Citroen Metropolis

Citroen's back again with yet another concept car. And this time there isn't even a major international motor show to help debut the vehicle. Instead the Metropolis, as it's called, will be unveiled in the French Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Fair.

Citroen is one of the most creative and adventurous car makers in the world. Just a quick look at some of their past concept, and production, vehicles proves that. However for the Citroen Metropolis concept the company have decided to keep things a little more grounded in reality. It's still a fine looking machine, but it's not quite as crazy as some of their recent stuff.

The Citroen Metropolis was designed by a team at Citroen's international studio - which has been based in Shanghai since 2008. The concept is designed to appeal to China's elite, and people who prefer to be driven, rather than drive themselves.

The solid and imposing stance of the Metropolis concept is accentuated by the crisp shoulder line which emanates from just behind the front wheel. The front wheel arch itself gets a prominent air intake/outlet which is somewhat reminiscent of the slash-style vent found on the Nissan GT-R.

The front of the Citroen Metropolis receives the same distinctive Citroen face as all their new models. It quite clearly has someGTbyCitroen in the design.

Powering the Citroen Metropolis is a hybrid drivetrain which features a 2.0 litre V6 petrol engine and a 7-speed, dual clutch, gearbox with electric powered hybrid assistance. At lower speeds the concept operates solely on electricity. The electric motor provides a consistent 55 horsepower, but when needed it can produce 95 hp in short bursts. When driving at faster speeds the Metropolis relies on the 272 horsepower provided by the V6 engine. But when you really want to get moving both power sources work together to offer up to 460 horsepower.

The Metropolis' passengers are kept nice and comfortable, even over relatively rough roads, thanks to the integration of Citroen's renowned Hydractive suspension system.