Citroen C1 Urban Ride imagines a more rugged city car

Fri, 03 Oct 2014

The French auto brands certainly haven't been afraid to display a plethora of concepts at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. We've seen everything from the imagined future of CUVs to a very weird looking hatchback. Citroën is adding one more to the tally with its C1 Urban Ride that tries to make a European city car look a bit more rugged, highlighting the model's customization potential in the process.

Whether the concept succeeds at tough-looking goal is up for debate, but the Urban Ride has its suspension lifted a whole 0.6 inches, with a 0.4-inch wider track. To show off its aspirations, the front bumper, wheel arches and side sills all get some black cladding for claimed protection, and there's a set of black wheels, too. The rest of the concept gets some eye-popping yellow paint.

There are actually two versions of the Urban Ride on display – the 5-door hardtop and the Airscape (pictured above) with a retracting roof. Citroën is taking votes at the show to see which one people like more. Scroll down to read more about this rugged little hatch concept.

CITROËN AT THE PARIS MOTOR SHOW: THE FEEL GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Citroën is harnessing its creativity and technology to deliver enhanced comfort for its customers. True to its DNA, the brand is also reaffirming its identity by delivering a 'feel good' customer experience at the Paris Motor Show. From vehicles to customer service via technology, Citroën continues to demonstrate its new positioning by promoting a new relationship between customers and their cars.

This modern and optimistic vision is illustrated, first and foremost, by the brand's products, which are uniquely styled, comfortable, practical and easy to live with. Through cars with real personality, the ambition of the brand today is to provide more of what really matters to customers: more design, more comfort and more useful technology, combined with an affordable cost of ownership.

This pursuit of a simpler, more relaxed approach goes beyond the car itself. André Citroën also set his brand apart with spectacular communication campaigns and a real sense of service. Today, Citroën is making new commitments across its networks, with original purchasing solutions and innovative services. The goal is to create a stress-free relationship for customers, based on transparency and trust – with a 'feel good' relationship between the customer and the brand at each stage of the ownership experience.

This new positioning is expressed on the show stand at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, through:

1. A CONTINUED PRODUCT OFFENSIVE

In the space of one year, Citroën has launched four new models expressing the brand values: pure, optimistic design, global comfort and truly useful technology.

On show at the Paris Motor Show:

NEW CITROËN C4 CACTUS: A complete manifesto of Citroën's new positioning and a striking new alternative to the traditional C-segment compact hatchback.

NEW CITROËN C1: Practical, comfortable and naturally urban, the Airscape roof adds a further touch of driving pleasure. The C1 URBAN RIDE concept – an exclusive at the Paris Motor Show – illustrates the potential for personalising this city car with new go-anywhere looks. The lively, fun personality of New C1 is enhanced by SUV-inspired styling features to underline its character and strong nature.Ground clearance is raised by 15mm and bumper fairings are provided front and rear, along with wheel arch trim elements. Armed with this protection, it is all set for an urban adventure. For a more dynamic look, its tracks have been increased by 10mm. The Citroën C1 URBAN RIDE concept can be seen in two versions: 5-door and Airscape. The Airscape concept has the biggest roof opening in its class. Visitors will be able to cast their votes on a terminal near the concept, to say whether they would like to see this version in production in the future.

CITROËN C4 PICASSO & GRAND C4 PICASSO: Already No. 1 in the MPV segment in Europe, with 150,000 orders since launch.

2. A DEMONSTRATION OF USEFUL TECHNOLOGY HARNESSED FOR GREATER COMFORT

Getting rid of the superfluous to keep only what really matters for customers. Finding solutions to promote more relaxed driving, while cutting both running costs and environmental impact;

A laboratory for new ideas, the C4 CACTUS AIRFLOW 2L concept allies design and aerodynamics with lightweight construction and an innovative drivetrain for consuming less than 2l/100km (over 141mpg).

The TECHNO ROOM presents the latest-generation Euro 6 compliant PureTech petrol and BlueHDi diesel engines, combining performance with fuel efficiency and the latest on board technologies, designed to make life easier.

CITROËN CONNECT: a range of connected services, already operational, delivering an easier and more relaxed driving experience.

3. A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOCUSED ON PEACE OF MIND

The aim is to make relationships between the brand and its customers more transparent and stress-free.

CITROËN & YOU: a series of commitments made to customers by the Citroën networks to promote greater trust. As part of this fully transparent approach, the brand is launching Citroën Advisor, a website on which customers can post their views on the service provided by a dealership or workshop.

SimplyDrive & FlexiDrive: innovative purchasing solutions launched in some markets with the Citroën C4 Cactus.

4. ONGOING INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

CITROËN C-ELYSEE (WTCC): a sporting success illustrating the expertise of Citroën Racing, which is also contributing to the brand's international development.

The success of Citroën in China and the unveiling of the C3-XR at the C_42 showcase on the
Champs-Elysées on the eve of the Paris Motor Show on 30 September. Sold solely in China in the first instance, C3-XR features strong styling based on the brand's design cues. With its robust, elegant looks, this new SUV stands out for its comfort and also for its technology, focused on efficiency.

The Paris Motor Show will be open to the public from Saturday 4 October 2014.

The Citroën stand is in Hall 1 (C320).

The press days will take place on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 October.

The Citroën press conference will be held on Thursday 2 October 2014, at 10:30am.

By Chris Bruce