in the world, the unique new Citroen DS5 Hybrid4, a diesel-electric hybrid that combines luxurious, spacious accommodation for five people and their luggage with 4WD while offering a CO2 figure of 99 g/km that is normally reserved for small cars, is available now to New Zealand drivers as one of the wide range of Citroen vehicles available in the Citroen DriveEurope programme.

“Citroen DriveEurope is the most cost effective way to enjoy a European driving holiday with all-inclusive rates paid in New Zealand starting from just $29 a day,” says Lawrie Malatios, General Manager of Citroen in New Zealand. “The newly launched 2012 programme not only offers remarkably low prices for a car in Europe, early bird bookings mean that nine days – or 12 days for previous DriveEurope customers from 2005 to 2011 behind the wheel of the Citroen DS5 could be free”

With a choice of 36 different models and variants, as well as the new Citroen DS4, which is available from April, and the DS5, which may be booked now for June delivery, for the first time, DriveEurope has an even wider range of cars, people movers and a 4WD for comfortable, stress free European holidays.

The 2012 Citroen DriveEurope range includes two small cars, the economical Citroen C3 and the stylish DS3, with the C4 and the DS4 the next size up, while the C5, C5 Tourer and the DS5 offer the luxury of full size car motoring. The people mover choice ranges from the economical Citroen Berlingo Mulitspace, the stylish yet compact C3 Picasso, five and seven seat versions the versatile and comfortable C4 Picasso, the full size seven seat Citroen C8 and the nine seat Jumpy minibus.

“The remarkable pricing and the unique range of vehicles alone make the Citroen DriveEurope programme an unbeatable choice,” says Lawrie Malatios, “but they are just the beginning of the advantages of choosing a Citroen DriveEurope car for the European holiday of a lifetime. For a start, the entire cost is paid in New Zealand and in New Zealand dollars, so no hidden charges or credit card currency charges. The price is all inclusive with a zero insurance excess and the car is able to be used right across Europe. The car you book is the car you get, so no sudden substitutions by rental companies and you can choose the engine, gearbox, options and even items such as child seats and snow chains. It’s even a brand new car making it an ideal start for a visit to Europe.”

The low cost is guaranteed firstly by the fact that cars under the DriveEurope programme pay no purchase or on-road taxes, a huge saving in Europe where value added tax (VAT) can be nearly three times New Zealand’s GST rate. Secondly all the payments are made here in New Zealand, in New Zealand dollars, so there are no foreign exchange penalties. Thirdly, there is even a zero insurance excess, something that, alone, can cost hundreds of dollars a day on conventional car rentals.

Driving holidays should be all about flexibility and peace of mind, being able to go wherever the road goes, changing plans on a whim, heading to wherever you want, just to see what is over the next hill or around the next corner. However, this is not something of which conventional car rental companies tend to approve, with distance limits, restrictions on use in countries other than when the car was rented and so on.

Not with Citroen DriveEurope.

Indeed the range of countries in which a Citroen DriveEurope car may be driven is extraordinary. If you want to drive from the frozen top of Norway to the Sahara Desert in Morocco or Tunisia, then DriveEurope is for you. If you want to do a lap of Iceland, cross Ireland and drive on to Israel, and visit every country in between, then DriveEurope is the automatic choice.

All Citroen DriveEurope cars come as standard with the comfort of AirCon, power steering, central locking and radio with CD player, as well as the safety of ABS brakes and front and side airbags, with many also offering SatNav.

“If this wasn’t a sufficiently convincing argument as to why Citroen DriveEurope is the only way to get behind the wheel on a European Holiday, then there are the earlybird booking bonuses,” says Mr Malatios. “These can mean almost an extra two weeks of a European driving holiday added to the minimum 17 days at no charge, as well as halving the costs of collecting and dropping off a car outside France. The holiday pundits and experts say that 2012 will be the year to make that European holiday dream come true and with Citroen DriveEurope it will be a holiday of a lifetime without the fear of having to spend a lifetime paying for it!”

The Citroen DS5 Hybrid4

The CITROËN DS5, set to arrive in New Zealand in mid 2012 and available to book now in the Citroen DriveEurope programme, is a new phase in the development of the DS line. This innovative and visionary model fits perfectly with the brand’s “Créative Technologie” and features even bolder choices in style, architecture, sensations and refinement. The CITROËN DS5 experience is about fully embracing the pleasure of driving an outstanding vehicle. A singular creation, the CITROËN DS5 surprises and appeals with:

• Its styling: boasting an audacious body and inspired style, the DS5 is an aerodynamic sculpture that expresses the finest in CITROËN expertise. It features authentic materials that embody the finest in French-style luxury. Extraordinary, bewitching and attractive, the CITROËN DS5 appeals, naturally.

• The intelligence of its design: the CITROËN DS5 is an extraordinary vehicle that proposes a new take on the premium segment while combining compact body dimensions with a spacious interior. It goes beyond traditional compromises between aesthetics and user features, marrying driving pleasure with shared well-being.

• Its technology: It also features the finest CITROËN technology, including intelligent traction control, a second-generation lane departure warning system, automatic activation of the high-beam function depending on surrounding traffic, head-up display in colour, and a reverse parking camera. The CITROËN DS5 is also the brand’s first model available with Hybrid4 full-hybrid diesel technology, combining strong performance (200 bhp, four wheel drive) and all-new driving sensations (electric power in the city, acceleration boost in “Sport” mode) for CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km and it is this variant that is available as part of the Citroen DriveEurope programme.

• Its road performance: like the CITROËN DS3 and DS4, the DS5 offers a dynamic yet serene drive in all circumstances. The car’s unique road feel gives drivers the feeling that the wheels are at their fingertips.

Its spirit: with its strong emotional content, the CITROËN DS5 invites passengers to take part in an amazing onboard experience, with a cockpit-inspired driver’s station where dreams and reality meet.

Citroen DS5 Hybrid4

The DS5 is the first CITROËN fitted with full-hybrid Hybrid4 technology combining the on-road performance of an HDi diesel and the efficiency of electric power. The system provides a heady driving combination – with 200 bhp, four drive wheels, electric mode in cities, accelerator boost – along with extra low CO2 emissions, at just 99 g/km.

The originality of the Hybrid4 system lies in a blend of several technologies:

• A 2.0 HDi 160 DPFS internal-combustion engine,
• Stop&Start system with a second-generation reversible alternator,
• Automated 6-speed manual gearbox with optimised shifts,
• Permanent magnet synchronous motor located on a special multi-link rear axle developing power of 27 kW (37 bhp),
The Power Train Management Unit, which automatically manages the settings of the two engines with a view to reduced fuel consumption.

Hybrid4 technology offers several different driving settings. Using the thumb wheel on the central console, drivers choose from one of four modes: Auto, ZEV, 4 Wheel Drive and Sport.

• “Auto” is the default setting. To optimise fuel consumption it automatically handles switches between the fuel engine and the electric motor.
• “ZEV” (for Zero Emission Vehicle) is for driving with the electric motor only, for speeds of up to 60 km/h. Range in ZEV mode is between 2 km and 3 km, after which the car automatically switches back to “Auto”.
• “4 Wheel Drive” is used when drivers need enhanced grip at low speeds. The front wheels are powered by the internal-combustion engine and the back wheels by the electric motor. Ideal for tough ground and low-grip situations such as snow, mud and sand.
• “Sport” provides extra responsiveness and vitality by making maximum use of the electric motor on top of the fuel engine. Accelerations and gear changes are revitalized by an electric “boost”.

ENDS

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