Citroen Hypnos concept car (2008): first photos

Never one to shy away from making a big splash at its home show, Citroen will wheel out the extravagant new Hypnos concept car at the Paris motor show 2008. It's a crossover vehicle showing how Citroen could launch a mid-sized 'Allroad' style vehicle. Think of the Hypnos as a C5 on stilts then.

Naturally, the new Citroen Hypnos concept car has the requisite hybrid powertrain. Who would show a great big polluting SUV-type vehicle without a nod to the environmental movement these days?

Citroen Hypnos: the lowdown

Not that the Hypnos is a proper mud wallower. Far from it. This is Citroen's more elegant crossover answer to the 4x4 question and – if you believe the rumours coming out of Paris – it could even happen, as a new brand extension of the C5 family of models. It's thankfully bereft of aggressive SUV armour and body cladding that can blight the breed; only a slightly raised ride height and huge wheels give the game away.

The Hypnos packs hybrid power in the shape of an electric-drive rear axle; combined with an 197bhp diesel engine up front driving the front wheels, it means it's four-wheel drive for occasional scrambling duties. But Citroen also claims this concept can ('theoretically', we presume) average 60+mpg and 120g/km of CO2.

The Hypnos is just another crazy Citroen concept then...

We remain deeply sceptical of its production intent. Citroen, and its other half, Peugeot, have only just got round to a short-cut SUV in the shape of the C-Crosser and 4007, after all. One step at a time.

The Hypnos is supposed to mix the dynamism of a coupe, the elegance of a saloon and the practicality of an SUV. Whatever, you'll certainly need sunglasses if you venture inside the cabin, which uses rather too many psychedelic colours and shapes for our liking, judging by this first official photograph.

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Come back to CAR Online before the Paris motor show for all the pre-show build-up. And we'll be reporting live from Paris on 2 October 2008. Stay tuned