Production of the new Citroen C6 has begun at the Dongfeng-PSA joint venture factory in China. Citroen’s new C6 is codenamed X81 and will debut in a semi concept form at the Beijing Auto Show in April this year.
Full-fledged production of the C6 is expected to happen sometime in September and a launch could be scheduled during the last quarter of 2016. Citroen’s new C6 will be based on the PSA EMP2 platform and wheel spin will be aided by either a 1.8-litre or a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with the option of a hybrid being added to the lineup later on. The C6 will be the first China-made Citroen equipped with the reknowned hydraulic active suspension and external design cues will be inspired by the 2010 Citroen metropolis concept car that debuted at the 2010 Shanghai Expo.
The new C6 will also have a sibling at the Citroen DS brand and it will most likely be called the DS9. The DS9 was previewed by the 2012 DS Numero 9 concept that was revealed at the Beijing Auto Show. The DS concept was powered by a 295bhp hybrid powertrain, and the roadworthy DS9 will be launched in the first quarter of 2017, manufactured by Changan-PSA, the joint venture that makes all the DS-branded cars in China.
