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14 Jun 2020
THE HISTORY OF CITROËN COMFORT EPISODE 3: COMFORT OF USE
The notion of comfort has always been at the heart of Citroën models – for over 100 years. In this period of confinement, when everyone is rediscovering something about themselves, Citroën is returning to the Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme. A programme designed to engender Citroën vehicles with a unique type of comfort – one that is a true signature of the brand. Immediately noticeable in all current models, Citroën Advanced Comfort® takes a comprehensive, modern and multi-sensorial approach to comfort. Its aim is to make every journey in a Citroën as comfortable as if you were in your own living room. The Citroën Advanced Comfort® programme is based on four major pillars: Driving comfort, making you feel like you’re in a cocoon Travelling comfort, thanks to practical and functional interior design Comfort of use, with intuitive technologies to simplify your life Comfort of the mind, with a warm and bright atmosphere, and everything in its place These four pillars are major areas of differentiation for the brand's vehicles, underpinned by exclusive innovations such as suspension with Progressive Hydraulic Cushions® or Advanced Comfort seats. Technologies made accessible to as many people as possible. All four pillars have concrete examples throughout the history of the brand, so let’s rediscover Citroën comfort in four individual episodes. Today we have Episode 3, Comfort of use.
COMFORT OF USE: INTUITIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO SIMPLIFY LIFE
INNOVATIVE STEERING WHEELS
For Citroën, functional comfort is the combination of highly ergonomic, easy-to-use in-cabin design, and technology that is intuitive and easy to operate. In the wider automotive sector, technology continues to take on greater prominence in cars – in some cases, to the detriment of user-friendliness. By contrast, Citroën has sought to apply new technology in such a way as to make its cars easier to use, with functionality enhancing comfort.
Reducing driving stress and fatigue has long been a core Citroën aim. The brand believes true comfort lies in lightening the mental ‘load’ of driving, a talent particular to Citroën. For decades, Citroën has put functional comfort at the heart of vehicle design, leading the way when the brand revolutionised two of the critical functional elements – the steering wheel and the dashboard.
Citroën led the way with a new steering wheel innovation in the early years of the 21st century, launching the fixed central steering wheel hub on the C4, seen also on the C4 Picasso and C5. With the proliferation of in-car technologies leading to more cluttered dashboards, many manufacturers started to move controls onto the steering wheel. Citroën’s clever design revolved around a static central hub, with a focused and easy-to-access command panel in direct line of sight. Where other manufacturers’ controls rotated with the wheel, Citroën’s controls were static, making them clearly visible and easier to use. The innovation also met the tough safety demands of impact and airbag legislation.
Citroën used its steering to pave the way for another innovation, the brand’s famous ‘turning’ headlights that first featured on the 1967 DS. The system aided driving at night by tracking the steering, to better illuminate the road ahead. Later, two of the SM’s six hydraulically levelled headlamps did the same. These lights feature as ‘intelligent headlamps’ in our cars today, but were introduced long ago by Citroën to enhance the easy, functional comfort of its flagship cars.
INSTRUMENTATION AND INNOVATION
Advanced ergonomic controls and innovative fascia designs provide further evidence of Citroën’s commitment to functionality, incorporating technologies in a way that enhances driver comfort.
The GS, GSA, CX and BX each featured advanced ergonomic controls, and a design that offered 'keyboard' buttons for vital functions in easy reach of the steering wheel. Later GSA models and the Citroën Visa also introduced a unique ‘satellite’ control panel, placing all the major controls at the driver’s fingertips. For the driver, this meant there was no need to take their hands off the wheel.
The CX pioneered the use of moulded plastics to create a level of design integration between the dashboard, centre console and the door cards. One noteworthy element was the ‘flying saucer’-shaped instrument binnacle – named the ‘Lunule’ – that supplied a crescent of controls around the steering wheel. The Lunule was a truly innovative design, dreamed up by sculptor, designer and artist Michel Harmand, who influenced Citroën design from the 1960s to the 1980s. At the time, this represented a new height for the ‘comfort of function’. As the Lunule evolved for application in other Citroën models, it was imitated by some other carmakers. Particularly when dashboard designs embraced new plastic moulding technologies in the 1980s and 1990s.
