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Citroen Cactus will simply your life (allegedly)

Citroen thinks cars are too complicated, that motorists are struggling to use the various technologies that litter a modern cabin, but it thinks it has a solution in the form of the Citroen Cactus Concept.

The Cactus is Citroen’s attempt at simplification; an effort to ditch ‘unessential’ elements while taking a pragmatic approach, concentrating on ‘what makes motorists feel good.’

To that end, the company has replaced the instrument cluster with a 7-inch screen, swapped control buttons for a second, 8-inch, touchscreen that controls all vehicle functions (air-con, sat-nav, driver aids etc.), and swapped the gear stick for push button controls on the lower part of the dashboard.

If you think that sounds a little more complicated than normal then you’re not alone. We can just imagine the number of hours we’ll lose having to explain to our mums where the air-conditioning button has gone. Or what an icon is.

We imagine we’ll have to explain to her why the Cactus is making unfamiliar noises, too. The Citroen Cactus Concept doesn’t use a traditional engine, but rather Citroen’s new Hybrid Air drivetrain, which runs on a mixture of petrol and compressed air to deliver fuel economy in the region of 95mpg.

Other oddities? The passenger airbag is located on the ceiling (no, we’re not sure why); the car has its own set of apps, which can be downloaded to its Multicity Connect infotainment system; and it has ‘sofa-style’ front seats that make for a more comfortable drive.

Want one? Good news: Citroen is busy testing a roadgoing version as we speak, so a 2014 release is not entirely out of the question. More on this as we get it.








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