Car manufacturers can learn from Citroen’s advances

Paul Gibson test drives the Citron C6 Executive…

Compared to six years ago, there’s a much wider range of vehicles suitable for the chauffeur industry – and some manufacturers have even designed areas of their vehicles just to suit it.

So, it amazes me that very few put thought into the rear seats. Some manufacturers believe the client only wants some extra legroom which we all know is wrong. The more creature comforts the chauffeurs offers his customer, the more they feel at home and will probably return after an enjoyable and comfortable journey.

My latest test car just showed how easy it was for little money to make the back seat and extremely nice place to be. The Citroen C6 has hardly been a success in the industry, but it is nothing to do with the car itself. The C6 is a comfortable, quiet, economical and a smooth car to drive and travel in, and it costs the same as a run of the mill E-Class or BMW 5-Series.

The great part of this car isn’t really the way it drives or especially that way it looks – but it is the attention to detail in the back which shows just a few simple touches transform the C6 into a real chauffeur car.

Firstly there is plenty of legroom without the car boasting a long-wheelbase, and you actually sink into the rear seats rather than sit ‘on’ them. To extend the legroom, there is a button on the central armrest allowing the rear passenger to push the front passenger seat forward so they can stretch out. I’ve only seen this on more expensive cars such as the S-Class.

On the door panel is another added bonus, which reclines the rear seats separately. It is hardly to Maybach levels, but it is enough to make a difference and it doesn’t have an effect on the boot space, like some other vehicles.

So, surely this is a relatively simple system to put together – my limited technical knowledge would suggest it’s a couple of switches, a motor and split rear seats, but I’m probably wrong! It just seems as if it is a really simple system which could be added to most of the cars within the industry and would make them more appealing.

Of course, there is a cost to it. In the Citroen, the rear seat pack costs around £1,000, but it would add a little more value to the car when its time for it to move on, and it more importantly makes a big difference to the client.

Looking ahead, I hope the next generation of the C6 is more pleasant on the eye and it continues to keep the chauffeur in mind. If so, it could have a real winner in the future.