Since Citroen were established 1919 by André Citroen they have gone through various significant changes and have created one of the world?s most iconic cars, the 2CV. Also in the thirties they produced the worlds first mass produced front wheel drive car, which at the time was a major departure from the rest of the car manufacturing industry.

One of the most significant changes that the company has gone through was they merger between themselves and Peugeot, the other most famous French car maker. The move was initiated by the French government fearing massive job loss of the impending bankruptcy of Citroen. The move was quite successful with both companies continuing to thrive today.

Five models in Citroen?s current range are particularly popular contract hire or car leasing choices.

Xsara Picasso ? a hugely successful compact MPV proved popular with families looking for a new small family car. It initially shared much of the same internal parts as the Peugeot 306 and wasn?t a drastic change from its predecessor the ZX. Its flexible seating arrangement offers great storage so works well even with the most demanding family.

C2 ? a supermini with a drastic new styling intended to replace the Saxo. Introduced in 2004 the car was designed by the renowned Donato Coco. It?s one of the most affordable cars available on the market and has appeared on many new drivers wish lists. A number of sporty models of the car have been made available for hot hatch fans. While generally these cars have had lower performance than some of the most desirable small cars they have all the looks and a lot more pocket friendly insurance premiums.

C3 ? also intended to replace the Saxo, it was a slightly larger than the C2 with five doors was launched in 2002. Like many of the cars produced by PSA it shares a few parts with some of the cars made by Peugeot. It has the same chassis as the 1003 and the mirrors of the 206. They?ve also produced the Pluriel which is an innovative model which can be setup up either as a partial, full convertible or closed roof.

C5 ? replacing the Xantia the C5 is the latest large family car in the range. Despite sharing the same naming convention as some of the more recently launched models it doesn?t share the distinctive styling of some of its siblings. A brand new version is expected to launch before the end of 2007.

C1 ? developed as a joint venture between PSA and Toyota. As a consequence there is very little different technically between the C1, Peugeot 106 and the Toyota Aygo. Despite this, the city car has developed quite a following. As well as a three door model they also offer a five door version which might be a bit tight in the back but offers a bit more flexibility than the smaller option.