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Stellantis says electrification is killing the affordable car

Stellantis-owned Citroen is worried that electrification is making it difficult for motorists to buy an affordable car by driving prices up. One of the company's top executives said this trend is "a real threat," and his comments were echoed by the group's chief manufacturing officer. "It's really a threat that the electrification has increased the price of the car so much that people can't afford cars anymore. It's a real threat, not only regarding Citroen, so we're increasingly conscious of that and are working on this," explained Arnaud Ribault, the head of Citroen's European division, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. Going hybrid (and especially electric) threatens to drive some buyers out of the new car market for several reasons. One is that the cost of the raw materials needed to build a hybrid or an electric car tends to be higher than the cost of the raw materials required to make a comparable gasoline- or diesel-powered model. For context, the Citroen C4 (a crossover with a fastback-like roof line; pictured) starts at 22,900 euros with a gasoline-burning three-cylinder engine and 35,300 euros with an electric powertrain, figures that represent about $23,900 and $36,800, respectively. That's a huge difference, even when the EV's longer list of standard features gets factored in. On our side of the pond, the 2022 Hyundai Kona carries a base price of $21,300 with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine between its fenders and $34,000 with a battery under its passenger compartment. Government incentives help narrow the gap, and the electric variant is better equipped than its gasoline-sipping counterpart, but these points don't matter to someone with a budget of $25,000, for example. Another issue, one that's more prevalent in Europe than in the United States, is that it's becoming increasingly expensive for companies to keep cheap gasoline-powered cars compliant with regulations that get stricter on a regular basis. Someone buying, say, an Audi A8 can absorb the cost of the extra equipment, but a buyer in the market for an entry-level model (like the tiny Citroen C1) very likely can't. This gives carmakers two basic options: take the financial hit and reduce a profit margin that's already wafer-thin, or pass the cost onto the buyer and watch sales plummet accordingly.

Touch but don't look at Citro"en's new Cactus concept [w/video]

Citroën isn't telling us much about its concept for Frankfurt this year. All we know is that it's called the Cactus, and its nose in profile looks like the image above. That, and it's got some kind of special bumpers on it that are apparently filled with air to absorb shocks. Whether those are there to protect the doors from dings, the body panels from shopping carts or the structure from crashes, we don't know, but something tells us it's not the latter.
The French automaker plans on revealing more on September 5, just a few days before the show opens, so we'll have to wait until then. But in the meantime you can watch the brief, quirky and typically French clip below.

DS 6WR channels Citro?n Wild Rubis into Beijing

Citroën has unveiled preliminary images and information about "the first ever SUV for the brand," the DS 6WR, before the model's official debut at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show. Said to be directly inspired by the Wild Rubis concept that bowed in Shanghai last year, the new addition to the DS family breaks new ground for the French brand, while not exactly living up to the SUV tradition.
The DS 6WR will slot in at the top of the brand's luxury-oriented DS range (where it will also be built), offering space and versatility along with added size for Chinese customers. Citroën is as-yet unclear if the model will make it to Europe, or elsewhere in the world.
The French automaker will initially offer the utility vehicle with a choice of two engine options, an e-THP 160 and THP 200 - those numbers seem to reference output in metric horsepower, meaning roughly 158 hp and 197 hp, respectively. Each mill offers both direct injection and a twin-scroll turbo, and both mate up to a six-speed automatic gearbox.