On the occasion of the 2008 Paris Motor Show, Citroën lifts the veil on the Hypnos concept car and thus presents a new expression of an exceptional vehicle.
Under the guise of a particularly racy cross-over, Hypnos combines creative technologies offering performances as remarkable as they are respectful of the environment while providing passengers with both subtle and strong emotions.
Equipped with specific hybrid technology, the Hypnos concept car illustrates Citroën's integration of environmental aspects and emphasizes, once again, that when the Brand is concerned with ecology, it is to combine motoring sensations and efficiency.
Industrially applicable, the architecture of the diesel hybrid powertrain proposed on this concept car is distinguished by the installation of the electric motor at the rear axle. This particularly simple and innovative configuration is perfectly suited to the character of Hypnos: it optimizes its dynamic behavior and traction, while ensuring extremely controlled consumption and emissions (4.5 l / 100 km and 120 g CO2 / km).
Finally, Citroën materializes the benefits of the hybrid technology implemented by supporting its technological approach with a concept car of superlative proportions and daring style.
With its flowing, sleek silhouette and its high posture perfectly set on its 22-inch wheels, Hypnos clearly echoes the search for new driving sensations.
The appeal that this concept arouses from the first glance is relayed by the original chromatic treatment of its interior as well as by its way of transcending technology to make it even closer and more alive: dreamlike clock, on-board chromotherapy, morphological seats. .
On board, passengers are guaranteed to experience a strong sensory experience relating to the marvelous, pure magic.
Hybrid by its technology, Hypnos is also in terms of automotive concept since it offers a silhouette combining the dynamism and elegance of a sedan as well as the volumes of a cross-over.
Powerful, fluid and expressive at the same time, Hypnos is distinguished by unprecedented proportions and an unexpected balance which suggests a grip of rare emotion. Its opposing openings and its interior dotted with dazzling colors attract the eye and arouse the desire to climb aboard.
Finally, its interior design fashioned from noble materials, its very comfortable individual seats and its dreamlike technologies are able to satisfy both the pleasure of the driver and the well-being of the three passengers.
With its dynamic and sculpted volumes that perfectly combine fluidity and tension, Hypnos exudes an elegance and a feeling of rare robustness.
4.90 m long, 2.17 m wide and 1.58 m high, Hypnos commands admiration by the proportions of its silhouette. Whether it is its marked wheel arches, its taut hood or its high beltline, all its volumes present the outlines of a muscular structure that is both powerful and refined.
In addition, Hypnos fascinates thanks to the dynamism he expresses since, even when stationary, everything about him suggests movement. Its floating roof, witness to its spaciousness, soars with force towards the rear to rest on the concave bezel, a hallmark of large Citroën sedans. This feeling is reinforced by the treatment of the very sculpted sides which also generates a strong impression of movement.
The sleek appearance of the body is enhanced by the shade of a bright and deep gray that covers it. This color, the intensity of which varies according to the brightness, gives Hypnos a precious and elegant treatment, confirming its status as a top-of-the-range vehicle.
The doors with antagonistic opening of Hypnos facilitate the access to its edge and reveal, like a case for a precious object, the interior space of the vehicle. At the rear of the vehicle, a tailgate with cargo opening provides optimized access to the boot. Beyond the visual impact that the doors of Hypnos generate, they contribute to its functionality and recall its vocation as a vehicle intended for travel and escape.
The emotions generated aboard Hypnos go beyond the traditional framework of driving because the interior of the vehicle superlatively illustrates the magic of its contents. Traveling on board is the promise of a first-rate sensory adventure.
Captivating from the first glance, the vehicle's shimmering interior space surprises by contrasting clearly with the exterior tint of deep gray. Indeed, it arouses admiration by declining all the colors of a rainbow. This unusual approach, which consists of associating bright colors with a high-end universe, also underlines the brand's creativity.
Upholstered in noble materials such as brushed aluminum or even leather, the Hypnos cabin has been treated in a refined way, creating on board an atmosphere of absolute well-being and confirming the concept car's belonging to the world of exceptional vehicles.
The space reserved for passengers is articulated around the four seats which are arranged helically on either side of a central propeller. This unique configuration leads the imagination to a DNA molecule, to life, to the very person, that is to say the core values of the Citroën brand.
The generous wheelbase (3 meters) associated with the unique arrangement of the seats, clearly out of step with each other, offer a very large individual space. All Hypnos passengers benefit from a habitability never before exploited in this type of vehicle with, in particular, a clear space for the legs corresponding to the criteria of a limousine.
For a top-of-the-range welcome, each occupant has the possibility of personalizing his environment thanks to the blades constituting the central propeller which can pivot and discover various controls such as the air conditioning adjustment for example.
The seats, meanwhile, are made up of numerous cells in the form of prisms that can inflate and deflate on demand to offer travelers a lumbar and back massage.
Transcending technology to make it closer, more accessible and even more attractive is Citroën's permanent commitment. Staging this same technology, bringing it wonderful, almost magical content, this time refers to the philosophy of Hypnos.
