CITROËN CACTUS
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Citroën
is unveiling Cactus at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show on
5th September
2013.
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CITROËN CACTUS
SHIFTS THE PARADIGM
CITROËN Cactus is more than a concept car; it
is a
manifest of the future
models in
the C line.
CITROËN is shifting the paradigm with the new
concept car, shedding the
superfluous and bringing wellbeing firmly into
the limelight. CITROËN
Cactus is a desirable, user-friendly car that
forges an unprecedented
harmony between distinctive yet pragmatic
design, comfort for all
occupants, and easy-to use technology.
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Pure and functional styling:
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Strong styling choices focused on
efficiency
(light weight, aerodynamic)
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High-tech gaze and flowing surfaces free of
any form of aggressiveness
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“Airbumps”, customisable design components
covered with a soft skin featuring air
capsules that protect the body
Ingenious design:
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An airy driver’s station housing all the
controls in a 100% digital interface
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Sofa-style front seats for more human
warmth
and comfort
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Authentic, natural materials laid out in a
stylish, relaxed atmosphere
User-friendly technology:
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A Hybrid Air drivetrain for attractive
running
costs and reduced environmental footprint
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Immediate and intuitive connectivity,
including access to the CITROËN Multicity
Connect portal
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Genesis
The origins of CITROËN Cactus date back to the
reveal of the C-Cactus
concept car
at the 2007 Frankfurt show. C-Cactus was a
radical automotive approach
that posed a number of key questions:
The fascinating exercise pushed engineers and
designers to make sweeping changes and set
problems
differently in order to explore new solutions.
The pragmatic approach
eschewed the superfluous to concentrate on what
makes motorists feel
good. The end result, CITROËN Cactus, is a
manifest that previews
forthcoming models in the C line.
More will be revealed in 2014…
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Pure and functional
styling
The
styling of CITROËN Cactus marries the aesthetic
to the practical, with
designers having sought to find the right
volumes and extend efficiency
to the smallest details. The idea was to keep
only the essential, and
optimise that essence to obtain a form of
natural perfection. The
approach allowed the designers to break free
from classic automotive
cues and explore ingenious solutions to bring
customers real equipment
and features.
The body styling of CITROËN
Cactus seems original and obvious, both at the
same time, lingering
easily in the memory like that of all great cars
that have marked their
time. The styling is easy to identify, with:
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Pure and smooth surfaces in pearlescent
white
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Flowing, aggression-free shapes
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Floating quarterlight and roof
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Contrasting
design components, each one with a function
(protection with Lama grey
Airbumps and textured black wheel arches;
transport with lacquered
black roof arches; cabin light with the
large panoramic roof).
One component stands out immediately through
its
originality: the Airbump.
Located
on the sides and the bumpers of the car, the
design component expresses
a new approach that gives style a function. The
Airbump strengthens the
styling of CITROËN Cactus, heightening its
personality with its
originality and personalisation possibilities.
The supple skin of the
Airbump features a soft treatment that resists
scratches and includes
air capsules that dampen impact.
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CITROËN Cactus has optimal proportions for
extra
efficiency and driving comfort:
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The dimensions of a compact
hatchback
(4.21 m long and 1.75 m wide)
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An ideal balance between one-third glazed
area and two-thirds wing
surface
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High ground clearance (21 cm) but with an
optimised height of just 1.53
m
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Reduced overhang, with the wheels set firmly
in the corners
The styling of CITROËN Cactus evokes technology
and perceived quality and is entirely free of
aggression.
The front end, previewing the visual identity
of
future models in the C line, is characterised
by:
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Smooth surfaces showcasing the chevrons
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Flowing forms with a seamless progression
from bonnet to wing
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A high-tech light signature with LED daytime
running lights and lamps
built in to the Airbumps
The styling at the back respects the same
principle with 3D-effect LED lights built in to
the wide Airbump
protecting the boot.
