Well the motor shows are always a good opportunity to roll out any mad ideas
lurking in the back of the design studio and Frankfurt is no exception. Citroen
are throwing the C-Crosser into the ring for everyone to have a butchers at.
It's a four wheel drive, four wheel steering concept car that is certain to
provoke comment.
The versatile C-Crosser is capable of changing from a spacious six seat
sports utility vehicle into a semi-roadster and then into a pick-up capable of
carrying even the bulkiest lifestyle accessories as well as three adults in
comfort.
At the touch of a button C-Crosser’s glass roof and tailgate stow away
neatly under the rear floor, whilst the rear seats can be folded flat to create
a perfectly level load area. Protection from the elements for the front seat
occupants comes from an electrically-operated glass screen that is integrated in
the back of the front bench seat.
C-Crosser is wider than most conventional vehicles, only slightly longer than
the Citroën Xsara hatchback, and offers useful levels of space. This is greatly
down to the absence of pedals and the elevated seats which combine to free up
leg space for both front and rear passengers.
Featuring the very latest drive-by-wire technology, the C-Crosser does away
with the need for a steering column and pedals, allowing the driver to sit
anywhere in the front of the vehicle, whilst the movable steering control unit
also operates the accelerator and brakes. Not only does the lack of pedals
considerably reduce the risk of foot and leg injuries in a collision, but the
ability to easily switch between left or right hand drive helps to ease driving
during trips abroad.
Citroën’s unique Hydractive 3 suspension, with its variable ride height,
comes into its own over rough terrain, allowing C-Crosser to automatically
increase its ground clearance by 60 mm and giving it suspension travel of some
150mm. Easy access to the rear is helped not only by the variable height, which
is controlled by a single button that allows the vehicle to be lowered by up to
100mm, but also thanks to the two rear side sliding doors.
