Now if someone were to say to me "Citroen" one of the first words I would think would be comfortable. The French brand is well-known for its comfort - and style - but it seems it is not content with what it offers at the moment and are working on how to improve it.
Citroen are keen to make sure all bases are covered as people may have different ideas of what they find comfortable. For some it's noise, for others it's the ride and for some it could be actual ergonomics or the cabin. Or all three.
Delivering the higher comfort is the Advanced Comfort and is currently installed on a prototype C4 Cactus that is called, erm, the Citroen Advanced Comfort Lab. The first incarnation of the system will be available on the new C4 Picasso.
What is the aim of Advanced Comfort?
Citroen has four objectives for the new platform but as they're a bit wordy I'll try and break it down a little bit: driving comfort, living comfort, functional comfort and comfort of the mind. So comfort, comfort and more comfort basically. Some of those objectives may seem a little vague so allow me to elaborate.
Driving Comfort
The new C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso are built on the PSA Group's EMP2 platform to giver better comfort which makes use of vertical rear shock absorbers to help iron out the bumps and imperfections in the road. The new system uses suspension which has two progressive hydraulic cushions – one for rebound and one for compression – at the top and bottom of each suspension unit.
The ergonomics of the seats have been improved and and inspiration has been taken from the world of bedding to aid better comfort. Specially chosen materials have been chosen to decrease noise and vibration in the cabin to give a cocoon-like experience.
Living Comfort
Citroen has made sure that the space in the cabin is not only generous but also ingenious which should make life a lot easier for those inside. So all items should have a place to be stowed away with easy access making the car stress-free to load.
Functional Comfort
The new C4 Picasso will feature technology to make the car more accessible and easy to use. This will include keyless entry and start, meaning you don't have to faff about looking for keys as well as a hand-free tailgate which makes it easier when you hands are full of shopping. Inside the cabin there will be ample connectivity solutions for your smartphone which can be used via the touchscreen.
Comfort of the Mind
A driver can be presented with a lot of information at times, not all of it relevant but this is an area that Citroen has addressed. The Advanced Comfort system offers a range of driver aids to lighten the load such as hill-start assist, park assist and blind spot warning. Two screens can be viewed in the cabin, a 7" touchscreen and a 12" screen which ranks information according to type and importance.
Has Citroen designed the most comfortable car money can buy? Well a lot of hard work has been put in and you know what they say, you get out what you put in.