The exterior design of the Citroen C7 concept is graceful and flowing with a tapering rear section. Up front the grille of the C7 does not feature the new distinctive elongated chrome badge which has become standard across much of the Citroen lineup. The rising line of the side windows gives the concept a sense of motion even when stationary, and helps to give the driver and front seat passenger a better field of vision while also giving the rear seat passengers a sense of privacy.
Entry to the Citroen C7 is through conventional front doors and rear hinged rear doors. The rear doors are cleverly disguised thanks to the single-piece design of the door handles positioned where the front and rear doors meet. Inside the Citroen C7 concept is ample space for four adults, the swiveling front passenger seat can be turned through 180 degrees to face the rear seats.
Citroen's back again with yet another concept car. And this time there isn't even a major international motor show to help debut the vehicle. Instead the Metropolis, as it's called, will be unveiled in the French Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Fair.
Citroen is one of the most creative and adventurous car makers in the world. Just a quick look at some of their past concept, and production, vehicles proves that. However for the Citroen Metropolis concept the company have decided to keep things a little more grounded in reality. It's still a fine looking machine, but it's not quite as crazy as some of their recent stuff.
The Citroen Metropolis was designed by a team at Citroen's international studio - which has been based in Shanghai since 2008. The concept is designed to appeal to China's elite, and people who prefer to be driven, rather than drive themselves.
The solid and imposing stance of the Metropolis concept is accentuated by the crisp shoulder line which emanates from just behind the front wheel. The front wheel arch itself gets a prominent air intake/outlet which is somewhat reminiscent of the slash-style vent found on the Nissan GT-R.
The front of the Citroen Metropolis receives the same distinctive Citroen face as all their new models. It quite clearly has some GTbyCitroen in the design.
Powering the Citroen Metropolis is a hybrid drivetrain which features a 2.0 litre V6 petrol engine and a 7-speed, dual clutch, gearbox with electric powered hybrid assistance. At lower speeds the concept operates solely on electricity. The electric motor provides a consistent 55 horsepower, but when needed it can produce 95 hp in short bursts. When driving at faster speeds the Metropolis relies on the 272 horsepower provided by the V6 engine. But when you really want to get moving both power sources work together to offer up to 460 horsepower.
The Metropolis' passengers are kept nice and comfortable, even over relatively rough roads, thanks to the integration of Citroen's renowned Hydractive suspension system.
The GQbyCitroen is an eye-catching concept car which was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The car is the result of a collaboration between GQ magazine - a publication which tells indecisive men what to buy and how to act, and the French car maker Citroen.
The joint effort came about after GQ’s editor, Dylan Jones, set Citroen a brief to design a concept car which would appeal strongly to the male demographic. He said of the design: "I wanted something practical, something cool, and something idiosyncratic – i.e. something surprising that didn't just look like a concept car. The GQ car needed to have the ‘want’ factor, but it also needed to look, feel and ‘drive’ like the sort of car no sane man could choose to ignore. We think it looks very very special."
The man responsible for turning the GQbyCITROEN into a reality was Citroen designer Mark Lloyd. Along with a team of designers Lloyd set about creating a car which reinterpreted the GT theme, and which had unmistakable Citroen design pedigree. The design team also tried to give the concept an understated look, one that would draw admiration but that didn't look overly indulgent. This was in an attempt to get the car to fit better in a post world recession environment.
The car’s cabin is accessed by rear coach doors and reveals a spacious, comfortable and futuristic cabin. Completing the car’s bespoke styling, the interior detailing and upholstery selections were provided by Patrick Grant, the Creative Director of prestigious Savile Row tailors, E.Tautz.
The GQbyCitroen features a hybrid drivetrain which utilizes a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder direct injection engine and a plug-in rechargeable battery coupled to an electric motor. The speculated performance numbers come in at 4.5 seconds to 60 mph, and 155 mph for the top speed.
The Citroen Survolt was one of the concept cars unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The concept is an all-electric vehicle which, according to Citroen, is a mix of "high fashion, extravagance and more than a hint of motor racing punch".
The Survolt is an incredibly complicated design which has a huge number of little styling details and features which helps keep the eye interested. It's not a pretty car in the classic sense of the word, but it's a bold design - which is almost as good. When viewed in profile it doesn't take long before you start to see some fleeting similarites with the Bugatti Veyron's styling. In particular the 'C' shaped arc which connects the roof to the sidesills.
With a sleek, compact and low-slung frame - 3.85m long, 1.87m wide & 1.2m high - The Citroen Survolt takes inspiration from sports car design and then transforms it into a supermini package. The swooping lines and sweeping curves are designed to convey a sense of agility and dynamic performance, while at the same time giving a hint of luxury.
The Survolt features fuchsia and charcoal gray a paint scheme which is an adaptation of the Citroen Revolte concept's distinctive paintwork.
The two-seat interior features a chrome finished roll cage.
Citroen Revolte Concept
Citroen have taken the brave decision to name their headlining concept car for the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show the Revolte.
The unusual design is likely have just as many admirers as haters, and each camp has a point. But one thing can be said of the Revolte, it's original. One of the more bizarre features of the concept are the A-pillars which seem to bust out of the bodywork separate to the windscreen. Personally I think it's a creative idea and suits the quirky nature of the vehicle.
