Citroen goes the distance with 19_19 Concept

CITROEN has followed up its urban-focused Ami One concept shown in February with the unconventional-looking 19_19 Concept unveiled this week – a design study that is said to express the French brand’s “vision of ultra-comfort and extended mobility to escape from the cities”.

Apparently inspired by aviation and interior design, the 19_19 Concept is a long-distance, all-electric vehicle that can aptly travel up to 800km on a single charge under Europe’s recently introduced WLTP protocol.

Accommodated by a long 3100mm wheelbase, its 100kWh battery pack can be charged wirelessly, either while stationary or on the move. Alternatively, it can be fast-charged via cable, with more than 595km of range added in 20 minutes.

Despite its comfort focus, the 19_19 Concept’s performance is plentiful on paper, too, with a dual-motor set-up providing all-wheel drive and developing 340kW of power and 800Nm of torque.

Fully autonomous driving is possible thanks to an artificially intelligent Personal Assistant built into the dashboard which “interacts with passengers via an intuitive and proactive system that anticipates the needs of each occupant”, according to Citroen.

Measuring in at 4655mm long, 2240mm wide and 1600mm tall, the body of 19_19 Concept is designed to resemble an aircraft’s fuselage and the transparent bubble of a helicopter, allowing occupants to look underneath the dash to view the road below.

The same LED lighting signature is used at both the front and rear end, with two Y-shaped strips incorporating the chevrons of the Citroen logo.

The aviation theme is evident again with 19_19 Concept’s two lidar sensors, which are positioned separately on the roof to emulate a twin tailplane.

The fully glazed cabin appears to be suspended above chunky wheelarches and oversized, fixed-hub 30-inch wheels wrapped in integrated, noise-suppressing 255/30 Goodyear tyres, while the powertrain and suspension are positioned prominently in between.

The black panels that blend into the front doors feature digital displays that enable the Personal Assistant to deliver vehicle information to incoming occupants.

Accessed via suicide doors, the cabin is described as “a true living room on wheels”, with individual seats that each have their own vision of comfort – from the driver’s seat to the front passenger chaise longue and rear sofa.

The driver is presented with a retractable steering wheel and pedals, and a windshield-projected head-up display that has augmented reality (AR) functionality.

Similarly, the Personal Assistant can project visual media below the passenger side of the dashboard for rear occupants when the driver is in control, while the full area is used when autonomous mode is activated. It also supports natural voice control.

Rear passengers gain extra privacy by being able to see outside while remaining concealed from onlookers via blue micro-perforated trim.

In keeping with Citroen’s Advanced Comfort signature, the 19_19 provides a “magic carpet” ride via an active suspension set-up with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions, which are currently found on the C4 Cactus small hatch and C5 Aircross mid-size SUV.

Citroen global chief executive Linda Jackson said the concept stands as “our technological and innovative vision of the automotive future”.

“It conserves the fundamentals that have made Citroen what it is over the last 100 years: a brand that listens to its customers and systematically focuses on human aspects, consistent with its ‘Inspired by You’ brand signature,” she said.

“Design, creativity, comfort and innovation are and will remain central to Citroen’s DNA, as demonstrated by 19_19 Concept.”