Citroën Tubik Concept (2011)

  

CARBARN | Citroën Tubik Concept (2011) | With the launch of its Mulicity portal, Citroen established itself as a facilitator of mobility. Drawing upon its expertise and the best "Créative Technologie", Citroen has developed Tubik, a high-tech executive shuttle based on one key idea: travel should be fun. The Multicity project is the result of studies carried out by Citroen on mobility. This project is already a reality with the launch in France of Citroen Multicity, an online portal and routefinder that covers all available means of transport (car, train, plane, etc.) to make travelling easier.

Sociologists talk about "affective groups" to describe this change which includes blended families and groups of friends. Tubik was inspired by Citroen's renowned Type H, fondly referred to by the general public as the "TUB" (the name of its predecessor). Citroen design teams gave Tubik distinctive, offbeat styling, with colours and materials that aim to meet the highest standards in sophistication and comfort.

To make travel enjoyable again, Citroen Tubik creates a lounge-style cocoon dedicated to comfort and relaxation. The modular seats, designed to be arranged in many different ways (semi-reclined, face-to-face, etc.), and the onboard technology (including a giant, semi-circular screen, and high-definition spatialised sound) turn the cabin into an area for living and sharing. Providing generous space while keeping fuel consumption under control demands an innovative drive train. Hybrid4 technology solves the equation. With this full-hybrid technology and the efforts made to improve aerodynamic design, Tubik maintains CO2 emissions at a level comparable to a conventional saloon.

The design lines of Tubik are a nod to the Citroen TUB (from the French acronym for low front-wheel drive commercial vehicle) and its ingenious upgrade, the Citroen Type H, whose versatility and style made it a best-seller of its times (half a million units in 34 years on the market). The driver's door is rear-opening while the side door runs in a circle to free up the entire side of the vehicle.And as journeys generally involve luggage, the rear end conceals a cleverly designed hold.

When you get behind the wheel of Citroen Tubik, you enter a high-tech world designed around the driving position. This area is dominated by what Citroen designers call the "cyclotron", a system that groups - in one circular line - the seat, pedal assembly, steering wheel and circular head-up display The aluminium grey of the bodywork is also present on the cyclotron, to accentuate its robust, protective looks. The living area is a lounge-style cocoon. The living area features materials borrowed from the worlds of architecture and interior design: felt seats, silken backrests and door panels, and a leather floor. Passengers can arrange the three rows of seats as they wish. Each seat is independent for maximum comfort. The first row of seats lets two people sit facing the road or facing the other passengers. Passengers become spectators, taking advantage of the large multimedia screen in a semi-reclined position.

Citroen Tubik is not only an exceptionally spacious vehicle, it also has an eye on the environment. The full-hybrid diesel drive train increases vehicle range over an internal combustion engine and also maximises traction with its four-wheel drive mode (the front wheels being driven by the combustion engine and the rear wheels by the electric motor). Citroen Tubik is fitted with 22-inch wheels equipped with tall, narrow tyres with very low rolling resistance, in order to optimise fuel consumption. For a better compromise between comfort and roadholding, Tubik features hydractive suspension, a technology exclusive to Citroen.