No one does "weird" better than the French! And Citroën has been proving its mettle in making the most radical automobiles for a long, long time now. Be it the Citroën 2CV that brought bold things to the 1930s and the 1950s Citroën DS that packed loads of innovative and first-ever features, this French automaker has always stood apart. But now things are taking a rather interesting turn for Citroën with the advent of EVs.
Just like always, they have decided to stand out, and its tease was given to us by the cute little Citroën Ami EV that brought some pretty cool "symmetrical" features. Basking on Ami's success, Citroën decided to go big and bolder with the even more radical Oli concept EV. Citroën takes a simple and straightforward approach to show the world that range, power, comfort, technology, and luxury can be "enough".
But in that quest for "enough", Citroën has introduced some coolest-looking design and material choices in its funky concept. And the Oli's interior is a treasure-trove of quirks. The dashboard is a cylinder, the seats are transparent, and the Oli's in-car technology is your smartphone! Doug DeMuro would be overwhelmed with Citroen's ambitious family EV.
Citroën Oli's Dashboard Is A Cylindrical Beam
The Citroën Oli interior is anything but normal. The dashboard is literally a cylindrical beam that goes across the width of this cool concept's "orange" interior. This has been done to minimize the flaunting of complex materials and technology features. Citroën states that the Oli uses just 34 components for the dashboard area as compared to a compact hatchback that uses about 75 parts for the dash configuration.
The beam also houses a slew of USB ports to help power various electronic devices with ease and minimal mess. The center portion of this "beam" neatly packs two air vents, directed to the driver and front passenger. There are five toggle switches positioned at the center of this cylinder that takes care of the air-con controls.
The steering wheel is cool and quirky as well. It has a flat on the top and bottom, but the line is gradual, and you need to look twice to know that it's not a full circle! There is a cute little joystick to the right that plans to make controlling various technology features an intuitive experience.
The whole cylindrical entity is cocooned in a form of a storage shelf that is 3D-printed out of recyclable TPU. This bright orange layout also comes with quirky "mushrooms" (as Citroën likes to call them) that are basically extended thick strands of thermoplastic that can hold objects in place when on the move. Weirdly ingenious we must say!
Your Smartphone Is The Brains Of The Citroën Oli's In-Car Technology
There is no dedicated infotainment system or instrument cluster in the Oli. Instead, this funky car uses a smartphone dock that utilizes your phone to project the infotainment and instrument cluster onto a thin strip of digital display on the dash, which Citroën likes to call a "Smartband" system.
The smartphone slides into its dedicated slot located dead in the center just above the very "straight-forward" bunch of toggles. Once the phone is docked, its computing power is fused with the vehicular data and displayed on the elongated display located just under the windshield.
Citroën has also cleverly eliminated the generic infotainment system and its speaker assembly. Instead, the Oli flaunts two cylindrical Bluetooth speakers that can be slid into either end of the quirky dashboard. This portable nature of the speakers also allows occupants to take the party outside the Oli. This aspect is similar but more indulging to what we have seen in the Rivian electric vehicles.
Citroën Oli Seats Are The Definition Of Creativity, Innovation, And Orange
Now let's come to the most creative and innovative part of the Citroën Oli's interior - the seats! And boy, these are unlike any other seats we have come across in vehicles. Co-developed with BASF, Thermoplastic PolyUrethane is used to create the webbed rows of seats. Citroën uses tubular frames as the backbone of all the seats which are then wrapped in 3D-printed mesh backrests with integrated headrests for the front row.
The base cushion is made from recycled polyester. The second-row seats are more interesting as it comes with floating headrests that retract upwards when the need to extend the cargo space comes into the picture. The seats are lightweight as compared to a standard set of car seats and according to Citroën, the Oli's seating assembly uses 80% fewer parts that a standard one.
There is a storage space slotted between the rear individual seats. Further, there is a hidden storage compartment under the rear seats that house a first aid kit. The first-row seats are fixed to the floor using flexible TPU rings that also provide a dampening effect, further elevating the comfort levels.
Talking of the floor, Citroën has used a single-piece rubberized Expanded Thermoplastic PolyUrethane (E-TPU) that lots into the floor like a huge Lego brick. It is highly durable, waterproof, and even comes with drain plugs to be hose cleaned. And the whole cabin has been painted in an eye-popping shade of orange that elevates its cheerful character.
Citroën Oli Interior Adds Creativity To Sustainability & Practicality
It is rare to see a car interior so aggressive with its sustainability angle and still manage to look pretty and futuristic. Citroën has nailed it with Oli's interior layout. Everything from the dashboard design, the lightweight seat construction, and the clever use of durable material keeping practicality in mind make the Oli's interior the wackiest and most usable cabin among any passenger cars out there. A lot of creative thoughts have gone into this French interior layout, to bring a balance between "impetus", "ambition", "ingenuity" and "mission.
Source: Citroën