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NEC debut for the (25
Page 26
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• Citroen's Italian-built onetonne panel van — the C25 — will be seen for the first time in Britain at the Birmingham Motor Show in two weeks time, and according to the French manufacturer, it is "pretty certain" to go on sale in the UK in early 1987.
The front-wheel-drive C25 is the Citroen equivalent of • the Fiat Ducato and Talbot Express, and is built at the same SEVEL plant in Italy which is jointly-owned between Fiat and PSA (Peugeot/Citroen).
The three SEVEL models share the same basic body shell among a number of major components including suspension, brakes and Peugeot petrol engines and gearboxes.
At present the C25 is only sold in France, but plans to import it into the UK are sufficiently advanced that Citroen is undertaking a network study into the service support at the 80 dealers that are expected to sell the C25 in Britain.
The final specification for right-hand-drive C25's has yet to be finalised, although the C25 1300 — available with either a 57kW(76hp) petrol or a 55kW(74hp) diesel engine could be the most likely candidate. A five-speed gearbox is standard on all 1300 variants.
Like the short wheelbase Ducato and Express vans, the 19-tonne Citroen C25 1300 has a 6.5m3 load volume and a payload of around 1.4 tonnes.
Diesel versions of the C25 are fitted with the same Citroen 2.5-litre U25/651 indirect-injection engine as the Talbot Express diesel (CM January 19, 1985). Ducato diesels have a 2.5-litre Sofim engine.
Citroen will be making the final decisions on the British C25 at the Paris Motor Show this week.
Reactions from Fiat UK and Peugeot Talbot to the news that Citroen is about to join them in the UK with its own SEVEL van have been mixed. Both manufacturers have expressed reservations about Citroen's relative lack of experience in the UK medium/heavy van market and its ability to provide an acceptable level of after-sales service. Last year 5,519 SEVEL vans were sold in Britain. Fiat UK, with 28% of SEVEL sales, feels that the arrival of the C25 may help to increase operator awareness of the SEVEL design.
Peugeot Talbot, however, "is not particularly keen to have the increased competition the C25 represents". According to its light CV manager Peter Snelling, it sees the Citroen as a competitor, like Ford or Freight Rover. Last year PT sold 3,883 Express vans in Britain.
The arrival of the C25 could lead to problems for all three manufacturers. The SEVEL factory has experienced supply difficulties of right-hand-drive models in the past due to pressures to produce a wide variety of left-hand drive vans for Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and Alfa Romeo which sells its own version of SEVEL van in Italy.