Citroen is steering in a new direction

Citroen says the unorthodox steering wheel design in its new C4 has enabled it to engineer a more protective driver airbag.

The French carmaker has just revealed pictures of its new C4 range, which will be unveiled in the flesh at the Paris motor show next month.

The new steering wheel is one of the car's interior highlights. The multi-function wheel appears to "float", turning via the rim but not the central hub.

Citroen is also making much of the car's centre-mounted translucent instrument cluster, which automatically adjusts to suit ambient light conditions. Another design touch is the scented air freshener built into the dashboard.

Other innovative features the C4 will bring to the small-car segment include bi-xenon cornering headlights and a device that helps prevent weary drivers from drifting out of their lane. It's a vibrator in the driver's seat which is activacted once sensors detect the car is drifting off-line.

Equipment normally reserved for more expensive cars includes a speed limiter and low tyre pressure warning system.

On top of this, the new C4 is also set to be the only car in the class to offer laminated glass side windows. Citroen says the laminated glass provides protection against break-ins and also improves the acoustic comfort inside the cabin.

The new Citroen C4 will comes in two body styles, a sharper-styled three-door coupe and a more rounded five-door hatchback. The carmaker says both cars have a wind-cheating drag co-efficient of 0.28

Powering the new C4 will be a wide range of petrol and common rail diesel engines, most of which will meet Euro IV emission standards.

Power from the petrol engines ranges from 67kW (90bhp) to 135kW (180bhp). The turbo-diesels will develop between 68kW (92bhp) and 102kW (138hp). Manual and automatic tranmssions will be available across the range.

The base model in Europe will use a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, which will be available in both body styles. The five-speed manual VTS coupe is expected to get the more powerful 2-litre engine.

A rally-bred model with all-wheel-drive and a turbocharged engine is also being developed. The price of the C4 is expected to rival that of the Renault Megane and Peugeot 307. New Zealanders and Australians will get to see the C4 at the Melbourne motor show in March next year.