Citroën Xanae

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Xanae

Xanae
Presentation year: 1994
Vehicle fair: Paris Motor Show
Class : Van
Body shape : Station wagon
Engine: Otto engine :
2.0 liters (99 kW)
Length: 4200 mm
Height: 1550 mm
Production model: Citroen Picasso

The Citroën Xanae was a concept vehicle that Citroën presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1994 . The compact van was based on the contemporary Citroën ZX , but the chassis had been enlarged. The Xanae can be seen in the same segment from Renault , the Renault Scénic , as a reaction to the prototype presented in 1991 .

In 1978, PSA Peugeot-Citroen took over all European brands from Chrysler , collectively as Chrysler Europe , and created Talbot-Simca and then Talbot from Simca . As a successor to the Talbot Rancho , Matra developed a prototype as an MPV . However, PSA did not see sufficient market opportunities in the new vehicle category and the continued existence of the Talbot brand was uncertain. The concept was therefore sold to Renault and was ready for series production in 1984 as Renault Espace . It was only when commercial success became apparent and the growing market share in the van segment stabilized that PSA signed a contract with Fiat in 1988 to develop and build the Eurovans .

PSA did not want to repeat the same mistake and, like Renault, planned a van in the compact segment. The Xanae presented the concept and showed details that were used in the Citroën Xsara Picasso series model built from 1999 . What was particularly striking was the low drag coefficient despite a fully-fledged van with 5 seats. A special feature was the panorama windshield, which protruded into the roof and widened the viewing angle. To make room in the front seats, the car had a steering wheel gearshift and the handbrake lever was located on the left under the steering wheel. All the necessary displays for operating the vehicle and the radio, for example, were displayed on two LCD screens. The front seats could be rotated and all the seats folded down. The rear seats and the front passenger bench could be removed, creating a flat loading area. The rear doors were hinged at the back.

Much emphasis was placed on safety. In addition to side impact protection, the doors were massively reinforced as there was no B-pillar . The development of the Xanae took only 6 months and was carried out by 30 specialists from various areas of PSA under the direction of Luc Epron. After the great positive response at the Paris Motor Show, it was decided to develop and build a series model, which took another 4 years.

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