There was a time when Citroen was one of the leaders of the world's auto industry in terms of design and technological innovation. Before World War II, its Light 15 "Traction Avant" demonstrated the advantages of front-wheel drive in a regular sedan, and the 2CV (sometimes unkindly described as a shed on wheels) showed what could be achieved when motorized transport was reduced to its most basic form, yet was still able to provide remarkable ride comfort and carrying capacity.
But it was in the mid-1950s that Citroen really shook the world's car manufacturers. This was a period when automotive technology was advancing apace and when design and styling were also moving forward quickly—but no company could
have been prepared for the shock
that Citroen created with its oleopneumatically suspended (popularly described as hydro-pneumatic), front-wheel-drive DS 19 sedan. The 20th-century design icon had fully powered brakes (just a button on the toeboard instead of a pedal) and styling like nothing ever seen on a car before; it looked like something out of a science fiction film. Several variations on the theme (ID 19, DS 21, DS 23) built between 1955 and 1975 were to demonstrate its efficacy (if not its quality) as a superbly comfortable, high speed, pan-continental transport. Citroen also used the technology as the basis for the even more complex and powerful Maserati-engined SM in 1970.
Its next large car design was the CX, again daringly advanced technologically and with a developed form of hydropneumatic suspension and Diravi fully powered hydraulic steering with full self-centering action, which was fine on the straights but took a little time to appreciate on an Alpine road. Long, low, and once more with very distinctive styling, the range included a turbodiesel as well as a high-performance (for its day) turbocharged gasoline version producing 125 kW
(168 hp), 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.8 s. Citroen also indulged itself with various quirky designs, including the GS, with its flat-four engine and hydro-pneumatic suspension.
But times were changing. In 1976, Citroen became part of the PSA group, joining forces with Peugeot, which had a far more prosaic attitude to technology and styling, and, as senior partner, its influence toned down Citroen's technological and design flair and dampened the company's zeal to be defiantly "different." Citroen's large XM sedan and wagon, in production since 1989, retain some of that Citroen originality. Beneath its unremarkable exterior, the Xantia hatchback and wagon have retained a form of hydropneumatic suspension, the lineage of which can be traced back to the DS or even in an early production form to the last of the Traction Avants.
However, current Citroens like the Xsara hatch and the small Saxo are unexceptional in terms of styling and technology, relying for their success on conservative functionality. In fact, these models are arguably more "restrained" than anything Peugeot offers.
But, now there are firm signs of change. The Citroen Picasso, a compact multipurpose vehicle (MPV) is in production and its styling is likely to be a hint of things to come from this once-dynamic French company. Although it is based on the Xsara platform and is therefore technologically conventional, the Picasso is a distinctive car and one likely to presage other interesting Citroen models.
The Picasso—so named partly because of its innovative design and also because it is being manufactured at Vigo, Spain, (later it will also be produced at Porto Real, Brazil)
—is the work of Citroen's own Creative Styling Center. A "monospace," with the windshield and hood forming a continuous line, it is distinctive, although a downside of its design is that it has what are, in visual effect if not in substance, subsidiary A- and C-pillars, which at the front impinge on driver visibility in narrow radius bends. Overall length is 4270 mm (168 in), width is 1750 mm (69 in), and height is 1630 mm (64 in), with a wheelbase of 2760 mm (109 in). The car is a five-seater. The center of the three rear seats is adjustable longitudinally and each of them is of identical size and can be folded or removed. Luggage area is 550 L (19.4 ft3) increasing to a maximum, with seats folded and loaded to the roof, of 2128 L (75 ft3). There are three engine choices: 1.6- and 1.8-L gasoline units and a common-rail 2.0-L direct-injection diesel that is used successfully in the Citroen Xsara hatchback, the Xantia, and in Peugeot products. It produces 66 kW (89 hp).
Passengers ride in the Picasso at a height midway between a sedan and people carrier. The gearchange forms part of the dashboard module and allows for a flat unobstructed floor area between driver and front passenger. One interesting area of technology is the use of multiplexing, which facilitates "smart" front and rear windshield wipers and rationalization of electrical equipment for increased reliability, while simplifying repairability through improved diagnostics, according to Citroen. The car's interior is spacious for its overall size and includes many practical design facets, including folding plastic picnic trays fitted to the backs of the front seats. The center rear seat folds down to form a table or desk. Stowage space is excellent, and the two front door bins are shaped to take bottles of water. The instrument cluster includes an indicator showing if the child safety lock has been activated, warning signals to indicate the risk of black ice, and distance to next scheduled maintenance operation. Twin front airbags are fitted and twin side airbags are integrated into the seats. Front seatbelts are fitted with pyrotechnic pretensioners and force limiters. The three rear seatbelts are all three-point. In the luggage area is fitted a foldaway plastic-wheeled trolley called the Modubox. Folded, it requires minimal space but it has a load capability of 18 kg (40 lb). Optional equipment includes a very large folding sunroof and a satellite navigation system. The screen for this is in the center of the dashboard, where its detailed information is difficult to see.
Citroen developed the Picasso in 151 weeks. The use of digital calculation and modeling techniques is said to have "considerably shortened" the design/validation stage by avoiding the necessity of a prototyping phase. Systems engineering also reduced lead time. Although built on a Xsara-type subframe lengthened by 66 mm (2.6 in), the exterior body of the Picasso is new. The structure uses sheet steel. The design team sought to reinforce the front and rear pillars, the subframe, and the rear roll hoop while keeping body mass to 278 kg (613 lb). Lighter metal was used for the roof and fender skirts to save some weight.
Static torsional stiffness of the structure is about 1.05 milliradians when torque of 1000 N•m (738 lb•ft) is applied between front and rear axles. This result can be attributed to the reinforced front and rear pillars, the reinforced rear hoop, and the technique of weld bonding used to assemble the fender with the side panel, according to Citroen. Dynamic torsional stiffness is 40 Hz. The body has 4100 spot welds.
Initially being built at Vigo, where Citroens have been produced since 1958 (starting with the 2CV van), Picassos will be manufactured at the rate of 800 units per day. Vigo employs 9300 people.
Stuart Birch
AEI March 2000
