Forget a New 4wd – Citroen Has a New 6wd!
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Citroen has gone back to future to produce a show car for the 2007 Geneva International Motor Show, with a six wheel
version of its newly launched C-Crosser recalling the half track cars that André Citroën built to make the first
motorized crossing of the Sahara Desert in 1922
Five Citroen half-track vehicles, tough enough to cross rocky and inhospitable terrain made the first to journey from
Algeria to French West Africa. Galvanised by this exploit, André Citroën followed it up with the Croisière Noire in 1924
and the Croisière Jaune in 1931. The public was thoroughly captivated by these truly adventurous Asian and African
expeditions, which were recognised at the time as important economic, humanitarian, scientific and cultural missions.
Citroën is alluding to this past with Cruise Crosser, a rough and ready all-terrain concept car produced by the Espera
Sbarro School in partnership with Citroën Styling. This off-road concept, based on Citroën’s first luxury 4WD, the
C-Crosser, is fitted with three axles and six wheels that, just like those first half-track vehicles, give it traction
in the harshest possible conditions, come snow, sand or mud.
Off-road adventure and recreation
The orange-coloured Cruise Crosser is easily spotted wherever it roams. The large red compasses on each side of the
vehicle underline its mission to travel everywhere and anywhere, north, south, east or west.
Cruise Crosser has a big open space at the back to provide seating for extra passengers with a third removeable seat row
or a vast loading area for trouble-free transport of luggage, shovels, tents and other accessories. The opening
mechanism of the tailgate makes loading easier, while step plates on both sides of the vehicle facilitate access to the
rear compartment.
The Cruise Crosser is equally impressive inside. The leather seats in rows 1 and 2 boast a particularly high-tech
design, with mesh-style hide confirming both the vehicle’s sporting vocation and the care that went into providing
passengers with total travelling comfort. The orange body colour is stylishly echoed in the seat contours, on the
dashboard and on the door panels. These and other details bring a generous dose of visual and tactile pleasure to Cruise
Crosser’s efficient and functional cabin.
Technology with minimal environmental impact
Cruise Crosser is fitted with high-performance technology for serious off-road adventure.
Passengers can rest assured that Cruise Crosser will never let them down. On poorly surfaced mountain roads and other
uncivilised terrains, drivers can activate the third electric axle for outstanding traction. The vehicle also has sand
boards at the rear for extrication. Finding your way around is a cinch with the navigation system, and Cruise Crosser
also features a DVD player that makes for more pleasurable journeys.
These escapades do not come at the expense of the environment. Faithful to its commitment to cutting fuel consumption
and CO2 emissions, Cruise Crosser has a hybrid diesel drivetrain combining a combustion diesel engine with an electric
motor located under the tipper bed. Traction is boosted by the third axle, used along with the other drive wheels on
harsh terrain featuring rocks, sand or snow. Used alone, this third axle makes it possible to drive in “Zero Emission
Vehicle” mode. In this mode, the silent and non-aggressive Cruise Crosser is in perfect harmony with its environment and
enables occupants to wholeheartedly enjoy the journey.
Cruise Crosser can journey in the farthest flung regions and get from A to B in the roughest possible conditions. It
embodies a new kind of adventure. An adventure made possible by efficient, cutting-edge technology. An adventure that is
sporting and daring, full of vitality and energy – but one that is intelligent, too, made in the greatest respect for
the environment.
ENDS