Impact absorbing Citroën Aircross Concept unveiled

citroen-aircross-concept-front-quarter

Citroen has unveiled the Aircross Concept ahead of its official debut at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show.

Like the Citroen C4 Cactus, the Aircross Concept features bold design and brings with it a new take on the C4 Cactus’s Airbumps technology with the more advanced Alloy Airbumps.

Alloy Bumps protect the vehicle from lateral impact with their visible padding and are made up of a honeycombed structure in highly absorbent aluminium foam, a material heralding from motorsport.

The concept also introduces new ways to enhance aerodynamics with what the company calls “Air Signs” and “Air Curtains”.

The Air Signs are chrome-finished signatures that underline the rear window while forming an air-flow tunnel. The Air Curtains are air intakes located at the front of the concept car. These two features are accompanied by front and rear wheel arch extractors and the highly tapered shapes of the wing mirrors. Together these components not only serve as visual statement, but also improve the overall aerodynamics, claimed Citroen.

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Inside, the Aircross Concept comes completely teched-out with a head-up display and two 12-inch panoramic high resolution LCD screens. The screens artfully display driving information and infotainment content with “unrivalled” graphic richness.

The Aircross is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, with an electric motor located on the rear axle. The electric motor on the rear axle develops 70 kW and 200 Nm. The motor is fuelled by lithium-ion batteries that charge up in just three and a half hours via a 16A domestic socket.

The electric motor is combined with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine developing 160 kW and 275 Nm. A boost function combines the torque of the internal-combustion engine with that of the electric motor, allowing the SUV to sprint from rest to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds.

Despite the sports car beating performance, the Aircross is capable of zipping just 1.7 litres of fuel per 100km in the combined cycle.

While there’s no word yet about a production version, Citroën says the Aircross concept illustrates the company’s “international ambitions.”

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