French carmakers' 4x4 plans

At the 2005 autumn motor show in Tokyo, Mitsubishi has launched the new Outlander. Meanwhile the French car maker PSA has been developing a new and first 4x4 model based on this new Outlander’s platform. It is to be launched under the Peugeot and Citroen badges and dubbed 7007 and C9 respectively. For this project, PSA has searched and found in Mitsubishi an experienced partner particularly for off road models.

These days now, a group of engineers from Japan and France were sighted testing the two new models side by side in the roaring heat of southern France.

The Peugeot 7007 and Citroen C9 are scheduled for launch in 2007. They will be made by Mitsubishi and get power from engines by PSA and Mitsubishi. Talk is of a Mitsubishi fuel engine (2,4 litre 170 bhp) and a PSA Diesel engine (2,0 litre HDI, 136 bhp). The Mitsubishi Outlander will come on the market in Japan already this year and in 2007 in the United States. Plans for the Peugeot 7007 and Citroen C9 are to produce 30,000 units per year, and the cars are expected to cost between 20,000 and 30,000 Euros.