Last week’s French Presidential elections saw the incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy, deposed in favor of his socialist competitor Francois Hollande. Among the many perks Hollande will soon enjoy is his choice of presidential limos. Hollande has named the Citroen DS5 diesel-hybrid as his preferred limo, a choice we can only applaud.
When Barack Obama became President of the United States, it was widely theorized that he would also rock a hybrid limousine. Alas, he instead went with a truck badged as a Cadillac, a heavily armored beast that tends to bottom out if not properly driven. Hollande’s choice of the DS5 diesel-hybrid is a much more practical and plebeian choice of vehicles. Then again, President Sarkozy was known for being driven around in his limo with the windows down as French photojournalists chased him down on motorcycles and scooters. There is obviously less of a concern for safety in France as far as the President is concerned.
The diesel-electric Citroen that will be Hollande’s “limo” utilizes a diesel engine and small motor to power the rear wheels. It can reportedly get between 24 and 34 mpg, depending on how it is driven, which is rather respectable for a small SUV. Diesel-hybrids are the best of both worlds, and hopefully U.S. automakers will catch on to the potential for excellent fuel economy out of such setups soon.As for Hollande, we approve of his choice of limos. Now if only we could get Obama to ditch the Cadillac for a Volt limo, that would really piss off the conservatives.
Source: Gas2.0
