If I were to pick an automaker that has delivered the most intriguing vehicle designs of the last 60 years or so, it would have to be Citroen. From the Traction Avant and original DS series to the SM and the C6, the French firm has launched some pretty wild-looking cars. The C4 Cactus is the latest to bring some rather unconventional styling cues and features to the market, but Citroen didn't stop there. At the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the French company unleashed the Cxperience, a concept car that likely previews an upcoming flagship sedan.

Measuring nearly five meters, which puts it above the C5, the Cxperience is a sign that Citroen wants to move upmarket and offer a new flagship model. The French automaker stopped selling one in 2012, when the C6 was discontinued due to slow sales. Designed by Citroen Styling at the company's Design Centre in Velizy, the new concept was inspired by the "high-tech world on the outside, and by furnishings/travel on the inside."

"The whole Style team pulled in the same direction to create a new executive saloon with international reach, breaking with conventional codes to express the brand’s values: Optimistic, Human and Smart, said Alexandre Malvan, director of Citroen Design.

As with many concepts, the Cxperience isn't likely to spawn a production model, but a flagship model loosely based on it is likely to follow. Citroen current offers a new-generation C6 in China, but that's far too conventional compared to the four-door that will drawn cues from this concept in a few years. Let's see what the Cxperience is all about below.

Updated 10/04/2016: We added a series of images taken during the concept' official debut at the 2016 Paris Auto Show.

Continue reading to learn more about the Citroën Cxperience Concept.

Exterior

The first thing that catches the eye, besides the wild styling, is the two-box design. This is rather unusual for sedans, which usually feature a three-box layout, but Citroen is known to break the rules and has done it before with the C6. The concept also features rear-hinged autoclave doors that rise to the top of the roof and open to a 90-degree perpendicular angle.

Up front, the show car is recognizable as a Citroen thanks to its layered headlamps and the "chevron" emblem. Both are integrated into a single unit, with the V-shaped headlamps splitting toward the edges; one LED strip extends toward the wheel arches, while the other one runs toward the bumper. The light signature is unique to the concept and may preview a look that Citroen wants to adopt in the future. Also, while they are positioned where the headlamps usually are, they're actually the car's daytime running lights. The are made up of fine three mm wide strips with the indicators elegantly positioned in between, giving the car a high-tech look.

The front fascia becomes more intriguing down below, where Citroen integrated three LED directional headlamps into massive cutouts in the bumper. Further down, there are air intakes covered by mobile flaps. Designed to open and close depending on how much air the drivetrain needs, the flaps enhance the car's aerodynamic performance.

The rear end is as unique and flashy as the front fascia. It has beefy wheel arches, V-shaped taillights with LED strips, and slim indicators with clear covers in the middle. The taillights and part of the bumper are integrated into massive, triangular cutouts that mimic those seen in the front. These also give the rear fascia a trapezoidal center section for a unique look. The rear end is rounded off by wide exhaust outlets integrated into the apron, black-painted "chevron" logo, and a concave window with a mobile fin at the bottom.

Speaking of the rear window, the concept car has a fastback-like roof, a tailgate, and a very short decklid, features that remind of the innovative, range-topping C6 that Citroen built between 2005 and 2016. The French firm has recently revived the nameplate for the Chinese market, but the new sedan has nothing in common with the original four-door. Needless to say, the Cxperience is some sort of spiritual successor to the initial C6.

As far as dimensions go, the concept car is 4.85 meters (191 inches) long, two meters (78.7 inches) wide, only 1.37 meters (54 inches) tall, and has a three-meter (118.1-inch) wheelbase. These figures make it 72 mm (2.83 inches) longer and 148 mm (5.82 inches) wider than the C5, currently the company's biggest sedan that's sold globally. Compared to the China-only C6, the Cxperience is actually 148 mm (5.82 inches) shorter, but 160 mm (6.3 inches) wider. The concept's wheelbase, on the other hand, is slightly longer than the C6's, which suggests enhanced cabin comfort.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

The interior is a mix of flowing design lines, clean features, premium materials, and a contrasting color scheme. With upper and lower elements sculpted from wood and tubular cutout extending from the right rear door panel to the left rear door panel in a single element, the dashboard is a tremendous piece of modern architecture that reinforces the impression of space. The tubular tunnel is upholstered in yellow mesh fabric that matches the center tunnel and the seats, providing the striking contrast usually found in concept cars. Aside from that, the dashboard design is clean and simple, with only the wide screen and the head-up display disturbing the continuous wood pieces that flow into the door panels.

