Citroen has released details of the Citroën C4 Diesel Hybrid, which adds remarkable fuel economy and low emissions to the Citroën C4's catalogue of technical advances, making it 25 per cent better than any equivalent petrol-engine hybrid car, saving as much as a litre of fuel EVERY 100 kms.

The performance of the Citroën C4 Hybrid, which uses the same advanced turbo diesel 1.6 litre HDI engine as the C4 HDi launched in Australia this month, represents a major breakthrough in further improving fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions. The Citroën C4 Hybrid also provides increased driving comfort under all conditions, especially in urban traffic.

Average diesel consumption for the Citroën C4 Hybrid is 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres, with 90 grammes of CO2 emitted per kilometre, tank to wheel - a record for compact cars, the most popular segment in Europe. This is some 25 per cent better than a similar vehicle equipped with a petrol hybrid system, or as much as a litre per 100 kilometres in combined urban and motorway driving.

Citroën's Hybrid HDi technology comprises of a 1.6-litre HDi diesel engine, a particulate filter system (DPFS) with the latest generation Stop & Start system, an electric motor, inverter, high-voltage battery pack and dedicated control electronics. The cars are also equipped with an electronically-managed manual gearbox.

The Stop & Start system enables the Hybrid HDi vehicles to start and drive using only the HDi diesel engine, even when the high-voltage battery pack is totally flat. Other hybrid vehicles, in contrast, would be totally immobilised in this situation.

The Citroën C4 Hybrid HDi introduces several innovative features:

• Recovery of kinetic energy during deceleration and braking.
• All-electric mode, or Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV), eliminating noise and emissions for urban driving at up to 50 kilometres an hour.
• Extended ZEV mode, in which electrical power is used by default, depending on the battery charge level.

For main road and motorway driving, the electric motor can provide a 35 per cent power boost for extra acceleration when needed, thereby enhancing driving comfort.

Citroën could market its C4 Hybrid HDi vehicles as early as 2010. However, their introduction rests on making this technology available at an affordable price. Today, the price gap between a C4 Hybrid HDi model and a comparable diesel HDi model is still too wide and would have to be halved to make diesel hybrid vehicles accessible to most consumers.

Citroën is committed to meeting the challenge of lowering the cost of this technology. Only by meeting this goal will the Citroen be able to ensure the widespread distribution of the innovative Citroën C4 Hybrid HDi solution so making a significant contribution to protecting the environment.

Citroën plans a two-pronged approach:

• Extensive R&D on the four areas that generate most of the extra cost: high-voltage batteries, electric motor/generator, inverter and the regenerative braking system.
• Unite the expertise of equipment manufacturers and research laboratories to focus on this project.

Citroën has asked the French Agency for Industrial Innovation to support the project.

Enhancing fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions to address the issue of greenhouse gases is a critical component of Citroën's product strategy. Citroën vehicles rank amongst the best in class worldwide for low fuel consumption and C02 emissions.

To sustain this achievement, Citroën is leveraging its expertise in high-tech diesel engines, a segment where it is a world leader, with more than eight million cars with the common-rail HDi engine sold, and its pioneering role in electric vehicles. The new Citroën C4 Hybrid HDi system presented today combines many advantages of the HDi diesel engine with those of an electric motor for urban driving.

Citroën C4 Hybrid HDi - An unprecedented array of innovative technologies

• 1.6-litre HDi engine + diesel particulate filter system
• Electronically-managed gearbox
• New-generation Stop & Start system
• Electric motor and inverter
• High-voltage battery pack
• Dedicated control electronics
• All-electric mode for speeds under 50 kilometres an hour
• Driver selection of Extended ZEV mode

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