[fz_rider]

Citroen C4 Picasso was caught testing in Chennai ! Citroen has earlier changed the plan of setting up the plant ! What citroen is doing testing the car is a mystery though !


More details on : http://indianautosblog.com/2012/09/c...ied-in-chennai

[F150]

Originally Posted by fz_rider

Citroen C4 Picasso was caught testing in Chennai ! Citroen has earlier changed the plan of setting up the plant ! What citroen is doing testing the car is a mystery though !
Attachment 988295

More details on : http://indianautosblog.com/2012/09/c...ied-in-chennai

Test cars are usually masked, but this doesn't seem to be one. I think some one imported it.

[fz_rider]

Originally Posted by F150

Test cars are usually masked, but this doesn't seem to be one. I think some one imported it.

Do you remember , even Picanto was found without any tape !

[GTO]

Citroen is part of the Peugeot group. Considering Peugeot's weakened position in Europe, and eventual cancellation / delay of India investments, there is no chance that any Citroen car will be launched in India anytime soon.

Plus, the fiercely competitive marketplace isn't exactly welcoming of new players. It's hard to make a case for Peugeot / Citroen with no real USP to offer Indian customers.

Related Thread

[vb-saan]

^^To add on the current C4 Picasso is almost at the end of its life cycle. Anyway, it does not make any sense for the ailing PSA Peugeot Citroën to enter Indian market with a relatively expensive MPV.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by GTO

delay of India investments, there is no chance that any Citroen car will be launched in India anytime soon.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Anyway, it does not make any sense for the ailing PSA Peugeot Citroën to enter Indian market with a relatively expensive MPV.

+ 1.

I tend to agree with whats written in the blog. The car might be imported by Mahindra for benchmarking its cars against foreign rivals. The area mentioned by the duo who took the pic- is famous for pics of Mahindra/ Ford spottings.

EDIT:

After I mentioned FORD - something started trickling inside my brain. Ford and Peugeot/Citroen have jointly developed diesel engines for sometime now. Some googling reveals that their latest agreement is for Euro-6 diesel engines which will roll out in 2013. Also - the 1.6L diesel under the hood of the C4 Picasso is used by both Ford as well as Peugeot internationally. The spotting was very near to the Ford plant as well. Will Ford be testing a new diesel engine for the Indian market?

[AlphaKilo]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Will Ford be testing a new diesel engine for the Indian market?

Why bring a whole car to India,that too a LHD, paying duties and so on! Instead they could have used a normal fiesta(old one - their test vehicle) by just plonking the engine into it(easier said than done!!). It would not have drawn any hawk eye attention at all! Now this is unnecessary attention drawing for them correct?

Although, I don't think Citroen is coming to India, but even if its a benchmarking, how will a car designed for European roads, traffic be used as a benchmarking against a vehicle designed purely for Indian market, unless, Mahindra or any other operator wants to enter Europe with their desi product!

[scopriobharath]

The test must be for other south-asian markets where traffic is not as smooth as US/Europe.

Indian would be a good place to test "stop and go" traffic conditions and also turning radii on tight narrow roads et all.

Citroen is not a widely known brand in india. Only enthusiasts and people who have travelled abroad would know the citroen brand.

[YashD]

I am hearing rumors that Citroen has dropped its plans for entering India!

[godhatesmyguts]

I feel that even things like stop and go traffic can be easily simulated, the only reason that i can think if is that Chennai would have a similar climate to these south east markets and this could be part of some high humidity and heat testing of things like the ac and maybe even resistance to rust.

[Mr.Boss]

Found this Citroen (not sure about the model though) parked in a apartment near Urapakkam bridge (near Vandalur)



Pardon me for the poor quality snaps. Taken with my iPhone

[girishglg]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Ford and Peugeot/Citroen have jointly developed diesel engines for sometime now. Also - the 1.6L diesel under the hood of the C4 Picasso is used by both Ford as well as Peugeot internationally. The spotting was very near to the Ford plant as well. Will Ford be testing a new diesel engine for the Indian market?

Kudos to you, a very logical guess indeed with Ford using a ready road worthy mule to test the motor in our conditions.

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Found this Citroen (not sure about the model though) parked in a apartment near Urapakkam bridge (near Vandalur)

However by the above quote do we also guess that the Picasso is parked in the apartment of a Ford official or it is just a plain import owned by a private owner.

Hence can't say anything at this point of time.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by girishglg

it is just a plain import owned by a private owner.

I don't think so. It had red (testing) plates.

[RSR]

If Peugeot-Citroën have dropped plans of entering the Indian market due to financial constraints, then I doubt they will be testing a car in India. Like others mentioned, it's probably Ford or maybe Mahindra or perhaps even a major component supplier doing the testing.

Is it just me, or did anyone else notice that there seems to be another test car in this spy photo? It's on the other side of the road, heading in the opposite direction, with camouflage on the front portion. The styling looks very "fluidic" to me!


Is it the Hyundai Elantra facelift?

[ajmat]

Ford and Peugeot Citroen share diesel engines so this might be a test mule for diesel engines