The Citroen Cactus concept has been revealed in full just days before its debut at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.
The news comes just a week after Citroen revealed a teaser image of the vehicle.
Described by the French firm as "a desirable, user-friendly car that creates a unique harmony between the distinctive and the practical", the Cactus previews the direction Citroen will take with its future C-line models.
The Cactus is also expected to go into production early next year, largely unchanged, as the Citroen C4 Cactus.
When designing the Cactus concept, Citroen's engineers carefully considered what motorists expect from a modern car and decided to "shed the superfluous" and instead just give drivers what they really need and want.
There's certainly evidence of this on the inside. Although not Spartan by any means, it's clear that Citroen has taken a pragmatic approach to designing the Cactus' interior, eschewing much of the clutter you'll find in a modern car's cabin. Citroen has replaced the instrument cluster with a 7-inch screen and has swapped all of the car's control buttons (air-con, sat-nav, etc.) for an 8-inch touchscreen. The gearstick has also been replaced by push-button controls and, weirdly, the passenger airbag is mounted on the ceiling.
On the outside, Citroen claims that the Cactus' styling "marries the aesthetic with the practical". A notable feature is what Citroen calls 'Airbumps' on the sides and bumpers of the car. Basically, they're air-filled sacs which are designed to help the Cactus better withstand minor bumps in supermarket car parks.
Under the bonnet, the Cactus is powered by a new Hybrid Air drivetrain which uses a conventional petrol engine mated to a compressed air and hydraulics system. Not only does this mean that the cactus does away with batteries entirely but it also means the car should be capable of 94mpg.
Although not confirmed, it is expected that the C4 Cactus will sit on Citroen's new EMP-2 platform which underpins the new C4 Grand Picasso and the Peugeot 308.
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