We like the French, especially Citroen. Citroen has that excellent knack of announcing something at just the right time, last time it was the Spanish Chairman Mao advert that made many Chinese angry, the very next day Citroen announced the C4 was to be made in China.
Yesterday, Citroen announced that that mid level Citroen C5 would go into production in 2009, and the C4 would see PRC production in 2008.
China Car Times does prefer the Citroen line up to the Peugeot line up! The 207 and the 307 have that squashed frog look about them, where as the Citroen line up looks rather sophisticated, even the latest incarnation of the ZX, with its updated grill and odd metallic paint job looks pretty good. Citroen China also has the C-Triumphe C-Triomphe (left), a notchback sedan based on the Citroen C4, which is a very nice car for its class.
Citroen which is by far the most creative French car brand nowadays has a long love story with China…far before VW started to import its Santana. It dates back before WWII with the famous “Croisière Jaune” and even later in 1986, the AX which was a popular car among youth in France became even more popular after its TV ad featuring it strolling on the Great Wall. French understood it was a symbolic gift to let that car on such a monument
I had an AX.
WORST_CAR_EVER.
Well I thought it had the worst gearbox on Earth until I drove a 2007 Seat Leon last summer in Mallorca.
I love the French though
Yes, I see Caroline and yet when its parent, Peugeot, entered China the first time, it was anything but creative. After lessons learned from its time in the U.S., I thought it would have gone about China differently.
From what I heard (back in 2001) Peugeot did a dodgy on the Chinese and sent 70s technology here to build some old %&^% heap. I am sure some of the locals down here still have resentment towards them for that…..
Good to see Honda had better luck with the same factory.
The Pug 504, Id rather have an Etsong Maestro!
And 505. When I first came to China in 1994 these were everywhere along with the Audi 100, Santana and some old Chevrolet? MPV type thing. In those days there were also plenty of Ladas on the streets.
Peugeot 504 coupé and convertible both designed by Pininfarina were very elegant cars (very different from the sedan).
As for the 505 it sold well in Nigeria where it was manufactured and you can still see many American 505 on The Bronx hills. It seems primitive Fresh bashing campaigns have not destoyed them all and some collectors saw them as alternative to dull Volvos of that time or fresh outside but rotten inside Alfa Romeos.
Well actually Peugeot is not more creative back home.
The problem is Peugeot execs are very conservative and it took them time to get rid of an untalented designer called Gérard WELTER, you know the guy who has put awful shark faces on nearly all Peugeot models.
By the way, do you know how French people have nicknamed his “style” ? “Aspiateur à mouches” which could be translated by “flies hoover”.