Citroen reveals hybrid rally car

With so much happening at the Paris Show last week, the revealing of Citroen's hybrid-powered rally car was all but lost in a sea of sporting concepts and new production cars.

The Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion 4 utilises the PSA Group's new HYmotion hybrid powertrain, with the '4' indicating that it is the four-wheel drive version.

Unlike the diesel-fuelled Citroen Hypnos concept on display in Paris, the WRC racer retains its turbocharged petrol engine, but it is mated with an electric motor that has the ability to power the car for silent, emission-free running between competitive stages.

Presumably, it would be possible to utilise a smaller engine in conjunction with the electric motor to maintain performance at the current level while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Although there are no plans as yet to introduce hybrid technology to the top-ranking WRC rally formula, the FIA's move in F1 to develop efficiency-enhancing technology relevant to road cars could filter through to the sport in the future.

Citroen currently leads both the manufacturers' and drivers' WRC championships.

Shane O' Donoghue