The dark-colored a-pillar also acts as a starting point for a style line which encircles side windows and doors and runs towards the front wheel, nearly creating a complete loop. This feature also cleverly helps to disguise the fact the Revolte is a four door vehicle. The front doors open in a conventional manner, while the back doors are hinged at the rear. The lack of any B-pillars means that when both doors are open access to the interior is completely unhindered.
Inspired by the 2CV the REVOLTe takes the key attributes of Citroën’s iconic classic and reverses them. In Citroen's own words: "Where the 2CV was plain and neutral, REVOLTe is luxurious and colourful; where the 2CV was basic and simple, REVOLTe is intelligent and technologically advanced and where the 2CV was slow and bouncy, REVOLTe is lively and spirited."
Influences from past Citroen models can be seen in the convertible roof panel which slides back to expose the almost the entire interior to sunlight. The contrasting color of the roof is carried over into the panel underneath the rear window providing a bold contemporary look.
The interior of the Citroen REVOLTe concept is as adventurous as the exterior. The styling is distinctly futuristic, but somehow the sharp, crisp lines, and almost painfully thin looking seats don't quite match the bubbly outward appearance of the concept.
Powering the Citroen REVOLTe is a hybrid drivetrain which uses a small-diplacement internal combustion engine as a generator to charge the batteries, which in turn power an electric motor. This system also provides the option of CO2-free driving with the ability to run in all-electric ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode.
Citroen C-Cactus concept
The Citroen C-Cactus concept is designed to be an environmentally friendly hatchback with cheerful, attractive styling.
hybrid diesel/electric drivetrain the C-Cactus is intended to be sold at the same price as the entry-level Citroen C4, from which the C-Cactus borrows its platform.
The exterior styling of the Citroen C-Cactus concept is characterized by rounded forms and curved lines. This starts at the front where the headlights, grille openings and badge housing are all rounded and set into a curving facia. Down the sides the simple rounded shape is highlighted by the unpainted doors which stand out from the painted body, but also complement the profile. The large 21" wheels also feature rounded spokes. At the rear of the C-Cactus concept the taillights, central badge and sloping rear window echo the styling of the front.
Inside the Citroen C-Cactus the simplistic rounded forms continue, and interesting features can be found. The ignition key of the C-Cactus is a portable MP3 player with a touch screen. When it is plugged into the fixed hub of the steering wheel, it is recognized by the vehicle which can then be started. The steering wheel includes a wide variety of functions. In addition to the usual controls, it also includes the speedometer, which is of an unusual design. The figures, placed in relief around the hub, rotate according to speed and are positioned with respect to a fixed point.
The Citroen C-Cactus is an environmentally friendly vehicle in not only its power source, but also its construction. The C-Cactus is made from as few parts as possible, fewer parts also means smaller quantities of raw materials. In addition, a significant number of the materials used are recycled or recyclable. The windscreen and windows are made of recyclable glass, the tires are also recyclable, as is the steel used for the door panels. The door metal is unpainted and unvarnished but has been treated for corrosion.
Like the plant it gets its name from, the C-Cactus is frugal on consumption, using just 3.4 litres (0.9 gallons) per 100 km (62 miles). It achieves this with the use of a small 70 horsepower diesel engine, and a 30 horsepower electric motor working in conjunction For urban use the ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode provides silent, all-electric operation. During more rapid journeys, or those which require successive acceleration and deceleration, the hybrid system limits fuel consumption by using both forms of power.
Citroën Hypnos concept
The Citroen Hypnos is a crossover concept which was revealed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
The Citroen Hypnos is an attempt to fuse three different vehicle styles. The style of a coupe, with the elegance of a saloon, and the interior space of an SUV. The expressive exterior design is both stylish and sensible at the same time.
Inside the Citroen Hypnos is, as Citroen puts it, "A powerful sensory experience awaits the driver and passengers, taking them into the realm of pure magic." It's not quite clear yet what this feature is yet as the full details have not yet been released on the concept. Best guess is that it is a new type of interface or information relay system.
Powering the Citroen Hypnos is a 250 horsepower hybrid petrol/electric drivetrain which achieves low fuel consumption and emissions figures (4.5 l/100 km and 120 g/km of CO2). The engine is a 2.0 litre 200 horspower unit which sends its power to the front wheel via a 6-speed transmission. The electric motor sends its 50 hp to the rear wheels.
Citroën C-Métisse concept
The Citroen C-Metisse is a 4-door, 4-seat, coupe concept which went on display at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.
The Citroen C-Metisse (Mongrel in French) is constructed from lightweight carbon fibre, and powered by a 208 horsepower diesel V6 driving the front wheels, with two 20 horsepower, 300 lb/ft of torque electric motors turning the rears. At low speeds the car can operate solely on electric power resulting in zero emissions. Yet despite the economic hybrid powertrain the C-Metisse reaches 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds.
The Outrageous exterior design of the Citroen C-Metisse is styled to create a sense of power, intimidation and respect, while also providing an aerodynamic form for improved fuel economy.
Inside the C-Metisse concept Citroen's designers have gone just as wild. The four individual seats swathed in white leather are accessed by dramatic upward swinging doors which are not only impressive in appearance but also provide an easy entry.
The C-Metisse's steering wheel has all the main comfort functions and driving aids (radio, speed limiter, onboard computer, lighting, indicators and windscreen wiper) positioned within easy reach. Combined with the steering-wheel mounted gear paddles the driver hardly need move their hands from the wheel.
The roof console of the Citroen C-Metisse concept features a 'contact' and 'start' button giving the sensation of being in a fighter jet.