Citroën C-Cactus
A new ecological, attractive take on the essential car
Citroën last week unveiled the C-Cactus at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. This ingenious concept is a new take on vehicle design, centred on essential values. The French 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.
To achieve real environmental impact, Citroën's objective has always been to market technologies and vehicles that are affordable to the greatest number. The objective with C-Cactus is to go one step further, by bringing out a car whose hybrid HDi drivetrain makes it truly ecological, but that can be sold at the same price as an entry-level family car.
With its diesel hybrid drivetrain combining a 70 bhp HDi diesel engine with a particulate filter and an electric motor providing additional power of 30 bhp, C-Cactus consumes just 2.9 l/100 km with CO2 emission levels of 78 g/km over a combined cycle.
In urban use, ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode provides silent, all-electric operation. On journeys involving successive acceleration and deceleration, the hybrid system limits fuel consumption by using both types of energy.
Other points also help to make C-Cactus a car that respects the environment. The solutions adopted for the design of C-Cactus also contribute to bringing down fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Using fewer parts makes the vehicle 15 per cent lighter than a C4 Hybride HDi for a total weight of 1,109 kg.
The tyre width has also been kept down (205/45 R21) on C-Cactus, which adds to its environmental performance.
Fewer parts also mean smaller quantities of raw materials. In addition, a significant part of the materials used are recycled or recyclable. The windscreen and windows, for example, are made of recyclable glass.
The tyres are also recyclable, as is the crude steel used for the door panels. This metal is unpainted and unvarnished but has been treated for corrosion. The protective mats are made of recycled leather, taken from leather cut-offs that cannot be used by conventional tanneries.
Many parts are made of cork, a natural material made from the bark of oak trees. The felt used for the door panels and fascia stowage compartments is made from wool. This material uses no chemical additives and is both recyclable and biodegradable.
C-Cactus is an ecological car. It includes a significant proportion of recycled or recyclable materials, yet it sets high standards of onboard comfort with a roomy interior that is worthy of a family car.
It is 4,200 mm long and 1,800 mm 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.
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.
To achieve real environmental impact, Citroën's objective has always been to market technologies and vehicles that are affordable to the greatest number. The objective with C-Cactus is to go one step further, by bringing out a car whose hybrid HDi drivetrain makes it truly ecological, but that can be sold at the same price as an entry-level family car.
With its diesel hybrid drivetrain combining a 70 bhp HDi diesel engine with a particulate filter and an electric motor providing additional power of 30 bhp, C-Cactus consumes just 2.9 l/100 km with CO2 emission levels of 78 g/km over a combined cycle.
In urban use, ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode provides silent, all-electric operation. On journeys involving successive acceleration and deceleration, the hybrid system limits fuel consumption by using both types of energy.
Other points also help to make C-Cactus a car that respects the environment. The solutions adopted for the design of C-Cactus also contribute to bringing down fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Using fewer parts makes the vehicle 15 per cent lighter than a C4 Hybride HDi for a total weight of 1,109 kg.
The tyre width has also been kept down (205/45 R21) on C-Cactus, which adds to its environmental performance.
Fewer parts also mean smaller quantities of raw materials. In addition, a significant part of the materials used are recycled or recyclable. The windscreen and windows, for example, are made of recyclable glass.
The tyres are also recyclable, as is the crude steel used for the door panels. This metal is unpainted and unvarnished but has been treated for corrosion. The protective mats are made of recycled leather, taken from leather cut-offs that cannot be used by conventional tanneries.
Many parts are made of cork, a natural material made from the bark of oak trees. The felt used for the door panels and fascia stowage compartments is made from wool. This material uses no chemical additives and is both recyclable and biodegradable.
C-Cactus is an ecological car. It includes a significant proportion of recycled or recyclable materials, yet it sets high standards of onboard comfort with a roomy interior that is worthy of a family car.
It is 4,200 mm long and 1,800 mm 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.