CITROEN has confirmed equipment levels and indicative prices for the C8, the company's newcomer to the MPV sector.

Set for sale in the UK early next year, with prices from around £18,300, the Citroen C8 range will offer four trim levels and four engines and appeal to drivers short-listing executive good looks, plenty of space and bags of practicality.

Inside, the focus of attention is on the contemporary lines of the dashboard, three fluorescent-style dials giving a clutter-free, light and bright driving position.

Longer, wider and taller than the Synergie which it replaces, the C8 is not only one of the most spacious vehicles in its class but also offers passengers easy access thanks to the flat floor, high roof and unobtrusive positioning of the handbrake and dashboard-mounted gear lever.

The availability of remote-controlled twin electric sliding side doors further facilitates access. A new, more flexible seating configuration with patented Quickfix instant anchoring system allows each of the rear seats to be easily removed, or slid on rails, while the two front seats can be swivelled for business or recreational use.

Buyers opting for a petrol engine can choose between the 138hp 2.0i 16V or, for the first time in a Citroen, a 160hp 2.2i 16V unit. Diesel fans can enjoy either a 110hp 2.0 16V HDi engine or the more powerful 130hp 2.2 16V HDi option.