At the 2016 Paris Motor Show, Citroën introduced a new concept car called the CXPerience. It’s getting a lot of attention at the event, and after one look at the photos, it’s easy to see why.
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The CXPerience is named after the CX, a large sedan built from 1974 to 1991. However, Citroën designers have resisted the urge to go retro and instead penned fluid, futuristic lines that preview the company’s next design language. Up front, the CXPerience boasts thin V-shaped headlights and three rows of staggered LED daytime running lights positioned on both sides of the bumper. In profile, it looks almost like a shooting brake thanks to a long roof line and rakish D-pillars. A concave rear window is the only visual link between the CXPerience and the original CX.
Wide seats and a single-spoke steering wheel echo historic Citroën models like the DS — which recently spawned the company’s premium brand — and the aforementioned CX. The dashboard is dominated by an unusually wide 19-inch touch screen that replaces all of the buttons, dials, and knobs typically found on the center console. A second screen replaces the instrument cluster, though the CXPerience is fitted with a heads-up display. The passengers sitting in the back stay connected on-the-go thanks to a pair of tablets.
The CXPerience uses a plug-in hybrid drivetrain made up of a gasoline-burning engine that provides anywhere between 150 and 200 horsepower and a compact electric motor. The motor draws electricity from a 3kWh battery pack to power the concept by itself for up to 40 miles. When the engine kicks in, the hybrid drivetrain delivers up to 300 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission. While the concept will most likely not be approved for production as-is, its styling is expected to influence the next-generation of the Passat-sized C5 that’s tentatively set to arrive next year.
