New Citroen C4 AIRCROSS: PSA's Second Take on the Mitsubishi ASX

Is it sibling rivalry or pure coincidence? No matter: the PSA Peugeot Citroen Group unveiled today not one but two compact crossovers: the Peugeot 4008 and the Citroen C4 Aircross.

Both models are based on the Mitsubishi ASX and were created as part of an OEM agreement between the French automaker and it’s Japanese counterpart.

The differences between the two French models are purely cosmetic, with each variant featuring bespoke front and rear ends along with some other signature styling traits such as the Citroen's C-column trim.

Citroen points out that the LED lights integrated in the vertical vents at the front and the rear lights are inspired by the Hypnos concept displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.

The new crossover is 4.34 m long, 1.80 m wide and 1.63 m tall, and has a luggage compartment space of 442-liter.

Like its Peugeot counterpart, the C4 Aircross’ engine range consists of four engines. The 110HP 1.6-liter petrol unit will only be available with front-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission, while buyers of the 150HP 2.0-liter petrol (which won’t be sold in Europe) and the 1.6- and 1.8-liter diesels, with an output of 110 and 150HP respectively, will have the option of four-wheel drive as well.

Citroen announced that the C4 Aircross will be launched in European markets at the end of the first half of 2012.

 

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Court Orders Suzuki to Pay $18.5 Million to Kansas Dealer for Negative Publicity

The U.S. division of Suzuki has been ordered by a Jackson County, Missouri court to pay one of its official dealers, Jeremy Franklin Suzuki located in Kansas City, the sum of $18.5 million for negative publicity against its business.

Out of the $18.5 million, $15 million are due to punitive damages caused by Suzuki’s action to the dealership, while the remaining $3.5 million are to be paid as compensation to Jeremy Franklin, president of the dealership.

The story goes like this: another Kansas City Suzuki dealer along with Franklin’s own brother, Chad, advertised a “no payments for life” plan for new Suzuki car buyers. As anticipated, their scheme didn’t go as planned so a barrage of lawsuits and negative publicity was inevitable.

Jeremy, who owned his own Suzuki dealership, had no involvement in the promotion. However, his attorneys argued that the negative publicity that stemmed from his brother's case damaged his business as consumers were mistakenly believed that Chad's and Jeremy's separate dealerships were connected.

Jeremy Franklin commented on the court’s verdict: “We see this as a vindication of our commitment to serve our customers and our persistent efforts to grow our business despite all the confusion. We look forward to rebuilding trust in the Suzuki brand name in Kansas City.”

So where does American Suzuki feature in this sibling rivalry? Well, as Jeremy Franklin’s attorney Bill Car explained, it approved and funded some of the “no payments for life” ads: “They should be held responsible for their role in approving their ads and paying for parts of the promotion and not taking steps to stop it.”

Apparently, the jury was convinced by his argument. American Suzuki spokesman Jeff Holland commented that “the company is disappointed” by the verdict and will appeal.

Story source: Automotive News

 

 

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