Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

The second-gen Citroen Grand C4 Picasso is set to hit the Malaysian market towards the end of the year, according to Naza Euro Motors COO Datuk Samson Anand George.

He also told us, at yesterday's Citroen DS3 launch, that models from the PSA Group's HYbrid4 diesel-hybrid line-up were being considered for local assembly.

The new Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, which surfaced last June, sits on a new EMP2 platform. The seven-seater is 110 kg lighter than its predecessor while offering more room inside, thanks in part to a longer 2,840 mm wheelbase.

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso

Globally there are 1.6 VTi 120 and 1.6 THP 155 petrol engines, 2.0 BlueHDi 150, 1.6 e-HDi 115 and 1.4 litre e-HDi 90 diesel units, plus manual, auto and ETG (Efficient Tronic Gearbox) transmissions - all with six speeds. We wonder which engine-gearbox combo we'll get.

Concerning HYbrid4, our regular 'JPJ correspondent' Anol Alias has spotted no fewer than four such models in Malaysia, based on Peugeots 508 sedan, 508 RXH estate and 3008 crossover, plus the Citroen DS5.

All of them see a 2.0 HDi FAP diesel engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rear wheels. Altogether you get 200 hp and nearly 500 Nm of torque. A start-stop system is standard, and they can be driven on electricity alone (ZEV mode), too.

Expect impressive fuel economy - 27.8 km per litre in the case of the Peugeot 508 HYbrid4 sedan, 24.4 km per litre for the Peugeot 508 HYbrid4 RXH and 26.3 km per litre for the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4 and Citroen DS5 HYbrid4.

We reported back in April 2011 that Nasim was exploring the possibility of bringing in the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4, the world's first production diesel-hybrid, to Malaysia, and that Peugeot was then conducting tests in France with our Euro 2M spec diesel.

"So far the tests have yielded positive results, but there are still more tests to be done. Once we can conclude that the 3008 HYbrid4 will have no problems running on Euro 2 diesel, we will look into launching it in Malaysia," Naza boss SM Nasarudin was then quoted as saying.