The singular and radical design of CITROËN
Cactus
also promises a warm,
ergonomic and comfortable interior. The absence
of side windows, rear
window and B pillars beckons onlookers to
discover the cabin inside,
which has been entirely reworked in terms of
architecture as well as in
the design of colours and materials.
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Ingenious design
The
first objective with CITROËN Cactus was to free
up space inside for the
driver and passengers, bringing them more ease
and user-friendliness
and, hence, more comfort.
The slender,
floating dashboard fully frees up the floor
below and on its upper part
offers the front passenger a capacious and
easy-access storage space.
The dashboard design was made possible by using
a 100% digital
interface and by optimising the organisation of
the driver’s station,
in particular by:
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Replacing the instrument cluster with a
7-inch
screen
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Switching
control buttons for an 8-inch touchscreen
connected to all vehicle
functions (air conditioning, audio, satnav,
connected services and
driver aids)
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Installing the passenger airbag on the
ceiling
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Replacing the traditional gearstick with
push-button controls on the lower part of
the dashboard and
steering-wheel paddles
The new architectural approach also informs the
front seats, which were designed sofa-style for
extra
comfort and human warmth.
Extra
comfort is also delivered by the panoramic roof,
thermally treated to
let in the light but not the heat. It protects
passengers from UVs with
technology similar to that used for category-4
sunglasses.
The
second goal with CITROËN Cactus interior was to
provide a stylish and
relaxed atmosphere. The interior layout frees up
plenty of space and
focuses on authentic and natural materials. The
seats and doors are
upholstered in a combination of two materials
evoking contemporary
furniture: a blue heatheredcotton fabric and
natural “camel” leather
(vegetable tanned) also used on the dashboard
and steering wheel.
In
a nod to the luggage sector, the design of the
door handles and the
storage space on the upper part of the dashboard
was informed by
decorative travel-trunk components.
The design
choices for CITROËN Cactus were guided not just
by interior
architecture intelligence but by a whole new
approach to the
automobile. CITROËN Cactus brings drivers a new
motoring experience and
total peace of mind, reuniting them with the
pleasure and freedom
inherent in car travel – a simple, communal,
day-to-day pleasure.
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User-friendly
technology
CITROËN
Cactus technologies are easy to use, economical
and environmental in
use, accessible to all and connected, and
resolutely focused on the new
needs of motorists.
The new Hybrid Air
drivetrain is a case in point. The full-hybrid
technology combines
compressed air and the hydraulics of a PureTech
petrol engine. This
powertrain excellence is written into the
Brand’s DNA and has led to
breakthrough performance, with fuel consumption
of under 3 l/100 km.
Hybrid Air technology has a reduced
environmental
footprint (no additional battery) and is broadly
affordable thanks to:
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Attractive cost in use (45% reduction in
fuel
consumption in urban driving)
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Easy maintenance and servicing through the
combination of proven technologies
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No compromises on interior space
Digital, tactile and connected!
All
the controls are grouped on the 8-inch
touchscreen in the centre of the
dashboard, ergonomic, easy to use and offering
access to CITROËN
Multicity Connect. The driver and passengers
benefit from a portal of
web-connected applications that takes vehicle
data – including mileage,
speed, range and GPS position – into account to
generate information
adapted to motorists’ needs, warning them of
risk areas, locating
service stations and identifying tourist
destinations, among other
advantages.
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Asking questions
differently to find new answers
By
proposing a fresh new take on design,
architecture and technology,
CITROËN Cactus stands as a new automotive
synthesis. The car’s
optimistic approach finally addresses the
expectations of people
looking to combine practicality with pleasure.
CITROËN Cactus is a desirable, user-friendly
car,
one that is a pleasure to share day by day:
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“Simple to live”. An ingenious design and
intuitive technologies
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“Simple to love”. A functional design free
of
all aggression
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“Simple to share”. A user-friendly cabin
and a
connected driving interface
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©
2013 Julian
Marsh/Citroënët/SA Automobiles
Citroën |
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