Fuel efficiency was the deal closer for the city of Nottingham in the UK, which just purchased over 300 Citroën Dispatch and Relay LCVs. The new fleet vehicles have HDi diesel engines which are certified to use biodiesel blends up to 30 percent. Nottingham City Homes' procurement & operational support manager, Peter Smith, said in a statement (pasted after the jump) that, "thanks to Citroën's clean, fuel efficient HDi diesel engines ... these vehicles are best equipped to play a key role in an on-going programme to reduce our carbon footprint."

The LCVs also have Citroën's "Fleet Director" system, which will allow a central office to dispatch the van that is closest to the job site, saving fuel by reducing the number of miles traveled. Most of Nottingham's new work vehicles are Relay 35 L3H2 120hp panel vans, but the city also took delivery of some "Relay Luton vans, tippers and dropside trucks, as well as more than 100 Dispatch L1H1 panel vans."

[Source: Citroën]

What Ford has done with its Econetic moniker and Volkswagen has done it with its BlueMotion name, Citroën will attempt to copy by releasing its Airdream collection of vehicles. From its smallest model, the diminutive C1, to the full-size Grand C4 Picasso, expect to see the Airdream badge on as many as fifty models. While we are all for notifying consumers of added technology or features which improve the environmentally friendliness of a vehicle, we wonder out loud if Citroën's Airdream label is spread a bit too thin on this many vehicles. After all, the criteria which is used to determine a model's suitability for the badge seems a bit arbitrary:

• CO₂ emissions of less than 120g/km or,
• Fitted with diesel particulate filter system (DPFS) with CO₂ below 158g/km or,
• Run on superethanol E85 or,
• Fitted with Stop & Start technology
  

And:

• Manufactured in an ISO 14001 certified factory.
• Designed to be 95% recoverable (recycling and energy recovery) at end of life.

So, by fitting stop/start on a vehicle which emits way more than 120g/km of carbon emissions, the vehicle will still qualify for the Airdream badge. Doesn't sound all that impressive. The Citroen press release is after the jump.

[Source: Citroën]

click to enlarge

The Citroën C4 will get a new look in 2010, but for now the French company is happy to update and upgrade the version it currently sells. The changes include small styling updates and some eco-aware changes in the new petrol engines and some low-rolling resistance tires from Michelin.

The current engines in the C4 include a 1.6i 16V and a 2.0i 16V, and both will be scrapped in favor of 1.6 liter units (co-developed with the BMW group) called the VTi 120 hp (Variable valve lift and Timing Injection) and THP 150 hp (Turbo High Pressure). Citroën isn't saying just how much cleaner these engines are, just that they "offer improved fuel economy and lower emissions."

Inside the new C4, Citroën has added a new navigation system with a 7-inch screen and a 10GB hard drive. The redesigned front end now shares a few touches with the C5. Not bad, but we'll keep an eye out for the reported diesel hybrids in the next generation.

[Source: Citroën]

click to enlarge

If you like the look of Citroën's C2 and C3 superminis (I do), then the announcement of a style refresh might be most welcome. The fact that one of the marque's new lookers emits just 113 grams of CO₂ a kilometer is just an eco-bonus. As you can see in the company's chart pasted after the jump, emissions from the new supermini line-up range from 113 to 172, but there are seven trim and engine combinations that break the important (for now) 120 CO₂g/km level. The bulk of the low emission models use the 1.4HDi 70hp engine, and the C2 also comes in a 1.6 HDi 110bhp VTS flavor that emits 119 g/km of CO₂ and goes from 0-62 mph in under 10 seconds. Not bad for 53.4mpg, right? Add in Citroën's approval to use up to B30 in the C2 VTS and you've got a solid car, the kind Americans wish they could be buying right now. Citroën also recently introduced a natural gas-powered C3.

