C-Cactus one sharp operator

Citroen names the latest concept car C-Cactus; seeing it as a possible car of the future. The C-Cactus name is chosen because of the perception that the desert-dwelling plant needs little water to survive.

The inference is this car needs little in the way of fluids (fuel) to keep going it.

Citroen has built this C-Cactus car as a hybrid using a small diesel engine as well as an electric motor. And it has concentrated on light weight; meaning less energy is used to accelerate and keep the car at cruising speeds.

The turbodiesel engine delivers about 52kW of power and the electric motor another 22kW when called on for assistance.

Like existing hybrid cars, for urban driving there will be moments when the C-Cactus runs only on its electric motor. It's what Citroen calls ZEV mode (zero emission vehicle). The diesel engine has a particulate filter system. Fuel economy officially is rated about 3.4 litres per 100km and emissions therefore are a low 78g/km. Top speed has been capped at 150km/h.

A key feature of the Citroen C-Cactus is the weight saving brought about by using fewer components, much of that achieved by combining tasks into one component.

The cabin takes 200 parts to create, or about half the number of a conventional car of similar size. Even the dashboard is gone. Its functions, gearbox controls, navigation system and a few speakers of the sound system are all incorporated into a stylish centre console.

Door panels are made of two parts instead of the expected 12. The car has an automatic airconditioning system, so Citroen argues that there's little need to open the windows. Thus, the window winding or power opening systems are not there: simple sliding panes do the job instead.

C-Cactus has appeared wearing 21-inch wheels with special tyres that have been developed in conjunction with Michelin.