Citro'n has shown a new vehicle at the Paris Motor Show which may have long-term ramifications in its revolutionary design - named the PLURIEL, the car can be quickly transformed into five different body styles. The practical new Pluriel is set to go into immediate production, having been shown to favourable public response at major auto shows in 1999 and 2000.
The Citro'n C3 Pluriel offers its owners a choice of five different body styles, changeable in minutes:
1 - It is a comfortable four seat, two door car with a roomy boot.
2 - It is a coupe with a full length sunroof.
3 - It is a Targa style top, with the full roof panel removed.
4 - It is a full convertible with only the windscreen above the roof line
5 - It is a Two seat Ute, with a drop down read loading platform.
This morphing ability of the base vehicle means that the Citro'n C3 Pluriel is uniquely able to meet changing owner requirements on a day-to-day basis. Ithe Pluriel is likely to be immensely popular in Australia being immensely suited to the varying requirements of an outdoor, leisure-orientated lifestyle.
With its roof fully in place, the Citro'n C3 Pluriel is, essentially, a two door sedan with four adult sized seats. In this form the C3 Pluriel offers the noise and temperature insulation that would be expected of a
conventional sedan, though with the styling of a pillarless coupe.
At the flick of a button, the electric sun roof may be opened in several positions, from offering additional ventilation to a length and breadth of opening that is greater than any conventional sunroof.
The Germans call it a Targa Top, the French a Cabriolet. Either way is unique form of motoring. In a few moments, the soft top, followed by the glass rear window folds into a cartridge that then retracts completely under the boot floor. This provides a fully open roof, the full use of a the normal boot and the stylish lines of the roof rails running from A pillar to C pillar.
The next step is the turn the Citro'n C3 Pluriel into a full open top car. Catches at either end of the roof rails, one at the top of the A pillar and the other at the bottom of the C pillar quickly release roof rails and the C3 Pluriel is transformed into a completely open top car, with four seats and a roomy boot.
What benefit is an open top car if it can't take the requirements for an outdoor lifestyle, reasoned Citro'n. Hence the fifth stage of the Citro'n C3 Pluriel. Rather than a conventional boot lid, the Pluriel's rear door opens downwards, is fully trimmed for loads and even sitting on and, with a flat boot floor and fold down rear seats, the Citro'n C3 Pluriel is transformed into a two seat open top Ute. Of course, the rear seats can be folded down with the roof up, once again adding to the flexibility and versatility of this unique car.
The Citro'n C3 Pluriel is being offered in Europe in either 1.4 litre 54 kW 5-sp manual gearbox or 1.6 litre 80 kW engine which comes with a five speed sequential manual gearbox.
The C3 Pluriel is likely to come to Australia to join the Citro'n C3 five door hatchback after it is launched in December. The C3 Pluriel shares its platform with the five door.