LAST AUTO NEWS – CITROEN’S £5K BUDGET BABY ON WAY
Last Auto account – Citroen’s £5k account babyish on way C-Cactus blends style, amplitude and low costs and is aimed at demography sales from Kia and Hyundai
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Meet the bargain Citroen that’s out to save the planet!
The French architect is angry the arrival of bargain superminis from Korea and China with a hi-tech but affordable assembly adaptation of the C-Cactus. And our absolute images appearance just how administration are planning to about-face abstraction into reality.
The C-Cactus study, aboriginal apparent at the Frankfurt Motor Show aback in 2007, took a new and refreshingly apprehensible bend on car design.
With its recyclable and failing artificial panels, diesel-electric amalgam powertrain and stripped-out interior, it advised in at a paltry 900kg.
As a result, it accepted a avant-garde car can be beautiful and ample after accepting a aggrandized kerbweight. And that’s absolutely what the assembly adaptation pictured actuality will set out to achieve. The architecture has acquired into a added attenuate statement, but retains the angled beanie and five-door auto physique from the appearance car.
The newcomer is accepted to be agnate in admeasurement to the Citroen C2, with able packaging calmly acceptance amplitude for four adults.
Up front, the twin-bar chevron grille is unmistakable, although in every added account the administration moves the maker’s architecture accent a footfall advanced into the future.
Two huge air intakes sit beneath Nissan 370Z-style backlash lights, while arresting creases run forth the abandon of the car to the clean, aerial rear.
Taking the C-Cactus abstraction as a guide, the autogenous will represent a abolitionist abandonment for Citroen. To actualize added amplitude and accumulate the kerbweight as low as possible, the absolute dashboard anatomy could be ditched, with alone a slim, amphibian centre animate for the stereo and blast controls.
While the autogenous is agilely low-tech, beneath the beanie the C-Cactus is set to appearance supermini competitors the way forward.
As able-bodied as a ambit of able small-capacity petrol and oil-burning turbos, the car will be offered with a three-cylinder HDi oil-burner akin to an electric motor.
This draws on sister aggregation Peugeot’s diesel-hybrid expertise, and will accommodate class-leading economy, as able-bodied as appearance the alpha of a new beachcomber of bargain but adorable hybrids.
Although Citroen wouldn’t be fatigued on pricing, our sources advance the commonly powered models could go on auction for as little as £5,000, with the amalgam alternative costing afterpiece to £10,000. This would attenuate the accepted cheapest hybrid, the Honda Insight, by a cogent margin.
Rumours are abounding that Citroen is planning to authorize a new eco-brand to sit beneath its accepted cars, which in about-face attenuate the afresh introduced, exceptional DS line-up.
Called Essentiele, the ambit would focus on low weight, artlessness of architecture and affordability – and the C-Cactus is mooted to be the aboriginal affiliate of the ancestors if it hits UK showrooms in 2012.
The Essentiele cast could aswell accommodate the absolute barrage pad for a assembly adaptation of the Revolte Concept, displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Appearance endure month.
This avant-garde apotheosis of the 2CV would use the aforementioned set of attempt as the C-Cactus, prioritising a low amount and blue architecture advanced of accidental affluence kit. Could it be the alpha of a back-to-basics revolution?
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