The big Citroen reveal

Mike Stevens, CarAdvice.com.au
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Citroen has returned to the themes of its swooping Numero 9 concept of 2012, unveiling the new CXperience show car that will debut at the Paris motor show in October.

Just like the Numero 9, the CXperience lands somewhere between stretched hatch and shooting brake wagon, matching a long profile with a short rear overhang for a more sporting look than the average load hauler.

Citroen describes the show car as a “new take on the executive saloon”, suggesting it may presage a next-generation C5 mid-sizer – although, in its home market, it is the larger C6 that would be described as an executive car.

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As a potential new C6, the CXperience would make a far more compelling option for western buyers than the comparatively dull sedan revealed for Chinese buyers in April.

The concept measures in at 4.85 metres long, making it longer than both the existing C5 sedan (4778mm) and wagon (4829mm), but shorter than the 4907mm C6 that ended production in 2012.

However, with a 3.0-metre wheelbase, the CXperience would offer an even more accommodating cabin than the old C6’s 2.9-metre footprint could allow.

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Whichever badge the CXperience goes on to wear – if indeed it ever goes anywhere near production – the concept’s styling likely hints at a mature new look for models that will sit higher in the Citroen range, away from the youth-oriented design of the C4 Cactus and new C3 hatch.

In concept form, the CXperience features sharp arrow-like LED headlights that merge with the familiar chevron-formed grille. Additional LEDs fill the flanks, likely acting as both driving and fog lights.

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Power in the new concept is provided by a plug-in hybrid drive system, matching a petrol engine “developing between 110 and 150kW” with an electric motoring offering “up to” 80kW of power. A total combined output of up to 220kW is claimed, but no torque, acceleration or fuel figures have been offered.

Citroen claims an all-electric driving range of 60 kilometres, and the electric motor draws its energy from a 3kWh battery pack (by comparison, the new Toyota Prius Prime boasts an 8.8kWh battery).

An eight-speed automatic transmission is featured, sandwiched between the petrol engine and the electric motor.

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Watch for the CXperience to make its official debut at the Paris motor show in October.

-CarAdvice.com.au