The CX also featured a unique ‘revolving drum’ illuminated speedometer, with a large, magnified display of the car’s speed, which revolved into a display window. This was easier for the driver to view and allowed a faster glance at the speedometer than a traditional needle on a dial.
The BX was first introduced in 1982 and represented a new stepping-stone in terms of design, both inside and out. Nearly 20% of the BX’s bodywork was made from plastics and the cabin featured a moulded plastic architecture with fingertip control levers and sliders. With the 1985 BX Digit, Citroën pioneered a digital dashboard and display. Indeed, the BX Digit offered the world's first digitally-signalled controls and centre console displays, alongside its digital ‘TV screen’ instrumentation. Using functionality to enhance comfort, the BX Digit provided a true forerunner to today’s digital dashboards.
INTEGRATING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
In the intelligent layout of dashboard and cabin controls, Citroën’s commitment to functional comfort demonstrates true innovation. Citroën’s functional design innovations include the first truly original cabin to seamlessly integrate new technologies to aid the driver, and improve comfort and convenience. Lessons learned by the brand over the decades now inform the development and integration of technology in Citroën’s contemporary cabin layouts.
After earlier Lunule models, the C6 delivered Citroën’s first ‘head-up display’ (HUD), with vital information projected onto the windscreen for ease of reading. HUDs have since featured on many more recent models, including SpaceTourer and C3 Aircross. Citroën first introduced a digital driver instrument cluster on the Xsara Picasso, refining the concept for a number of models ever since. Today's Grand C4 SpaceTourer has a 12-inch (30cm) digital instrument cluster, displaying information to the driver and passengers in a functional, comfortable way.
Simplicity is at the heart of the information clusters now found in the brand’s current line-up. Connected touchscreen controls echo the functionality of smartphones, connecting drivers and passengers to the outside world, with straightforward phone integration offered via Mirror Screen displays, with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto.
From the earliest ‘bending’ directional headlamps, through to the Lunule instrument cluster and today’s digital displays, the integration of new technology into any new Citroën has always been a matter of practicality, functionality and maximum comfort in use.
PHOTOS AVAILABLE FROM:
http://www.citroencommunication-echange.com/
Username (CAPS) : COMFORTFORALL
Password (CAPS) : COCOON#20
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
JOHN HANDCOCK, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS
07810 180249
SIMON BROOME, PR MANAGER
EMMA GAFFNEY, MEDIA RELATIONS EXECUTIVE
CRAIG MORROW, PRESS FLEET MANAGER
JEREMY TOWNSEND, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
07827 896480
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The Citroën Brand
At the heart of the automotive market, Citroën has asserted itself since 1919 as a popular brand in the true sense of the word, making people and their lifestyles its first source of inspiration. This spirit is underlined by the ‘Inspired by You’ brand signature and is embodied by cars combining unique design and benchmark comfort. Within the sector of mainstream brands, Citroën also stands out with a unique customer experience (Citroën Advisor, ‘La Maison Citroën’, etc.). In 2019, the Citroën sold one million vehicles in over 90 countries.
The Citroën Brand in the UK
The UK is the 4th largest market for Citroën globally, with 80,000 vehicles sold in 2019. Based in Coventry, Citroën UK’s range of hatchbacks includes C1 (city car), C3 (supermini) and C4 Cactus (compact family car). The UK SUV line-up consists of C3 Aircross (compact SUV) and C5 Aircross (mid-size SUV). The UK MPV range features Berlingo (5 or 7-seats), Grand C4 SpaceTourer (7-seats) and SpaceTourer (up to 9-seats). Citroën UK’s Light Commercial Vehicle offering covers all sectors of the market with Berlingo Van, Dispatch and Relay. Citroën has a clearly defined electrification strategy with all models across the range offering an electrified version by 2025. In the UK, 2020 sees the launch of New C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid (PHEV), plus the introduction of Dispatch and Relay battery electric vehicles (BEV).
Citroën UK media site: https://www.media.stellantis.com/uk-en/citroen - @CitroenUK
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