Filed under: Hybrid, Safety, Technology, Hatchback, BMW, Electric The BMW i3 has been hailed in some quarters as the future of electric mobility, what with its innovative carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body and commitment to sustainable materials whe...

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Technology, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Renault, Electric In the contest for ultra-high fuel efficiency, France is coming up with a seriously tough lineup of concepts. Both Peugeot and Citroën have conc...

Filed under: Videos, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Smart The 2016 Smart Fortwo and Forfour are at the 2014 Paris Motor Show showing off their brand new looks for their latest generations, and the company hopes that an extensive list of changes can give...

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Citroën

Full disclosure: I love the Citroën C4 Cactus. Really, I just love French automakers. Kudos to them for flexing their design muscles, creating products that compete in the mass market while not looking like anything else on the road. This C4 Cactus, for example - it's a small hatchback that's about the same size as a Ford Focus, designed to take on small crossovers like the (also weird) Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. But it looks radical, what with its funky Airbump door trim (think of it as aerodynamic, protective Braille), extensive and imaginative color palette, and decidedly weird styling. It's just plain cool.

This specific C4 Cactus, however, takes things a step further with a massive focus on emissions and fuel economy. Much like the Peugeot 208 with which it shares a powertrain, the Cactus 2L Airflow uses PSA Peugeot Citroën's Hybrid Air powertrain, comprised of a three-cylinder PureTech gasoline engine and a compressed air storage unit. There are three different operating modes for the Hybrid Air system, including "air power," where the compressed air motor runs things, "petrol power," which is pretty self-explanatory, and "combined power," where the combustion engine works with the compressed air system to move things along.

The end result? A five-door hatch that weighs just 2,100 pounds (you know, lighter than a Mazda Miata) and is capable of getting 141 miles per gallon on the European cycle, or two liters per 100 kilometers (that's why it's got "2L" in its name). And it's all wrapped in colorful, textured, uniquely French package. Sign me up.

Continue reading Citroen C4 Cactus Airflow 2L brings the fuel-sipping funk [w/video]

Citroen C4 Cactus Airflow 2L brings the fuel-sipping funk [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Oct 2014 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Technology, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Peugeot One of the more intriguing automotive technologies on the market is PSA's Hybrid Air drivetrain, which is being shown rather prominently at the 2014 Paris Motor Show i...