A Citroen known by Wuhan Ya.

"Where are you?" Where are you going? )

"Trouble Ke Wuda." (Wu Da, please. )

"Don't bird! I went to Dis in Hankou, why should I go back to science and education? " I can't go! I am a taxi in Hankou, and now I have to go back to my shift! )

Such a dialogue with the taxi master will definitely evoke many memories of Wuhan people in those years. The dark green Fukang with transparent taillights, the black Fukang 988 symbolizing the identity of a well-off family, the Fukang patrol car of the police uncle, and the Fukang taxi that always feels a little faster than ordinary cars ... In those years, Fukang cars could be seen in the streets and alleys of Wuhan. The herringbone gear logo and the double flying tuxedo logo have long been the totems of almost every Wuhan car fan. Citroen has thus become one of the symbols of Wuhan.

The well-known "old three"

As early as before the overseas version of Citroen ZX model went on the market, the Second Automobile Factory (the predecessor of Dongfeng Motor Company) had already contacted Citroen, and at the same time put forward the plan to introduce ZX model into domestic production. 1992, after the two sides reached a cooperative relationship, the domestic models based on Citroen ZX were introduced into the domestic market in the form of CKD (all parts assembly).

In order to achieve the goal of "getting rich and running well-off", DPCA gave it a household name "Fukang". In fact, the name also comes from the transliteration of Citroen ZX Volcane. As a sports version of ZX series, Volcane/ Fukang, which has a lower body and a sports adjustment suspension, also inherits the "sports gene" in the family. The rear trailing arm torsion bar spring dependent suspension was a unique design of French cars at that time. Because of the special flexible bushing, the independent rear wheel has the function of follow-up steering, which can restrain the understeer of the vehicle to a certain extent and improve the vehicle limit. Therefore, Fukang has become a car with driving pleasure and chassis as its selling point.

Citroen ZX rally raid' 199 1-92

At that time, the fame of ZX, a native of France, in the field of rally also gave Fukang genes in the field of automobile sports. However, unlike the "car monster" who participated in the Paris-Dakar Rally through super modification like the ZX Rally Raid, the Fukang people in China participated in the rally in a way that was almost an "ordinary car". Put on a set of sand tires, remove the bulky interior ... and finally weld the roll cage, and Fukang can touch the domestic rally venue.

The name of Dongfeng Citroen Tianxin Team is the common memory of many old fans in Wuhan. In those national rally championships, the red Fukang chariot with 1.4L engine was once a frequent visitor under the photographer's lens. The great achievements of that year not only made many taxi drivers proud of driving the same chariot, but also set off a wave of legal refitting cars in Wuhan. Even the official of Shenlong Automobile has launched the "original modified car", which has a large encirclement.

Shenlong Fukang 988

Fukang cardboard

Fukang pickup edition

In addition, the ever-changing Fukang has many derivative models: sedan version of Fukang 988, extended VIP version of 988, Elysee, extended version of Elysee, hatchback version of Elysee, van version of Fukang, Fukang pickup truck ... In 2008, it was even sold with two generations of successor models, Seine River and C4/ Triumph.

Like many families in Wuhan, Fukang is the first car in my family, which has been used for more than ten years. If the 4AT gearbox hadn't been cured for a long time, this "hero" who has been practicing handcrafting for all members of the family might have followed us to the present.

In those years, our impressions of Fukang cars can be summarized as follows: fun to drive, powerful power, white smoke from the air conditioner, 40 degrees outside the car, 16 degrees inside the car, solid overall leather but many minor problems. In fact, this is also the general character of our Wuhan people: "quite interesting" (interesting), "quite wild" (particularly careless), "quite experienced" (able to withstand setbacks) but "quite tangled" (many things).

Nice "Dafukang"

I believe many people have seen the rumored "Dafukang". The tail of the car says Fengshen-Citroen Xm, but it actually has a nice name called Xiantia. Because the name is hard to remember, and the color and wedge design of the car paint are very similar to those of Fukang in those days, the workshop is called "Dafukang".

