Citroën mulls production of SUV-styled C1 Urban Ride

Paris – Citroën will launch a production version of the C1 Urban Ride concept if public response is favorable, the brand's CEO Linda Jackson said.

Citroën is asking visitors to its stand at the Paris auto show, which ends Oct. 19, to vote on whether the concept should be built.

A variant bearing elements from the C1 Urban Ride could see production by 2016 if the concept is a hit with show visitors, Jackson told Automotive News Europe. “If the public votes for it and says it is great, then it will see a launch in the near future,” she said.

The concept is based on the brand’s C1 minicar. A production version would rival models such as the Opel Adam Rocks and tap into growing customer demand for city cars with SUV styling and a raised ride height.

A production C1 Urban Ride would likely only be sold in Europe like the C1, Jackson said. The car would be too small for growth markets such as China where buyers “want a lot of space in the back of the car.”

Citroën Design Director Alexandre Malval said the brand would not need to make many modifications to the C1 to produce the Urban Crossover. It would mostly be a styling variation of the C1, he said.

The C1 Urban Crossover’s ground clearance is 15mm higher than the C1’s and its SUV styling is intended to convey a sense of “urban adventure,” Citroën said. The concept’s SUV-like elements include reinforced front and back bumpers and wheel arch trimming.

Like the C1, it has a touchpad screen that can run smart phone applications when connected with a USB cable or by Bluetooth.

The C1 is built with its siblings, the Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo, at a joint Toyota-PSA/Peugeot-Citroën factory in in Kolin, in the Czech Republic.