Image courtesy of L'argus
Written by | Estif
French automotive media L'argus drew a hypothetical image: Citroën C5 X Élysée 2022.
It is envisaged that after Marina Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron decide the winner, the new official will be welcomed in the ninth presidential car of the Fifth Republic to replace the DS 7 Crossback on which Macron is riding.
Current presidential car: DS 7 Crossback Élysée
Plug-in hybrid 300Ps, wheelbase length 200mm, full vehicle bulletproof armor
Historically, the President of the French Fifth Republic has a wide variety of cars, such as the 1968 Elysee Palace, which commissioned Henri Chapulon to build a special car for de Gaulle.
Subsequently, a DS 1 PR 75 was born, a showcase of France's industrial boom, and in 1971, Henri Chapulón built an open-top parade car for President Pompidou based on SM.
The French president has a large number of Citroëns, and the Elysee Palace has been switching between sedans and non-sedans, so it is not out of the blue that the C5 X is envisioned to extend the wheelbase to serve the president.
DS 1· PR·75
SM Presidentielle Cabriolet
But French netizens do not think so, because in the past, the cars of successive presidents of the Fifth Republic were made in France, and before the "Paris Agreement", most of them were mainly V6 engines.
At present, both the C5 X and the higher-end DS 9 are produced in China (the DS 9 E-Tense 4 x 4 360 is also produced in China, but the final assembly of the wheel motor is completed in France), so just by imaginary drawings, it has aroused a wave of opposition:
1. There will never be a presidential car made in China! All official cars for the executives are made in France. General;
2. Impossible and unacceptable presidential car is not "of French origin" ...
3. To be precise, it perfectly represents the decay of our country and our incompetence in high-end cars;
4. When our neighbors have 6 to 12 cylinders and 500 horsepower or more, we are proud to have 4 cylinders of no more than 300 horsepower in our "high end", which perfectly represents what our country has become;
5. Given Macron's incompetence and France in total decadence, I think a basic Dacia without any options would be enough to satisfy him, which would save money for our bankrupt country.
After reading the messages of netizens, I think it is quite interesting.
Opposing "Made in China" becoming a presidential car is completely understandable to understand as a high sense of patriotism, but in fact, the core problem is not on the hypothetical picture of Citroën C5 X Élysée 2022, there is a deeper national logic behind it.
This is also a hypothetical diagram drawn by L'argus:
Peugeot 508 Paladins 2022
The painting style is quite peculiar...
Cars in which Nikolai Sarkozy was in office:
Peugeot 607 Paladins
The rear half of the roof is open-top designed and has a strong aura
It is not difficult to find that this is actually the dissatisfaction of the French people with the lack of vitality of the country's economy – by the end of 2021, France's fiscal deficit is 160.9 billion euros, the proportion of public debt to GDP is as high as 112.9%, and the per capita GDP in 2021 will only fall compared with 10 years ago.
Declining consumption power, a tough carbon dioxide emission system, and reduced demand for high-end cars have led to industrial outflows – domestic manufacturing in Europe is not enough to amortize costs, so it is better to take it to China to make a cost.com.
In addition, these complaints are also dissatisfaction with backward industrial policies and a rigid welfare system, with those who work too many retirees, and strong complaints about macron's "appeasement" policies in the past five years.
Or the hypothetical image of L'argus:
DS 9 Limousine Élysée
More and more outrageous...
In fact, complaining is complaining, and in the end, "the body is very honest."
The C5 X was launched in Various European countries in March 2022, with more than 3,500 units ordered by the end of March, of which 60% were PHEV. Orders will continue to show a higher trend after the Easter holiday in April.
I remember in March, when the British Autocar magazine test drove the C5 X in Barcelona, Spain, it interviewed Citroën CEO Vincent Bryant, and they asked: "Is it easy to convince the board of directors to make this car (C5 X)?" ”
Bryant replied: "If there is no demand from the Chinese market, it is difficult to say whether the final project can be launched as scheduled." ”
Aimed at the needs of Chinese consumers
Dongfeng Citroen has introduced an optional 18-inch wheel solution
Bryant also stressed: "Because they like a bigger Citroën, the C5 X sold 13,000 units in three months after it was launched in China. ”
Therefore, it can be said that Chinese's enthusiasm for the "big size" Citroën has also given the European region a more interesting Crossover - "not a traditional, low-sedan", but a new car that combines the characteristics of the GT (Grand Tourer) station wagon, SUV and hatchback, and Citroën has also opened up a new market segment.
In fact, it is precisely because of the C5 X that the French auto media has more material for the creation of hypothetical pictures of the newly promoted presidential car. 【MERCI】