Citroen Xianxia

Posters of Broadcom and Lamborghini Mihura

Like ZX/ Fukang, Sandia, which was born at the same time, was designed by Bertone. Established in Turin, Italy, this design company was once the most influential automobile design company in the world and one of the oldest industrial design companies, but its popularity in China is far less than that of Pininfarina, Italdesign)/ Giorgetto and even Ghia Design Company. In fact, there are countless well-known models born under Broadcom's pen. For example, classic sports cars such as Lamborghini Mihura, Alfa Romeo Carabo, Lancia Stratos Zero, Lamborghini Coutach, Lamborghini Diablo, Cizeta-Moroder V 16T are all frequent visitors to the famous car posters and calendars of that year. These "masterpieces" have also made wedge design popular to this day.

Sandia, which also adopts wedge-shaped design, has a deep impression on a generation with its rectangular headlights, slender body lines, short rear design with a semi-trailer and special rear wiper design. This medium-sized car was also introduced into China in a small amount in the form of CKD on 1996, named Xm2.0, but unlike Fukang, it was assembled by Huizhou Fengshen.

From the name of Xm 2.0, it is not difficult to see that the domestic Sandia is equipped with a 2.0L self-priming engine code-named XU 10, with a maximum output of 97 kW (132 HP) and a peak torque of 180 Nm. However, Sandia's biggest selling point is not power or design, but the magical active hydraulic pneumatic suspension system. This is also a patent that Citroen is proud of so far. Through the control of the driving computer, this suspension can keep the car body in a good posture during emergency braking, sudden acceleration and sharp turning, and at the same time, it can greatly suppress vibration when passing through rough roads. In addition, the system can also obtain better passability by adjusting the height of the car body.

It is worth mentioning that this black technology suspension also integrates Activa active anti-roll bar technology in the later stage, which also gives it the dynamic performance comparable to that of a sports car. 1999, the Xantia V6 Activa vehicle equipped with this suspension system achieved a speed of 85km/h in the elk test, and this record has been maintained to this day. 2008 Porsche 9 1 1 GT3 RS, 20 17 Audi R8 V 10 PLUS and 20 17 McLaren 675LT all challenged this record, but they all ended in failure. This shows Citroen's accomplishments in the field of chassis and suspension.

In addition to Xm2.0, there was another model called Xm3.0 in China. Actually, it's an authentic overseas version of Citroen Xm. The suspended roof, double C-pillar design and rearview mirror integrated on the front fender are all very advanced. In addition, in addition to having the same oil-gas suspension system as Sandia, this executive class car is also equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 engine code-named ES9. Avant-garde appearance and interior design, unique technology configuration, and amazing fuel consumption known as "one box of oil a day" make everyone impressed by the "magic car" that does not belong to this era.

In addition, due to the backward maintenance technology of these two models in China, it is difficult to repair the "Dafukang" after it breaks down, and few car owners are even more reluctant to spend huge sums of money and time to buy parts from overseas for maintenance. They were born at the wrong time and eventually lost in the long river of history, but we are no strangers to Sandia and Xm's successors.

The first time I saw the president's car

After Xm, Citroen introduced a brand-new executive car-C6. As the flagship model of Citroen, its unconventional luxury car looks as eye-catching as UFO. Up to now, the author still remembers the first time I met it on the streets of Wuhan: at dusk, a car with an avant-garde shape and a mirror-like body passed me on the streets of Wuhan. It is also the first time in my life that I met a flagpole standing on the front bumper and a vehicle with black embassy license plates on the front and back. The mature and solemn temperament of the first generation C6 made me feel shocked when I was a child.

In addition to the avant-garde design, the luxurious atmosphere and configuration in the C6 car basically represent the highest level of the same level in that era. Vitelli leather covered interior, HUD, adjustable central display screen, lane departure warning, seat vibration warning, electric adjustment of rear seats, seat heating function for each seat, smart wiper, Bluetooth hands-free phone, JBL brand woofer, cruise control system, parking assist system, xenon headlights with steering function, speed-sensitive spoiler, etc. These now seem to be the necessary configurations for luxury cars, but they have "crossed" C6 for nearly 15 years.

Since its official appearance at the Geneva Motor Show in 2005, this avant-garde luxury car has won many international awards in just two years. Its avant-garde appearance, frameless door, elegant and luxurious interior, comfortable riding experience, rich electronic configuration and the third generation active hydraulic suspension system all make it highly praised in the international market. Even then French President Jacques Chirac couldn't resist its avant-garde design and technology, and he bought two C6 originals out of his own pocket.

