Citroen to launch sub-brand dubbed Essentiele
By Andrew C., 27 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
A new sub-brand under Citroen is coming our way. According to French newspaper La Tribune, the sub-brand will be named Essentiele (essential) and will feature low-carbon and low-cost cars. One of the first cars to come out is likely a production version of the C-Cactus model, which was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007.The C-Cactus Concept had a diesel-hybrid powertrain but that would not likely make production. Instead it's more probable that a small standard petrol or diesel engine would be used.
To keep the costs of the C-Cactus down, it was designed to have fewer parts than normal. Another model that would be a good candidate for the sub-brand is a simplified version of the 2CV-inspired Revolte concept displayed at the recently held Frankfurt Motor Show.Incidentally, Citroen has newly launched its new DS brand at the premium end of the market.
Having Essentiele introduced at around the same time would be reminiscent of the 1950s when Citroen sold its premium DS and entry-level 2CV simultaneously. The next question on people's minds would probably be which company or brand would be threatened by Essentiele. In this case, it would be Renault's Dacia sub-brand, which was very successful across mainland Europe during its various scrappage schemes. Citroen has yet to give an official announcement.
Latest Auto Shows