Click on the image to watch the video

Who says that frugal and fun can't go together in the same sentence? It could be argued that using Minis -- both classic and current -- in the chase scenes of the movie(s) The Italian Job made them fairly eco-friendly already... well, at least as friendly as a filmed chase scene could be. At least they didn't use muscle cars, right? But at this year's Sexy Green Car Show, Citroën has apparently decided that the classic scene needed to be recreated using as little fuel as possible. To that end, a thirty second film spot was made which features Citroën's little C1, a car capable of delivering nearly seventy miles per gallon while emitting just 108g/km of carbon dioxide. Fittingly, the three C1s featured in the advertisement are red, white and blue - the same colors as the Minis that were initially used in The Italian Job movies. We'll be honest... the video pasted after the break isn't nearly as entertaining as the original, but it's fun in its own little way.

Click on the image to enlarge

We're driving, driving, driving like it's nineteen-ninety-nine. Well, not exactly, but Citroën says that owners of its cars in the UK may actually be driving for less money per mile on average than they did eight years ago. Here in the states, gas was über-cheap in the year 2K, but in the UK, where both petrol and diesel has always been more expensive, the price was quite a bit steeper due to fuel protests in September of that year. In fact, Citroën claims that the increased efficiency of its models more than makes up for the increase in the price of gas that took place between the year 2000 and today, even when adjusted for inflation. It's not all good news, though, as the price of oil continues to rise. "Whilst improved fuel efficiency and advances in vehicle design have reduced the cost of filling up, in real terms, the economic benefits of improved efficiency could soon be canceled out altogether if prices continue to rise at their current rate, although our commitment to reducing CO₂ and harmful emissions will not be lessened," according to Marc Raven, spokesman for Citroën.

PSA Peugeot Citroën, already Europe's leader in low CO₂ emissions, is planning on introducing a new line of small-bore three cylinder engines. It seems that the French automaker is keen on keeping their eco-friendly reputation, as this information comes shortly after we heard that PSA plans to make its Stop & Start system standard across its line. Their one liter three cylinders are expected to offer from seventy to one-hundred horsepower. PSA's "aim is to offer the market vehicles with CO₂ emissions below 100g/km with no additional technology." We would imagine that this line of engines, especially when equipped with stop/start technology, will be quite the fuel misers. Currently, there's no word on what vehicles these engines are slated to be installed in.

To make their ambitious goals a reality, PSA is setting up two manufacturing sites to build the engines. The first operational facility will open in 2011 and have a capacity of 600,000 engines per year.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req'd]

After PSA's announcement of taking things easy on diesel hybrids, it's at least good to know that they have decided to make the Start & Stop system available for the whole range of models. Nowadays, only certain versions of the Citroën C2 and C3 can be ordered with the Stop & Start system, a nifty fuel saver that shuts down the engine at traffic lights or when stuck in a traffic jam. This accounts for a 10 to 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO₂ production figures.

PSA has just announced that they will make the system available for their complete lineup and - even better - it will be made standard. Their target is to install the system in a million vehicles by 2011 and 1.6 million by 2012.

[Source: Autoplus (thanks to my buddy Dominique for the tip)]

Over in Britain, Citroën is doing their best to draw owners of older, thirstier, CO2-spewing cars for a new low-CO2 model. To help attract customers to their showrooms they are offering up to £1,000 in cash for trade-ins on older cars. The deal applies to particular low emissions models of the C1, C2, C3, C4 and Berlingo van. Unfortunately deals like this are unlikely in the US because most of those low emissions small cars have little or no profit margin here.

Related:

• "GO LO CO2" - Citroën's clever name for a way to reduce driving emissions

[Source: AutoExpress]

Ok, you've got a small, fuel-efficient (more than 60 mpg Imperial) hatchback. It's not a high-performance sports car, but it will get you to 62 mph in under 10 seconds. If you're under 25, you get a free year of insurance on the sucker. It costs £13,400, but for a limited time, the price after cash back offers is £10,995. Do you buy?

That's the question Citroën hopes people answer in the affirmative with the introduction of the 110hp C2 1.6HDi VTS. This sports hatch is the first diesel supermini with the VTS label. I'm not all that enamored with the looks of this C2, but 64 mpg makes any car look better. Also, CO2 emissions barely break through that important 120 barrier at 119g/km. It certainly has potential.

