The Citroën Xanae is a concept car presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1994. It was a running prototype of a compact MPV, assembled in Turin by Heuliez-Torino, and it drew a large crowd on the stand.
Citroën Xanae at a glance
| Maker | Citroën, built by Heuliez-Torino |
|---|---|
| Type | running MPV concept |
| Shown | Paris Motor Show, 1994 |
| Length | 4.23 m |
| Engine | 2.0-litre 16-valve XU10J4R petrol, 135 hp |
| Gearbox | electronically controlled automatic, satellite control on the wheel |
| Platform | Citroën Xantia Activa |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic with Hydractive II and SC-CAR active roll correction |
| Doors | two rear-hinged doors on the right, one large door on the left |
| Seats | five, removable and rotating, on a flat floor |
Based on one source (French Wikipedia); there is no English article on the Xanae.
History of the Citroën Xanae
A one-box Citroën
The Xanae was a fully developed, driveable prototype that set out to bring the styling codes of traditional saloons into the one-box MPV shape. At 4.23 m long and with large glazed areas, the cabin was full of light. Access was by two rear-hinged doors without a central pillar on the right side and a single large door on the left, and five people could sit in equal comfort, with the rear seats continuing into rounded forms in the side panels.
A modular interior
The space could be rearranged: the seats were removable and rotating, the floor was flat with no centre console, and the whole driving position — wheel, rev counter, main controls and gearbox — could be adjusted in height as a single unit. Part of the instrumentation was moved to two LCD screens at the base of the windscreen, and the car had a radio with a CD changer and a hands-free telephone. The headlamps used optical fibres fed by discharge bulbs, and the other lights were LEDs.
Xantia Activa underneath
The car was powered by a 2.0-litre 16-valve XU10J4R petrol engine of 135 hp with an electronically controlled automatic gearbox operated by a satellite control to the right of the wheel. It sat on a Xantia Activa platform, so it had hydropneumatic suspension with Hydractive II and the SC-CAR active roll correction system, giving an outstanding balance of comfort and safety. The Xanae announced the future style of the Xsara and, more broadly, its one-box variant the Xsara Picasso, launched in December 1999, while its panoramic windscreen anticipated several later PSA models.
Design and features
- Running prototype: a complete, driveable car, not a mock-up.
- Hydractive II and SC-CAR: the Xantia Activa chassis with active roll correction.
- Rear-hinged doors: two on the right without a central pillar, one large door on the left.
- LCD instruments: part of the display moved to screens at the base of the windscreen.
- Flat floor: removable rotating seats and no centre console.
Citroën Xanae versions
- Xanae (1994): the single concept car.
The Xanae pointed at the Xsara and the Xsara Picasso, and it used the chassis of the Xantia. More cars are in the Citroën collection.
Video: Prototipo Citroën Xanae, 1994
Video by CDSCITROEN on YouTube.
Sources
- Citroën Xanae, French Wikipedia: show, dimensions, interior, engine, platform
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