The second-generation C6 will share little more than a name and a few vague styling cues with its defunct predecessor. For starters, it will ride on the modular EMP2 platform developed to underpin a long list of Peugeot-Citroën models, including the Golf-sized 308 hatchback and a minivan dubbed C4 Picasso.
The specifications sheet will look different, too. Citroën is phasing out its innovative hydro-pneumatic suspension after a little over six decades of constant evolution, so the C6 will launch with conventional steel springs. Power will come exclusively from four-cylinder engines because Peugeot-Citroën no longer has a suitable six-cylinder unit in its arsenal. Front-wheel drive and an automatic transmission will be the only configuration available.
Motor1 believes the Citroën C6 will be shown to the public in April at the Beijing Auto Show, though the sedan might bow as a close-to-production concept. Regardless, the production model will be assembled in China in a factory operated jointly by Peugeot-Citroën and local partner Dongfeng Motors. It will go on sale on the Chinese market before the end of the year, but Citroën is currently not planning on exporting it to Europe.
Enthusiasts who are feeling nostalgic for the days when Citroën offered a supremely comfortable full-size sedan aren’t entirely out of luck. Peugeot-Citroën is investing a substantial amount of money to transform its newly-formed DS division into a full-fledged premium brand capable of taking on the likes of Audi, and sources close to the car maker have revealed that the model offensive will include a flagship sedan that’s set to bow in 2018 at the earliest. Better yet, the yet-unnamed model might be offered on our shores if DS makes good on its promise of setting up shop in the United States.