However, is the consistently advanced concept of building a car really good for the development of Citroen?

It's not a good thing to be too ahead.

1998, the first generation of Citroen Picasso was officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. It is not difficult to see from the full name of Xsara Picasso that it is a compact MPV based on Xsara. This family car with five doors and five seats was officially sold in China on 20011. Because of its unique egg-shaped design, it is also ridiculed by many people as a "single compartment". Judging from the scene of the family car, this family car with a wheelbase of 2760mm has designed three independent seats with adjustable backrest for the back row, and a completely flat platform was also very rare in that year. Sarah Picasso has a space performance comparable to that of a medium-sized car in the same period because of its unique body structure, and the trunk also has huge storage space. In addition, on the 2004 2.0L manual model, Picasso introduced the configuration of panoramic sunroof, becoming the first model equipped with this configuration in China. However, its sales performance is not impressive.

Although Sarah Picasso is still a good car suitable for home use from the present point of view, it also reveals that the product planning of Shenlong Automobile is too advanced, and Citroen lacks models that really meet the domestic market. In addition, the short product line and the over-advanced, niche corporate philosophy also reflect the "small factory" attribute of Peugeot Citroen Group to a certain extent. Eager to "show off" one's family wealth will not only increase the cost of building a car and developing it, but also easily confuse consumers. This may also be the reason why people dislike many "anti-human designs" of French cars.

The story of the Seine River

After more than ten years of experience in Fukang and its derivative models, Xsara Senna has taken over the banner of Citroen's compact main force. From then on, the legendary French driver Sébastien Loeb almost won the WRC World Rally Championship from 2002 to 2006 in his Xsara chariot. In addition, two legendary drivers, colin mcrae and Carlos sainz, have also driven this model in WRC.

Xsara WRC racing car in Sébastien Loeb

The Seine River once set off a "refitting fever" in China.

Like Fukang, the Seine's track record also gave birth to the fiery modification of this model. EW 10 2.0 self-priming engine with outstanding performance is also called "magic machine" with the introduction of the Seine into China. In addition, "2 pieces of beer 100 /9 seconds 100" Senna has also become a topic for many fans after dinner.

However, it seems that the sales volume is not as successful as Citroen expected. The early purse seine was introduced in the form of CKD. Due to the extremely low localization rate and high pricing, the early landing price of this compact hatchback is close to 200,000 yuan. Even though Senna has outstanding performance, there are not many consumers who really pay for it. Like Sarah Picasso, who introduced to the domestic market earlier, under the influence of multiple "acclimatized" factors, only the hatchback version of the Seine made Shenlong Automobile suffer a big loss that year.

C4 and the story of victory

In response to market changes, Citroen launched the C4 WRC concept car in Geneva in 2004, aiming to attract more young consumers' attention through this brand-new car with sports genes. In view of the European market's preference for hatchbacks, Citroen introduced C4 five-door hatchbacks and three-door coupes in the same year. These two models were finally introduced into the domestic market in 2008 by domestic and imported methods respectively.

Citroen C4 sports car

Citroen C4 coupe and C4 hatchback version

In those years, Sega's debut also created another glorious period for Citroen in China market. As the synchronous model of C4 in Europe, Shenlong Automobile not only keeps the exterior design and interior configuration of overseas models to the greatest extent, but also kindly equips all its models with lower engine guards, but this matter is little known. It was not until some time after C4 Sega that this "free gift" configuration was gradually cancelled due to some factors.

In terms of power, Sega is equipped with 1.6 liter TU5JP4 engine and 2.0 liter EW 10A engine. Among them, TU5JP4 engine, as the mainstream power system of DPCA, has been widely used in many models of Citroen and Peugeot, and it is not too much to call it the first generation famous engine. The highlight of this engine is the power output at high speed. The maximum power of 78 kW /5750rpm and the peak torque of 142 Nm /4000rpm make this engine among the best engines of the same displacement in the same period. "The speed of 3000 is very strong" has also become the "stalk" that PSA owners only understood in the past.

