Citroen C3 to be Assembled Locally in 2002
Since mid-2000, there has been no local assembly of Citroen models and Directional (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has been selling only CBU (Completely Built-Up) vehicles such as the Xsara, Evasion and Berlingo. The last model to be assembled was the Xantia which had been around since the mid-1990s.
At today’s official sales launch of the new Citroen flagship, the C5, a director of the DRB-HICOM Group (which Directional Malaysia is part of) revealed to AUTOWORLD.COM.MY that local assembly operations of Citroens will resume next year at the AMM plant in Pekan, Pahang.
According to Dato’ William Chong, DRB-HICOM’s director responsible for automobile-related activities, the company will start assembling a brand new model during the first quarter of 2002. The model will be the Citroen C3, a 5-door hatchback which made its world debut at the Frankfurt Motorshow this week.
The rounded hatchback is about the same length as a Perodua Kembara but notably wide at 1.67 metres and 1.52 metres high. As would be expected, the cabin is exceptionally spacious and versatile.
Dato’ Chong said that final details are still being discussed with Citroen but confirmed that the Malaysian-assembled C3 will have a 1.4-litre petrol engine. This engine produces 55 kW/75 bhp and is known to be available with a sequentially-controlled automatic gearbox. Whether this advanced gearbox will be in the locally-assembled version is not known.
The DRB-HICOM director added that Directional Malaysia plans to offer more exciting new Citroens in the near future, and these include the Picasso and a new MPV.
On the relationship between Citroen and Proton, a Citroen official present at the launch said that there are ‘no projects planned with Proton’. It is known that as a follow-up to the Citroen AX-based Tiara, the former USPD was to have produced a localised Proton model based on the Citroen Saxo. However, a source told AUTOWORLD.COM.MY’s Chips Yap that the Citroen and Proton could not agree on certain points, particularly the cost of the car. When the project was finally aborted, plant expansion at AMM had already proceeded and today, the hall in which the successor to the Proton was to have been built remains empty. The Citroen official added that “our doors are always open for discussion [with Proton]” but noted that the Malaysian automaker had expressed its desire to develop its own products.
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