The steering wheel is also as simple as they get, sporting a one-spoke design that reminds of vintage Citroen models, flat top and bottom, and two buttons on each side.

Moving over to the seats, they're upholstered in the same Citrus Yellow fabric and have serious bolstering on the sides, as well as on the lower section, toward the center tunnel. The wide headrests have walnut wood, as do the backrests. The rear seats are designed in a similar fashion, but even though they were shaped with just two persons in mind, the seating surface is made from one piece. The upper half of each seat seems to float thanks to the two-piece design.

The door panels are also made from high-quality materials and match the upholstery and the dashboard. Both the center tunnel and door panels have generous storage room and legroom seems superior to any other cabin of similar proportion due to excellent packaging.

As far as tech goes, the driver and front passenger have access to all sorts of features through the 19-inch, 16/3 format screen in the center of the dashboard.

The touchscreen groups all the on-board functions together, including air conditioning, driving aids, navigation and media sources, and are presented in such a way as to enable easy browsing by all the occupants. Passengers can find information on their journey, select their own music, or watch movies. The car also features a range of connected services, enabling the driver to open the the gate or garage door from a distance or receive home deliveries. The center console houses a dedicated smartphone stand with inductive recharging.

Rear passengers also have access to the vehicle's numerous features via a mobile tablet. The device enables them to adjust the seats and air conditioning, as well as access to various media files.

Naturally, all mirrors have been replaced by cameras. The side "mirrors" are displayed on smaller digital screen positioned along the door panels, while the high-tech rear vision system includes both front and rear cameras. The drivers thus benefits from a 360-degree view of the outside environment, making driving and parking easier.

Drivetrain

Motivating the Cxperience is a hybrid drivetrain combining a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The unnamed gas powerplant -- most likely a small-displacement four-cylinder -- generates "between 150 and 200" horsepower, while the electric motor adds "up to 80 kW" (107 horsepower) of additional energy.

The concept also has a 3-kWh battery that can be charged in just a few hours. The vehicle can be charged in four and a half hours with a standard charging system, or in less than two and a half hours with a 6.6-kW charger designed for connection to a 32A socket.

The hybrid combo mates to an eight-speed automatic gearbox placed transversely between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor. Total output with both units working is of up to 300 horsepower, while the all-electric range is estimated at 60 km (about 37 miles). Granted, these figures are by no means spectacular compared to hybrid production cars or other hybrid concepts, but 300 horsepower and a 37-mile range are nothing to sneeze at either.

Unfortunately, no other data is provided and there's no info as to whether this configuration will make it into future production cars or not.

Conclusion

Needless to say, the Cxperience is a typical Citroen concept car. Its exterior is by no means conventional and certain features make it look line an alien among production models and even most concept cars. The same can be said about the interior, which is not exactly innovative in terms of technology, but offers a different perspective on what dashboard and door panels could look like. This new concept car is definitely of the "love it or hate it" variety, but this is by no means unexpected given that it carries a Citroen badge.

I'm not exactly crazy about its exterior design, but I do love that the French firm continues to think outside the box and stretch its styling language to the limit. I also have to admit that I'm most excited about the two-box, fastback-like design, but this is simply because I'm a big fan of the original C6. As far as the interior goes, the massive wood elements and the yellow fabric are candy to my eyes. Sure, yellow might be a bit too bright for this configuration, but the wood and that tubular cutout that goes all the way back into the rear door panels are works of art.

Unfortunately, getting too excited about the Cxperience isn't the right thing to do if you're expecting a production model. There's a very big chance that it won't happen. However, this concept could signal the return of the range-topping C6 in one form or another, and even though many of the wild features seen here won't make it on the production model, you can bet your house on the fact that it will stand out in terms of styling inside and out. And if recent concepts and factory models are any indication, Citroen is definitely moving up the premium ladder and the upcoming flagship will probably become the company's most luxurious product yet.