Citroen C3 Picasso Recalled in the UK because the Brakes can be Activated from the Passenger Side!

Citroen announced it will recall over 20,000 C3 Picasso models sold in the United Kingdom for a rather unusual reason. It seems that the car's brakes can be activated accidentally by the front passenger when pushing their feet into the footwell! The discovery was made by a BBC TV show called Watchdog that was alerted about the problem from a cleaning company owning three C3 Picassos.

The reason for this malfunction is a manufacturing flaw occurring in France during the right-hand drive assembly of the C3 Picasso for the UK market. Even though the brake pedal is switched to the right, it remains connected to a mechanism on the left passenger side, BBC's Watchdog explained. It was discovered that the mechanism was covered only by a thin piece of felt, and that it could be easily activated by the passenger’s feet.

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VIDEO: Citroen C3 Ad Takes a Humorous Swipe at Poorly Equipped Cars

The clever minds over at the H-Paris agency are behind this new ad for Citroen’s Fiesta-rivaling C3 supermini called the ‘Bip Bip’. The witty commercial stars a young owner of an Innocenti Mini, which is a re-bodied version of the original Mini designed by Bertone. The spot shows the man trying to emulate the sounds of a modern day car’s electronic amenities. Not quite strong, but funny nevertheless. Hop over the jump to watch the extended-cut version of the commercial. Read more »

Citroën to Show DS4 Purple, C3 Red Block and C6 Noir et Blanc Concept Models at the Geneva Salon

With the 2011 Geneva motor show only a week away, Citroën has published photos but very few details on three new concept cars based on the firm's production models that it plans to reveal on March 1. The design studies are the C3 Red Block, DS4 Purple and the C6 ‘Noir et Blanc’.

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Citroën adds "BLACKCHERRY" Edition and New EU5 HDi Engine to C3 Picasso's UK Range

For the new model year, Citroën has updated the range of its UK market C3 Picasso with the addition of a limited edition version called the "BLACKCHERRY " and the introduction of a new Euro 5 HDi 110 diesel engine matched to a 6-speed transmission.

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New Citroën AirCross: First Photos of C3 Picasso-Based Crossover

Citroën's Brazilian arm has released the first official photos of a new model called the AirCross, essentially a crossover version of the C3 Picasso MPV with a jacked up suspension and a body kit around the bottom of the body to give it a more rugged, off-road look.

Styling tweaks include the relocation of the spare tire to the rear hatch, newly designed front and rear bumpers, a new grille up front, wheel arch extensions, roof rails, faux aluminum trim and larger alloy wheels.

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Citroen C3 Picasso to Get New Micro-Hybrid System in 2010

Citroen is to launch a new micro-hybrid system on the just revealed C3 Picasso. The system was previewed on the pearlescent white and orange C3 Picasso study at the Paris motorshow and will be offered in European in 2010, nearly a year after the launch of the vehicle. When the French say micro-hybrid system, what they actually mean is a new-generation Stop & Start system with a combined alternator-starter unit that allows the recovery of energy during braking and deceleration to recharge the vehicle’s battery without consuming fuel. -Continued

Citroen claims that with this fairly simple system that will be available on both petrol and diesel models, the C3 Picasso can achieve a fuel economy of 4.0 lt/100km (58.3 mpg US or 70mpg UK) on the combined cycle as well as low CO2 emissions of just 110g/km.

Citroen C3 Picasso MPV: New Image Gallery with 34 High-Res Pics

Set to make its world debut at next month’s Paris Motor Show, the C3 Picasso is Citroen’s new baby-minivan. Loosely based on the Peugeot 207 underpinnings, the third model to join the Citroen’s Picasso family boasts a radical, cube-like body shape that sets it apart from more conventionally styled (or boring if you prefer) rivals like the Opel Meriva, Honda Jazz and Fiat Idea.

But just because it looks good doesn’t mean that Citroen ignored the practical side of the car. On the contrary, the French carmaker promises that the 4.08m long, 1.73m wide and 1.62m tall C3 Picasso will offer best in class passenger space. Citroen also says that with 500-litres under the parcel shelf, the C3 Picasso’s boot is one of the biggest in the segment, and with the rear bench down this aperture increases to an expansive 1,506-litres. -Continued

Citroen’s smallest MPV features a removable boot floor which can be positioned at two different levels, split-folding rear seats that slide independently and heaps of practical storage solutions like cubby holes, pen holders, non-slip surfaces and even a map holder – a place for each object and passenger. The glove box is ventilated on air-conditioned models and aircraft-style trays can also be installed in the rear with reading lights and cup holders.

The C3 Picasso will be offered with two petrol units developing 95 and 120 HP -both from the new-generation of engines developed in partnership with BMW, and two diesel units, the HDi 90 HP and HDi 110 HP DPFS.

Back to the Future: Citroen’s Special Edition C3 Pluriel Charleston

Fashioning a modern reinterpretation of a design theme that once decorated Citroen’s iconic 2CV which celebrates its 60th birthday this year, the special edition C3 Pluriel Charleston will be unveiled at next month’s Paris Motor Show and is expected to go on sale in Europe by the end of the year. Like the original 2CV Charleston, the special edition Pluriel features a two-tone color scheme of black and bordeaux red complemented by new 15” alloys with red center caps. Positioned at the high-end of the Pluriel range, the Charleston’s interior has been enhanced with gloss-black fittings, leather upholstery and chrome trim. -Continued

Video: How to Destroy a Car Wash Machine

We’ve watched this video a dozen times but we still can’t figure out why the driver in the light blue Citroen C3 stamped on the gas pedal crashing and ultimately, destroying the automatic car wash machine. Maybe the C3 was equipped with Citroen’s quirky Sensodrive semi-automatic transmission and the driver wasn’t accustomed with the clutchless gearbox. Who knows. What we do know is that the man with the hat in front of the car was one lucky son of a gun. -Video after the jump