New car news

19 April 2010 - 13:00

Eastern promise

Citroen wants in with the Chinese.

China is already the French firm's second-biggest market outside of Europe, so in recognition of the importance of the rapidly emerging Eastern market, Citroen will show this big ol' Metropolis concept at the Shanghai World Fair in May.

Styled in Citroen's Shanghai studio, the Metropolis, we're told, ‘pays homage to China's extraordinary development'. The Chinese love a big luxury limo, and this is a big luxury limo: using a modified version of the C6 platform, it measures 5.3 metres in length - longer than a LWB Audi A8. Big.

As is required by law for any big new French concept, it's a hybrid. The Metropolis gets a 203Kw, 2.0-litre V6 mated to an electric motor capable of 71kW, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG 'box.

It can run in all-electric mode at low speed, or can muster a maximum output of 343kW (which, yeah, is more than 203kW plus 71kW - we assume some overboost function). Emissions stand at 70g/km of CO2.

Citroen makes no mention of whether the Metropolis previews a production car, but a huge luxo-barge could do well in the Far East. Do you like the looks, TopGearers?