Diesel powers Citroen surge

 The C4 small car hatchback will be offered with a two-litre turbodiesel having significantly stronger performance than the current diesel option - a 1.6-litre unit capable of delivering 80kW of power.

The new two-litre diesel - the car will be called the Citroen C4 HDi 2.0 - will generate 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque, increasing for short periods to 340Nm with an over-boost function available under full acceleration.

Citroen says that the diesel version is the biggest seller of its C4 Picasso range and so is now to offer that two-litre diesel engine in the C4 hatchback. It boasts an acceleration time of 0-100km/h in 10.4 seconds yet has an officially-rated fuel economy of 5.1 litres/100km.

The C4 HDi 2.0 will have the same equipment specification as the two-litre petrol version. This means ABS brakes, climate control airconditioning, 17in diameter alloy wheels, cruise control and stability control. Pricing of the new C4 diesel will be announced when the car is shown at February's Brisbane Motor Show.

“The arrival of this new variant of the Citroen C4 range is a clear illustration of how the diesel car market in Australia is maturing,” says Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams.

The C4 diesel will have a six-speed automatic transmission.

Citroen also has confirmed that the latest version of the little C3 hatchback will offer a diesel variant. It uses diesel at a rate of 4.4 litres/100km producing 118g/km of emissions. It takes ju8st 10.8 seconds to hit 100km/h from a standing start.