Citroën C-Elysée & Citroën C4 L

The Citroën C-Elysée & Citroën C4 L are two new Citroens aimed at budget compact saloon buyers in emerging markets.

The biggest car market in the world is actually the compact saloon, even if Europe, and particularly the UK, has taken to the hatch and compact SUV instead.

We recently had the Peugeot 301 arrive as an offering for more budget-minded car buyers in countries like Turkey, Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Greece, Middle East and Africa, and the new Citroen C-Elysée is the Citroen take on the same objective.

The C-Elysée is the 301 with a Citroen nose and lights bolted on (and Citroen badges) and will be built in Spain and sold in Spain, Turkey, Central Europe and Algeria. It has a big boot, long wheelbase and will, depending on market, get the latest VTi 97bhp engine.

The second new offering from Citroen – the Citroen C4 L – is the first production Citroen designed by Citroen’s Chinese style centre in Shanghai (which has been responsible for some interesting concept Citroens like the Citroen Metropolis) and is essentially a stretched C4 hatchback.

The C4 L will be built in each of the regions in which it will be sold, so Chinese C4 Ls will get built in Wuhan and Russian market C4 Ls in Kaluga. The C4 L will get a choice of three petrol engines – 150 and 170, and the VTi 135 – with auto or manual ‘box and offer a lounge-like rear compartment.

And, hopefully, tapping in to the budget compact saloon market in economies outside Western Europe with the Citroën C-Elysée & Citroën C4 Lwill help Citroen plug the hole its falling sales in mature markets has made in its finances.