Citroën will reveal its C4 Diesel Electric hybrid on the 31st January 2006, previewing a production car that the French car maker has committed to have on sale by 2010 in response to a call this week by French President Jacques Chirac for car makers to have such cars on sale at affordable prices within ten years.

Citroën believes that the Diesel Electric hybrid is a much more effective method to reduce fuel consumption and emissions than petrol engined hybrids, pointing out that existing pure diesel powered cars, such as the Citroën C4 HDi set for Australian launch in February, already offer better fuel consumption and lower emissions than many petrol hybrids without the performance and cost penalties. A Diesel Electric hybrid, believes Citroën, is the only way to make a significant advance over the existing benefits of diesel powered vehicles.

Next Car's Managing Editor, Stephen Walker, also supports the view that diesel/electric hybrids are the way to go. Mr Walker goes further and suggests that petrol/electric hybrids are nothing more than a lost opportunity!

The French car maker is also working hard on the next generation of low emission/fuel consumption technology with the opening of a new research centre for development of fuel cells at Carrieres-sous-Poissy, northwest of Paris on Monday 9th January 2006.

Citroën has a long term commitment to diesel, with its pioneering launches of common rail direct injection technology and as the first car maker to offer a diesel engine with a particulate filter. It has also pioneered electric cars with versions of the Berlingo and Saxo small car available in Europe in pure electric forms.

Citroën has developed and put into full production, cars that use 'stop-start' technology with dual function alternator/starter motor that turns the engine off when not required, such as when in sitting in traffic jams and while slowing down, only starting it again when it is required. This means an engine can be switched off - and therefore using no fuel at all and producing zero emissions when traffic is going nowhere.

Lamborghini Miura Concept For Detroit
6th January, 2006
The House of the Raging Bull has brought back a legendary historical name with the introduction of its Lamborghini Miura Concept car, which will be shown at the Detroit Motor Show this month ..... more

Twin-turbo Diesel For Jaguar S-TYPE
6th January, 2006
Jaguar Australia confirms the Jaguar S-TYPE Diesel for an April 2006 arrival ..... more

New Car Sales Record For 2005
5th January, 2006
Australians bought more cars and trucks in 2005 than ever before to set an all-time annual motor vehicle sales record of 988,269 ..... more

Hummer: Here In A Year
1st January, 2006
The H3 is about a year away from its Australian release. The 5-cylinder SUV will provide Holden with another 4WD model ..... more

Holden's 2006 Model Changes
31st December, 2005
Holden also announced model changes to its 2006 line-up of locally produced vehicles in preparation for an all-new Commodore which is expected to be launched in the second half of the year ..... more

GM Reaches New Milestone in Asia Pacific
29th December, 2005
With the purchase of a midnight black Chevrolet Optra 1.8 LT, H.E. Manaspas Xuto recently became the 1 millionth buyer of a General Motors vehicle in Asia Pacific in 2005 ..... more

Game, Set And Match – To Peugeot
28th December, 2005
The Cliff Richard Tennis Classic used five vehicles loaned by Peugeot at the recently staged event ..... more

Record Year For Skoda
28th December, 2005
As early as a month before the end of the year, Škoda Auto managed to break its own annual sales record achieved last year ..... more

New Audi RS 4 Supercar
27th December, 2005
Audi’s high-performance range will feature as the hero models at the 2006 Melbourne International Motor Show, with the company displaying its new RS4 supercar alongside the superlative new Audi S8 ..... more

Japan's Mazda MX-5 Commemorative Edition
27th December, 2005
To mark the Roadster, known as MX-5 in overseas markets, winning the 2005-2006 Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) Award, Mazda will launch a special edition Roadster, called the 'Japan Car of the Year Award Commemorative Edition' in Japan ..... more

Volkswagen Back In First Place In Europe
26th December, 2005
Volkswagen is back in first place in Europe. Measured by the number of new vehicle registrations, the brand has regained first place in 2005 ..... more

Mustang Lets Kids Put The Pedal To The Metal
25th December, 2005
Just as the 1965 Mustang was a runaway hit, so was its counterpart pedal car. Four decades later, the pedal car with the Mustang logo is back ..... more

Audi S8 is Show-Stopper for Melbourne 2006
23rd December, 2005
Audi will pull out all stops for the 2006 Melbourne Motor Show, displaying its superb S8 sports limousine for the first time in Australia ..... more

Mitsubishi Motors Announces Production,
Sales and Exports for November 2005
23rd December, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation has announced global production, as well as domestic sales and export results for November 2005 ..... more

Discovery 3 S – Amazing Drive Away Pricing
22nd December, 2005
Land Rover Australia has announced outstanding drive-away prices on the Discovery 3 S model in both V6 and TDV6 ..... more

