Citroen Numero 9 Concept to be unveiled in Beijing

Two years since the Citroen DS line of cars, namely the DS3, DS4 and DS5 were launched, the French car maker has sold over 2,00,000 examples. The company is now looking to introduce its DS line of cars in one the world’s biggest automobile markets, China. To mark the event, Citroen has created a concept car called the Numero 9 that will be unveiled at the upcoming 2012 Beijing Motor Show. 

The Citroen Numero 9 concept is not just a one-off concept car. Citroen plans to expand the DS line of cars by creating three more vehicles based on the Numero 9. The three models to be introduced in the DS line-up are a C-Segment sedan, a D-Segment executive sedan and an SUV. The Numero 9 concept pushes the DS line into the shooting brake design segment with its long cabin and rear hatch. 

Citroen’s Numero 9 concept at the Beijing Motor Show will be a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a 1.6-litre petrol engine developing 228PS of power and 275Nm of torque. The internal combustion engine is mounted at the front of the car and drives the front wheels of the car while an electric motor mounted over the rear axle of the car will power the back wheels under urban driving conditions. The electric motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries that can be charged from a household electrical circuit within three and a half hours! The electric motor develops 71PS of power and 200Nm of torque. 

Like most plug-in hybrids, the Numero 9 concept will run on electricity under urban driving conditions and will provide both electricity and combustion power when the pedal is depressed. When the driver decides to drive with gusto, the petrol engine will kick in to deliver adequate punch. And if that isn’t enough, there is a ‘boost’ function that combines both the petrol engine and the electric motor to deliver 299PS of power in all-wheel drive mode. In this mode, the Citroen Numero 9 takes 5.4 seconds from 0-100 km/h and flat out the vehicle will cover a kilometre in just 25.3 seconds. 

The all-wheel drive mode is not just for performance though. Under slippery conditions, the Numero 9 concept’s electric motor kicks in to drive the rear wheels of the car and provide adequate traction to keep the vehicle on the road. There is even an option to select all-wheel drive for driving on tricky terrain such as snow or slush. 

Concept or not, the Numero 9 introduces some very clever ideas and technology that can be implemented into hybrid vehicles today to make them more fun to drive with its ‘boost’ function as well as making the vehicle safer with its all-wheel drive option. There is even the convenient option of being able to turn the heater on before getting into the car. How nice is that! 

While cruising on the highway the Numero 9 Concept will work solely on the petrol engine.