Automatic gearbox

[Chris123ebbw]

Hi, I am a brand new owner of a 2026 Citroen C4 hybrid automatic.I have never owned an automatic car before,if I am in drive or reverse, when I come to a stop, I cannot move the gear selector to park with the engine running,is this correct.If I apply the electric brake and switch the engine off then the gear selector automatically switches to park.
Many thanks
Chris 123ebbw

[mickthemaverick]

This is probably Citroen's way of ensuring good driving practice. You should not engage Park until the car is held safely by the parking brake or it could overload the locking pin that engages in Park.

[Richard_C]

You don’t select P (or M) by moving the selector lever, you press the respective button down. Prevents accidental selection.

In “the olden days” with prehistoric automatics it was good practice to put it in neutral or park if you were in a long queue or traffic jam to reduce fuel consumption and getting hot, the old hydraulics had loads of drag and inefficiency. With the modern stuff this seems wholly unnecessary, the stop start etc looks after things for you. The parking brake can be handy if you are in a long wait on a hill but not P on the transmission..