Facing the driver, the handset is presented through prisms reminiscent of a diamond whose facets display information relating to driving. Like a jewel, this one is set with a noble metal frame. This frame stands out as the common thread of the front of the concept car, by first integrating a touch screen in the center of the console, then by changing into ventilator covers on either side of the board. edge.
Thanks to microdiodes placed inside the air conditioning duct, the aerators subtly diffuse a halo of soft light, the color of which varies according to the temperature chosen.
The concept car also innovates by making the benefits of chromotherapy available to its users. A camera positioned on the overhead light examines the driver's face and measures his anthropometric parameters at regular intervals.
By comparing them with the data previously recorded, this equipment has the possibility of defining the state of mind of the driver and of intervening on the lighting of the passenger compartment as well as on the fragrance emanating from the room perfumer. The serenity aboard Hypnos is then remarkable.
Proof that Hypnos is the source of intense emotions, the vehicle combines technology and creativity to show the passage of time thanks to a clock of an original nature. Indeed, via the on-board computer screen, Hypnos gives the time in color.
Through the display of colors corresponding to the light of the different hours during the day, this creation by the artist Michel Serviteur indicates the time in a way that is both very technological and very poetic. This dreamlike clock frees itself from any needle or digital display system and manifests its operation by pulsations punctuating the display of successive colors like the breathing of a living being.
Thanks to a voluntary policy in favor of the preservation of the environment, Citroën is today one of the most advanced players in the automotive world in this field. With Hypnos, the Brand is emphasizing its position as a manufacturer that is moving the automobile industry by equipping its concept car with a unique hybrid diesel powertrain. This new technology allows it to offer very good dynamic performance while combining it with control of consumption and respect for the environment.
The intelligence of the Hypnos concept is to combine:
a 2.0 liter HDi FAP diesel engine, coupled to a 6-speed piloted manual gearbox, the power of which is 200 hp (147 kW) and the torque of 420 Nm;
an electric motor installed in the rear axle of the vehicle developing a power of 50 hp and a torque of 200 Nm.
Thanks to diesel hybridization, Hypnos contributes to respect for the environment. This is particularly the case in urban use, with the ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mode which allows access to an “extended” all-electric mode and that in the greatest silence (approximately 3 km of autonomy at 50 km / h), or on roads requiring successive acceleration and deceleration where hybridization makes it possible to limit consumption by using both energies jointly.
Hypnos also benefits from high-power Stop & Start technology capable of putting the heat engine on standby during dense driving situations (traffic jams in urban areas) or when the vehicle stops (traffic lights, etc.) . This system also makes it possible to supply the electric motor with energy when the vehicle is in 4x4 mode.
In motorway use, the 2 l HDi FAP diesel heat engine (particle filter), by its intrinsic qualities, that is to say a 20% reduction in consumption compared to a gasoline engine, offers very good efficiency.
With this control of fuel consumption and therefore emissions, Hypnos displays combined cycle consumption levels of 4.5 l / 100 km and CO2 emissions of 120 g / km, a remarkable performance given the concept car silhouette.
Driving pleasure and sensations, which remain at the heart of motorists' concerns, have not been sacrificed.
In the event of heavy stress on the accelerator pedal and an immediate demand for torque, a "boost" function associates the torque of the heat engine with that of the electric motor and allows Hypnos to achieve high level performance, without penalizing the engine. consumption. The 0 to 100 km / h is reached in 9.4 seconds and the 1000 m, standing start, is crossed in 31 seconds.
Even more than the search for high speed, it was the driving pleasure offered by Hypnos that was privileged.
Thus, like the brand's top-of-the-range models, Hypnos benefits from a third-generation hydraulic suspension. In addition to providing a high level of comfort to all passengers, this technology provides benchmark dynamic behavior for the concept car.
In addition, in the event of poor adhesion or strong stresses, the vehicle switches to four-wheel drive because the electric motor then drives the rear wheels while the heat engine turns the front wheels. The triggering of the 4-wheel drive allows the driver to benefit from enhanced traction and to fully and safely exploit the potential of Hypnos in all grip conditions.
Finally, in particularly difficult driving conditions, for example uphill on a snow-covered road, a forced 4x4 mode can be selected by the driver.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Dimensions
Length: 4,900 mm
Sidewall width: 2,036 mm Overall width: 2,172 mm Height: 1,580 mm Wheelbase: 3,000 mm Front PAF: 980 mm
PAF AR: 920 mm
Mass
Total loaded weight: 1,800 kg
Performance and consumption
0 to 400 m: 16.8 seconds
0 to 1000 m: 31 seconds
0 to 100 km / h: 9.4 seconds
30 to 60 km / h: 2.6 seconds
80 to 120 km / h: 6.8 seconds
Maximum speed: 212 km / h
Combined consumption: 4.5 l / 100 km in the combined cycle CO2 emissions: 120 g / km
Diesel hybrid powertrain
2.0 l HDi FAP diesel engine: 200 hp (147 kW) power / 420 Nm torque 6-speed electronic controlled manual gearbox
Electric motor on the rear axle: power of 50 hp / torque of 200 Nm ZEV mode (range of 3 km to 50 km / h)
Aero Dynamics
Cx: 0.30
SCx: 0.78 m2
Ground connections
Hydraulic suspension
Specific Michelin tires 275/40 R22