New Peugeot 307CC Lands in Time for Summer!
21st December, 2005
The first shipments of the new Peugeot 307CC (Coupe Cabriolet) have arrived in Australia; just in time for summer ..... more

Aussie-Built V6 Engine Delivers Most Powerful Rodeo
21st December, 2005
Holden will match its high-tech Global V6 engine to the Rodeo to produce the most powerful V6 offering in the light truck’s distinguished 25-year history in Australia ..... more

Saab Announces New Pricing For 9-3
21st December, 2005
Saab Australia has realigned its 2006 pricing, reducing the recommended retail prices of its vehicles by up to $8,000 ..... more

Commodore Out In Force For Victoria Police
21st December, 2005
GM Holden and Victoria Police have collaborated in the design of 20 striking Commodore SS models to join the police fleet as state-of-the-art SMART cars (Special Mobile Anti-Road Toll Cars), to reduce the road toll and increase road safety during the 2005/2006 Christmas/New Year period ..... more

Lotus Europa S - ‘Business Class by Lotus’
20th December, 2005
The new Lotus Europa S, a Grand Tourer (GT) inspired two-seater will provide Lotus customers with a spectacular sportscar with significantly enhanced levels of touring and cruising capability ..... more

Volkswagen Crafter LCV Coming In 2006
20th December, 2005
Power on four wheels: Powerful and extremely frugal engines underline this new vehicle's confident character. A full engine range means that the right engine for the job is always available ..... more

Mazda RX-8 Revelation
19th December, 2005
Mazda’s latest addition to its sports car line up is a limited edition RX-8. Known as the RX-8 Revelation, it exudes luxury and exclusivity, with the added enticement of only 100 vehicles available in Australia ..... more

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 in a Class of its Own
19th December, 2005
It isn’t often that a car is made that is so superior that it is deemed to have no competition at all, but this year, the Automobile Journalists of Canada declared the Corvette Z06 to be just such a car ..... more

Limited Edition Outlander Released For Summer
17th December, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors is releasing a limited edition Outlander with a host of desirable features for the summer period ..... more

VW EcoRacer Successfully Finishes First Test
16th December, 2005
Volkswagen's EcoRacer sports car has successfully completed its racetrack debut: 34 journalists from 9 countries gave the concept car a thorough test on the racetrack in Pau in the South of France ..... more

Australian Know-How Behind India's New Ford Fiesta
15th December, 2005
The latest model in Ford's Fiesta range has just commenced sales in India – and it's thanks to a team led by Ford Australia engineers and designers that motorists in the sub-continent have a car designed specifically for their local conditions ..... more

Black Taxi is "the glory of London"
15th December, 2005
London’s iconic black cab has been hailed as "the glory of London" in a House of Lords debate ..... more

Mazda Kabura and Mazda CX-7 For Detroit
14th December, 2005
Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the Mazda Kabura sports coupe concept vehicle, and the Mazda CX-7, a crossover sports-utility-vehicle (SUV), at the 2006 NAIAS ..... more

Audi To Compete With Diesel At Le Mans
14th December, 2005
Audi will become the world’s first car manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel-engined sportscar in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours ..... more

Mitsubishi Outlander Tops 10,000 Orders
12th December, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today announced that it has received 10,000 orders for the new Outlander in less than two months since its launch, in Japan, on 17th October ..... more

Global V6 Turbo Power For Saab 9-3 Aero
12th December, 2005
Powered by Saab’s 2.8 litre V6 Turbo, the 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan is the fastest accelerating car to carry the Saab badge ..... more

Pricing For 2006 Ford Fiesta
11th December, 2005
Ford Australia has released pricing details of its new Fiesta range, which goes on sale from January 2006 ..... more

Audi On Target For New Record
11th December, 2005
Audi sold almost 767,000 vehicles worldwide between January and November, an increase of 8.8 percent on the corresponding prior-year period ..... more

Nissan Releases the 2006 350Z
11th December, 2005
Nissan's iconic 36-year-old flagship sports car, the 350Z, has been released with new features including a more powerful engine and enhancements to its exterior and interior ..... more

Porsche Enjoys Continued Growth
9th December, 2005
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG enjoyed continued growth in fiscal year 2004/05 (to 31st July). The manufacturer of sporty premium vehicles once again succeeded in selling more vehicles ..... more

Swift Awarded Britain's Car Of The Year
8th December, 2005
In the UK, Car magazine has just named the Suzuki supermini its ‘Car of the Year’ ..... more

Holden Takes On Global Design Role
8th December, 2005
Holden will significantly expand its Port Melbourne design centre to design vehicles for General Motors markets around the world ..... more