[Source: Citroën]

Citroën is making a point of its collection of low-CO2 emitting vehicles, and how well they're selling in the UK. The news from the automaker is that, of all the vehicles sold that emit less than 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer, 15 percent bore the Citroën name. But that's not enough for the double chevrons, as Citroën announced today that it will pay the Road Fund Licence for all new sub-120 cars sold in July. There are 22 Citroën models that will qualify for the deal, including the C1, C2 and C3 superminis and some of the larger C4s. Press release details after the jump.

Related:

• On TV, even dolphins like Citroën minicars

• New Citroën C4 Sillage comes in two petrol, four diesel flavors

• Citroën Cruise Crosser - a six-wheeled SUV with electric axle

• Citroën's new SUV, the C-Crosser, uses clean diesel engine, but did Citroën drop biodiesel capability?

[Source: Citroën]

In 2010, Citroën's new diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain should be implemented in the company's C4 line. Until then, we'll have to make due with C4s like the new Sillage special series. The Sillage launches in France today with a heap of features (GPS navigation, 30 GB media/map hard drive, 16-inch alloy wheels, reverse radar) and six engine choices. The options are: 1.4i 16V and 1.6i 16V running on petrol and the diesel-drinking HDi 92, HDi 110, HDi 110 DPFS and HDi 110 DPFS with the 6-speed EGS.

Related:

• Peugeot Citroën sales dip slightly, but the C4 debut goes well
• Citroën announces new "by LOEB" C4 and C2 models
• Citroën C4 Picasso wins MPV of the Year, and it's not even out yet

[Source: Citroën]

If you're going to deliver goods anywhere within the London Congestion Zone, the Nicholson McLaren Engines company would like you to consider converting your delivery truck over to dual fuel (petrol and LPG). Last week, NME converted its 1,000th Citroën Berlingo 600 LX 1.4i vanto dual fuel and, because a NME Berlingo dual fuel van is exempt from the London Congestion Charge (for meeting meeting Powershift Band 4 emissions standards) companies that make the switch can save a lot of cash driving around the city. You can see NME's calculations after the jump, but the short of it is a costs savings that should pay for itself within the first year.

The 1,000th convert was purchased by building contractor Maulyte Ltd., which plans to use them for three years. There's lots more, including another picture, after the jump.

[Source: Citroën]

Following up on the AutoBlogGreen exclusive photos of a Peugeot 107 along with two more spotted the next day on the roads of Livonia, MI, there is more news from Wards AutoWorld. Peugeot is a corporate stablemate of Citroen under the banner of PSA in France. In Europe Citroen sells a badge engineered version of the Peugeot 107 called the C1. Apparently Citroen is seriously looking at getting back into the Canadian market, particularly with diesel engines. Gas prices are considerably higher in Canada than the US and the diesel regulations aren't as strict. Citroen feels that small diesel cars could well in Canada. They also feel that the French badged cars will do well in French speaking Quebec. So it seems likely that the Peugeot's that are being tested are actually destined for the northern market with Citroen badges.

[Source: Wards AutoWorld]

Auto Express is reporting that Citroen has introduced a working prototype of a consumer diesel-electric hybrid vehicle in the form of a converted Berlingo called the Efficient-C. This unique drive train is presumably what French Prime Minister David Mendibourne had in mind when he pledged to support the concept, though, Auto Express states it is the outcome of a collaborative British government-funded project that includes PSA Peugeot Citroen, Ricardo and QinetiQ.

The Berlingo Efficient-C's 92 bhp 1.6-liter turbodiesel and electric motor achieve a combined 75 mpg as well as a 30 percent improvement in CO2 emissions over a comparable diesel-only drive train as it emits just 99 g/km. In comparison, Toyota's Prius spews 104 g/km of CO2.

Auto Express predicts that Europeans should see the drive train hit the market in the next-generation C4 in 2010. As for the infamous dual-impact premium that has driven other automakers away from developing the concept, Citroen estimates that the Efficient-C adds £3,000 to the price of a standard Berlingo, but hopes that by the time it's ready for release the cost of the technology will wither to about 50 percent of that.

[Source: Auto Express]