The second PSA Group concept to get the new AIRFLOW 2L hybrid powertrain, after the Peugeot 208 HYbrid Air 2L, is this, the Citroen C4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L. That 2L stand for fuel consumption of 2l/100 km (over 141mpg) achieved by the firm’s groundbreaking Hybrid Air technology.

Claimed to cuts fuel consumption by 30%, PSA’s Hybrid Air technology replaces the electric motor in an ordinary hybrid powertrain with an air compressor. Technical details of how this system works are kept secret, but the air part of it is so powerful, you can operate the car in Air power (zero emissions) mode where the compressed air motor takes over from the petrol engine.

Besides the ingenious powertrain, Citroen C4 Cactus AIRFLOW also pushes the limits of technology in terms of lightweight materials in car design. Weighing in at 200 kg less than the production Cactus , the concept car uses aluminium for the upper cowl panel, inner side members and rear floor pan, high-yield steels for the front side rails and heel board, and composite materials for the front of the vehicle floor.

Citroen C4 Cactus AIRFLOW also benefits from optimised design with a 20% improvement in aerodynamics and lower rolling resistance “tall & narrow” tyres, both of which contribute to the car’s great fuel efficiency. The Hybrid Air system may not be ready for production just yet, but we will see some of this car’s other fuel-saving features in production models in the near future. The concept car will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next month.