Concept cars at the current Paris Motor Show showcase design cues that can be expected in passenger cars in the near future. We bring you details of exhibits by Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Ford and Chrysler.
Concept cars at the current Paris Motor Show showcase design cues that can be expected in passenger cars in the near future. We bring you details of exhibits by Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, Ford and Chrysler.
Renault Ellypse
The Ellypse is said to epitomise the type of environmentally-friendly car that could be in use in 10 years or so, Renault’s chief designer Patrick Le Quement said recently. Could this concept present a "realistic proposition" in terms of technologies and price?
Thanks to a new 1,2-litre common-rail turbodiesel and its light-weight body, the Ellypse reportedly emits only 85g of CO2/km, which would be below the EU’s 2008 emissions standards. Renault claims the car consumes an average of 3,2 litres/100 km.
Most materials used in Ellypse either are recyclable, such as polypropylene or aluminium, or renewable, such as leather. At 980kg, the Ellypse weighs the same as a Clio, even though it’s much bigger.
The light materials give Ellypse a 25 per cent weight advantage over current minivans of similar size, the manufacturer claims.
Among its eye-catching features, Ellypse uses ultra-thin seats that can fold down into the floor. The double doors on the each side of the vehicle operate without the support of a central pillar.
Peugeot Sésame
The Sésame represents Peugeot’s concept for a future small car to replace the 11-year-old 106, the 206’s younger sibling.
Based on PSA’s new “Platform One”, the Sésame represents a new type of design for A-segment cars. It is 3 700 mm long and 1 630 mm tall. This means that the Sésame is about 100mm taller than current B-Segment cars such as the Citroën C3.
By pushing the A-pillars pushed far forward over the front wheels and an upright rear, Peugeot engineers have maximised the cabin volume, reported recently.
The focal aspect of the Sésame centres on two sliding side doors that shape the structure of the car. Each side door is almost a third of the length of the vehicle and provides optimised access to all four seats.
The side view is dominated by the large door handles and sliding door rail which continues around the rear of the vehicle, splitting the arrow-shaped tail-lamp and rear quarter window graphic.
The interior is trimmed in dark blue with bright yellow inserts and features a new raised gearshift and centre console position. Four individual seats can flip/fold forward to extend the luggage capacity.
Citroën C-Airdream
With the C-Airdream, a sporty 2+2 coupé, Citroën continues to explore “the language of advanced styling”, reported.
The classic Citroën ingredients of a long wheelbase, steeply-raked windscreen, long front overhang and chopped rear are combined to give this concept a very distinctive look.
The contour of the vehicle displays a flow from front to rear in the same way as the iconic DS and SM achieved in their day, sources say. The bumper crown line, for instance, moves from crisp to soft as it moves towards the rear. The rear view also develops the Citroen theme and a line of chrome runs right from the headlamp over the A-pillar to the end of the cantrail.
In contrast to the exterior, the interior rejects all use of bright metal and aluminium as has become the fashion in many sporty cars.
A new use of internal lighting, which diffuses through the silicon-look dashboard, sets off the mix of dark, glossy and matt leathers used throughout the interior. Seats are trimmed in a raw hide-look leather and black gloss plastics are used for switchgear.
The C-Airdream further features a glazed panoramic roof and forward-folding rear seats.
Ford Focus C-Max
The Focus C-Max represents Ford’s vision for a future compact minivan. Code-named C214, the people mover will be a five-seater with a flexible seating configuration. The new model, as yet to be named, will mark something of a watershed for Ford.
That’s because the compact derivative will actually be the first vehicle to appear on the new Focus platform, called C1. The platform will also serve as the base for the replacements for the Japanese-built Mazda 323 and Volvo S40/V40. Cologne has been the centre of intensive work by engineers from the three brands on the new platform.
Ford has arrived in the lower-medium MPV segment later than almost all its major rivals. The arrival of the seven-seat Opel Zafira two years ago forced Ford to rethink and eventually scrap the replacement it had planned on the current Focus platform.
Chrysler California Cruiser
The California Cruiser, developed on the PT Cruiser platform, incorporates the new Chrysler design direction with an imposing chrome grille and integrated bumpers, as shown lately on the Pacifica. The California Cruiser is equipped with two front doors, a wide rear hatch and a spacious interior. The cabin seats four passenger and can apparently also be turned into a bedroom for two.
"With the California Cruiser we want to give an idea what could be the next step in our lineup," said Jim Schroer, Chrysler’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. But the next PT Cruiser derivative to make it into production will be the convertible that débuted at last year’s Frankfurt Show and will be launched in 2004.