The European market's obsession with compact hatchbacks also made Citroen ignore the importance of cars and medium-sized cars in the world market. Although there are new models, it is still an urgent problem for Citroen to lack a brand-new compact car in the domestic market. It was not until the next year that Shenlong Automobile brought its own "magic change" sedan version of Sega. At the same time, the detailed design of Citroen C5, which originated from overseas, makes it more harmonious than other sedan models of Shenlong, which also makes it favored by more consumers.

However, before the birth of the sedan version of Sega, Shenlong Automobile also considered the shortcomings of sedan and medium-sized cars in the product line. However, Shenlong Automobile did not introduce overseas C5, which is a "hatchback and a half" standard medium-sized car, but used A+ class car as a B-class car.

On February 18, 2006, the new model of Dongfeng Citroen made its world premiere in Shenzhen. Because of high hopes for this car based on Citroen C4, Citroen also named it Triumph, which not only won the lottery, but also avoided the number "4" that China people didn't like. The slender body, span wheelbase and excellent spatial performance are impressive. It is also the first time to see the configuration of follow-up steering headlights, flight dashboard, special central fixed steering wheel and Bosch ESP electronic stability system on this A+ class car. However, it is not a special model of China. At the Barcelona International Auto Show the following year, the overseas version renamed Citroen C4 pallas was officially released, and then it began to be sold in Europe, Latin America and South America. Although the C4 series headed by Triumph is the successor model of Seine and Fukang in China, its appearance did not replace Fukang and Elysee (Seine became a flash in the pan), but was introduced into the domestic market as a supplementary model. However, the fact that medium-sized cars are still lacking still exposes the short product line of Citroen. In China, this problem was not alleviated until C5 was made in China.

Speaking of Citroen's triumph, perhaps more people will think of that powerful triumph. In May 2008, 12, a major earthquake claimed the lives of 69,227 compatriots, and at the same time caused17,923 compatriots to disappear. In the Wenchuan earthquake, countless touching moments were born, one of which was the triumph of Citroen with the license plate number of Sichuan FA85 12, dragging the broken body and still moving forward. This scene also brought confidence and belief to people who were suffering at that time. That year, it also became one of the symbols of China people's perseverance under the disaster.

Nowadays, Shenlong automobile is no longer brilliant, and the fierce competition in the market makes them face the dilemma of survival. But when another disaster came, it stepped forward again.

Write it at the end

As a native of Wuhan, I, like many Wuhan people, can be said to be sitting on a Fukang car and witnessing the development and prosperity of this city. It is precisely because of this that we felt sad and helpless when we learned that Shenlong Automobile began to lay off employees and close factories, and even used Chinese abuse to attack the incompetence of car companies. But in fact, everyone knows clearly that we Wuhan people are all suffering.

Peugeot 908 Le Mans and Citroen C4 WRC.

Citroen C4 WRC racing car

Citroen C3 WRC racing car

PSA is an experienced overseas car company and the first joint venture brand to enter the domestic market. Why suddenly "I don't know the choice of the owner"? In my opinion, in addition to the management confusion, strategic mistakes and positioning deviation of car companies themselves, it is also related to people's habit of treating the "black" legal system as "political correctness", which leads to negative reputation. Even though many legal products have done a good job in chassis adjustment, configuration and dynamic performance, consumers will still be obsessed with it as a "small plait" of anti-human legal cars, which will eventually lead to a sharp drop in their sales. The low sales volume once again brought doubts to consumers. In such a vicious circle, it is more difficult for French cars to reproduce their former glory.

The sudden "COVID-19" epidemic made Shenlong Automobile worse. But even so, we still see it appear again. Dongfeng Group led Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen, Nissan and other joint venture brands to donate a total of 36 million yuan in this epidemic. Employees, car owners and taxi drivers also spontaneously put themselves into the front line of epidemic prevention and control to help their hometown, pick up and drop off medical staff, transport medical materials, provide first aid services for the community and purchase protective materials. ...

This car company, whose headquarters and factories are in the hardest hit areas, still appears on the list of donations and materials. I believe that it will also touch countless Wuhan people to do their best to assume social responsibilities and contribute to their hometown. When Wuhan was unsealed and Hubei, which had been suspended for 76 days, was restarted again, the words that once encouraged us were also given to this old friend: there is no winter that can't be passed, and there is no spring that can't come.

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.