The Citroen C-Cactus ecological concept car
from Automotive (1511 articles)
The Citroen C-Cactus ecological concept car
Image Gallery ( 18 images )September 3, 2007 Citroen never fails to produce something special for the major European motor show of the season and this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show will see the unveiling C-Cactus. The concept is a new take on vehicle design, and the Marque's ambitious aim is to market an ecological hatchback with cheerful, attractive styling, equipped with a hybrid HDi drivetrain and sold at the same price as an entry-level C4. To square this complex equation, Citroën is exploring new forms of design. It has decided to abandon features that are not essential to comfort and to focus instead on technology, styling and equipment that are positive, ecological and valued by users.
C-Cactus is an ecological car. It includes a significant proportion of recycled or recyclable materials and, like the plant it is named after, it is low on consumption. Weighing just 1,306 kg and featuring a hybrid HDi drivetrain, C-Cactus consumes 3.4 l/100 km for CO2 emissions of 78 g/km.
At the same time, C-Cactus is no more expensive than a mid-range family car. Its low production cost can be attributed to the use of new materials and to a rational design process using a smaller number of parts. The cabin is made up of just over 200 parts, i.e. almost half the number used by a conventional hatchback of identical size.
C-Cactus is an essential car, with sharp styling and attractive features. Its curves give it a fun look and strong appeal, while the angles and rounded lines of the bodywork underline its dynamic character.
C-Cactus sets high standards of onboard comfort with a roomy interior that is worthy of a family car. It is 4.2 metres long and 1.8 metres wide with a wide range of equipment including air conditioning with automatic temperature control, a high-quality audio system, a panoramic glass sunroof, cruise control and a speed limiter.
The economic and ingenious solutions adopted for C-Cactus keep production costs down and make it possible to fit a diesel hybrid drivetrain, all for the price of an entry-level C4. To achieve this result, C-Cactus places the emphasis on equipment that is essential to passenger comfort. At the same time, it explores new design processes in order to show that economy and ecology need not be synonymous with a rough ride.
C-Cactus is the result of an intelligent design process pursuing new objectives. By exploring new forms of expression and new technical solutions, Citroën's engineers cut the number of parts required to build the car.
To achieve this objective, the engineers: - simplified a number of parts and mechanisms to the extreme, - grouped several functions in a single part, - removed all parts that are non-essential to the running of the car or to the comfort and well-being of its occupants.
The dashboard has gone, and its usual functions are now grouped on the central console and the fixed hub of the steering wheel. The central console thus includes the active loudspeakers, gearbox controls and tactile screen giving access to the onboard computer, navigation system and air conditioning controls. The controls for the indicators, lights, wipers, horn and cruise control/speed limiter are on the fixed hub of the steering wheel, as are the tachometer and lights for the indicators, headlamps and warning signals.
