Quirkiest French brand celebrates a century with 19_19.

Citroën has built some of the most iconic cars in history and the Frenchcompany’s concepts also happen to be amongst the most outlandish imaginable.

The latest Citroën concept vehicle is called the 19_19 and it is a future vision of what luxury long-distance automotive travel could become.

Built as a centenary celebration of Citroën, the 19_19’s exterior design is inspired by aviation, with an incredibly aerodynamic body and small winglets both front and rear. The vehicle measures 4.66 m in length, 2.24 m across and 1.66 m high. If you consider those measurements, the proportions are more like that of a miniature business jet, than a conventional automobile.

Where Citroën’s designers have applied themselves with notable discipline, is the cabin, which despite its compact dimensions, promises to offer occupants unrivalled comfort. The front passenger benefits from an adjustable lounge seat, which can be configured to sit upright, cradle or fold nearly flat, depending on the passenger’s mood – much like the seat operation on an international business class flight.

In the back, Citroën has a deeply recessed and expertly padded bench seat, split by a centre console. Although there is a retractable steering wheel, Citroën says that the 19_19 features fully autonomous driving capability (they don’t mention how this has been achieved), to allow the driver/host to pay attention to passengers.

Powering this radical Citroën concept car is a 100 kWh battery drive system, comprising dual electric motors which produce 340 kW and 800 Nm. Those outputs are enough to power 19_19 from 0-100 kph in 5 seconds and guarantee a top speed of 200 kph. Citroën claims the 19_19 will be good for 800 km of range and recharge to 600 km of endurance in approximately 20 minutes, using a quick-charging interface.

Set for its public debut at the VivaTech show in Paris, the 19_19 is another outlandish Citroën concept car which will never transition into production, but it does showcase the horizon that designers are imagining will become real, in future.

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