Citroen still hasn’t locked in electric cars for Australia

It’s been almost two years since Citroen Australia said it was considering introducing its first electric vehicle (EV), and since then there hasn’t been any moment in this space.

The Citroen e-C4 is an all-electric version of the combustion-powered C4 crossover that’s based on the Stellantis EMP1 platform underpinning the likes of the Peugeot 208 and 2008.

Speaking with CarExpert, Peugeot Citroen Australia managing director Kate Gillis reiterated similar comments when asked whether the updated e-C4 is coming Down Under.

“That was launched this year in Europe, so [the e-C4] currently is under evaluation for this market,” said Ms Gillis.

The Citroen e-C4, along with its e-C4 X sedan counterpart, recently received an update that brought more range and performance capabilities.

These two EVs are now available in Europe with a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque. This electric motor producing 15kW more than the pre-update unit.

There’s also a new and larger 54kWh battery pack (up from 50kWh) which offers a 17 per cent better WLTP range rating: 420km compared to the 50kWh’s 360km.

Further to Ms Gillis’ remarks, Chloe Fraser – national corporate affairs and PR manager for Citroen’s distributor Inchcape – said the company is currently getting ready to launch the C5 X plug-in hybrid (PHEV).

“For Citroen electrification will start with the introduction of the C5 X plug-in hybrid electric,” said Ms Fraser.

“There’ll be a variant added to the range and that will be arriving in Australia in the first half of next year.”

“So that’s where we’ll start that journey here.”

The Citroen C5 X PHEV was originally set to arrive on Australian shores in the latter stages of 2023, however the French brand’s local arm recently delayed it to the first half of 2024, citing an “unavoidable delay”.

The C5 X PHEV is powered by a same 1.6-litre turbocharged PHEV system as the Peugeot 308 and 508 PHEVs.

On its own, the four-cylinder petrol engine develops 133kW and 250Nm, and is augmented by an 81kW electric motor. In total the drivetrain puts out 165kW, and Citroen quotes up to 59 kilometres of electric range (WLTP) from the 12.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

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