Citroen Metropolis Concept
Citroen Metropolis? If we had to guess, we’d say that sounds like a tiny, cute, ridiculously eco-friendly French city car, perhaps a modern-day 2CV.
To the contrary, the Metropolis concept, which Citroën is displaying at the Shanghai Expo, is a full-fledged luxury car; it’s longer, wider, and lower than an Audi A8L. Created by a design team based in Shanghai, it’s original and handsome.
Angular and aggressive, the Metropolis takes the French carmaker's current design language a step further. Somewhat poetically—and more than a little bit absurdly—Citroën likens the car’s shape to that of a Chinese priestess. The front grille is designed to look like a dragon, and the interior displays traditional Chinese motifs like fans and Gu Zheng harps. These, according to the carmaker, are the insignia of "refined and sophisticated humans." Being unrefined, unsophisticated subhumans, it’s surprising we could even read the press release, much less appreciate the car’s striking design.
Under the "pearl silk"-colored sheetmetal, the Metropolis uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Combustion occurs within a 268-hp V-6, while electricity is funneled through an electric motor good for up to 94 hp. Maximum system power is said to be 454 hp, which—given the rest of the specs—sounds completely made up. The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch unit. Among the other incredulous figures, Citroën says this huge sedan gets 90 mpg in the Euro cycle. It is possible to drive the Metropolis in purely electric mode, and all-wheel-drive can be switched on or off on demand. Thanks to this mode, and Citroën's Hydractive hydropneumatic suspension—which allows you to raise the body to SUV heights—the occasional trip to the Tibetan Plateau should pose few difficulties beyond those inflicted by the Chinese government.
The 1920s cult movie Metropolis tells the story of a futuristic society split into two distinct classes: the workers and the capitalists, their living quarters separated by machines. Citroën's Metropolis concept leaves no doubt as to which side of the Chinese political divide the brand hopes to court.
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