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Offering
an extreme illustration of what a Citroën sports utility
vehicle of the future could look like, the remarkable four
wheel drive, four wheel steering Citroën C-Crosser concept car
promises to raise a few eyebrows with its world debut at the
Frankfurt Motor Show.
Taking design cues from the Citroën Pluriel concept car, the
extremely versatile C-Crosser is capable of morphing from a
spacious six seat sports utility vehicle into a semi-roadster
and then into a pick-up capable of carrying even the bulkiest
lifestyle accessories as well as three adults in comfort.
At the touch of a button C-Crosser's glass roof and tailgate
stow away neatly under the rear floor, whilst the rear seats
can be folded flat to create a perfectly level load area.
Protection from the elements for the front seat
occupants comes from an electrically-operated glass screen
that is integrated in the back of the front bench seat.
C-Crosser is wider than most conventional vehicles, only
slightly longer than the Citroen Xsara hatchback, and offers
remarkable levels of space. This is greatly down to the
absence of pedals and the elevated seats which combine to free
up leg space for both front and rear passengers. The
spacious cabin has a light and airy feel thanks to the large
glass windscreen which extends back over the heads of the
front seat occupants.
Featuring the very latest drive-by-wire technology, the
C-Crosser does away with the need for a steering column and
pedals, allowing the driver to sit anywhere in the front of
the vehicle, whilst the movable steering control unit also
operates the accelerator and brakes. Not only does the
lack of pedals considerably reduce the risk of foot and leg
injuries in a collision, but the ability to easily switch
between left or right hand drive helps to ease driving during
trips abroad.
Citroën's unique Hydractive 3 suspension, with its variable
ride height, comes into its own over rough terrain, allowing
C-Crosser to automatically increase its ground clearance by 60
mm and giving it suspension travel of some 150mm. Easy
access to the rear is helped not only by the variable height,
which is controlled by a single button that allows the vehicle
to be lowered by up to 100 mm, but also thanks to the two rear
side sliding doors.
Equipped with the latest 2.0 HPi direct injection petrol
engine, ESP and ABS brakes, the Citroën C-Crosser is equally
adept on and off the road. In addition, electronic
control of the speed sensitive hydraulic four wheel steering,
with as little as 2/3 turn from lock to lock, helps promote
pin sharp steering at high speeds as well as making easy work
of awkward manoeuvres such as parking in tight spaces.
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