Citroen unwraps quirky Aircross crossover
From a certain perspective, automobile journalists one of the few people who actually have the power to change decisions of a manufacturer. We have had more than a few examples of a manufacturer rescheduling unveils because of spy pictures and leaked images. The latest to be hit by this is French manufacturer Citroen. Meet the Citroen Aircross which was supposed to be unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2015, but thanks to the leak, we’ve got the info beforehand.
Larger than the C4 Cactus, which this concept is heavily associated with, the Aircross concept is 4580mm long, 2100mm wide, 1800mm tall, and rides on massive 22-inch alloy wheels. This concept is as big as an Audi Q5 or a Land Rover Discovery Sport, which also underlines the fact that the production model will be positioned above the Cactus in the manufacturer’s line-up.
The design is, again, an evolution of the Cactus’s. The Citroen Aircross is a refreshing take on the usual crossover. While the industry is prone to more angular designs, the rounded edges of this concept are pleasing to the eyes. The alloy bumps form a honeycomb structure similar to the air bumps on the C4 Cactus, but filled with aluminum foam. Citroen has also added chrome rear window surrounds and front intakes which are not just for design but are meant to boost aerodynamics according to the manufacturer.
The dashboard features two 12-inch widescreen displays. The sofa-like seats are upholstered in white leather with orange trim and a mesh fabric upper portion. Each seat has speakers and a microphone to encourage communication between passengers, and there are cameras on the outside and inside.
The Aircross concept gets a plug-in hybrid setup, with a 218bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine working together with a rear-mounted electric motor. It also boasts a lithium-ion battery pack granting an purely electric range of up to 50km. The basic problem with EV’s remains, in that a full recharge will take three and a half hours. With a combined output of 313bhp, the vehicle needs 4.5 seconds to reach 100kmph, which is pretty impressive in concept. As usual, the production model will have a lot of changes, within and without. How much the manufacturer sticks to the design of the concept will also write the future of this funky concept.
