Frankfurt motor show 2007 - Citroen

The C5 Airscape concept takes centre stage for Citroen.

It's generating more interest than many concepts, because it is a thinly-disguised version of the next C5 family car.

The concept is a four-seater convertible, and its automatically folding roof is made from carbonfibre, with an integrated sunroof.

Power comes from a 2.7 HDI V6 diesel engine with stop-start technology, and equipment such as the air-conditioning and stereo are powered from energy recovered during braking.

Inside, the Airscape has a new-style fixed-hub steering wheel, similar to the one in the C4 Picasso, with the buttons on the central hub.

The production version of the C5 will be a four-door saloon, but it will look very similar to this concept from the waistline down.

The Ford Mondeo rival should make its debut at next spring's Geneva motor show, before going on sale in the UK shortly after that.

However, despite producing this Airscape concept, Citroen claims it has no immediate plans for a C5 convertible.

Green cars
Citroen is also showing off two green cars: the C-Cactus concept and the C4 BioFlex car that will go on sale in parts of Europe later this year.

The C-Cactus is based on the C4 and powered by a diesel hybrid engine. It returns 83mpg and emits 78g/km of carbon dioxide.

The 70bhp diesel engine combines with the 30bhp electric motor to give a restricted top speed of 93mph. In town the car operates in all-electric mode, giving zero emissions.

The weight – and consequently price – of the car has been kept down by using only half the components typically used in a car.

That has led to many parts having multiple functions: the ignition key, for instance, is also an MP3 player, while the dashboard has been replaced by a central console that controls functions such as the loudspeakers, gearbox controls and navigation system.
In addition, many parts – including the windscreen, windows, door panels and tyres – are made from recycled or recyclable materials.

C4 BioFlex
The C4 BioFlex is powered by a 1.6-litre engine that runs on E85 bioethanol, regular unleaded or a combination of both.

When running on E85, the car's power rises from 110bhp to 113bhp and C02 emissions fall from 169g/km to 160g/km.

It is Citroen's first flex-fuel car in Europe, although they already account for 80% of the company's sales in Brazil.

The C4 BioFlex will initially be launched in France and Sweden in late 2007, at the same price as the equivalent petrol model.