How Citroen would have designed a cybertruck

Tesla’s Cybertruck looks like no truck you’ve seen before with its futuristic angular shape, flat surfaces and pyramid-like roof. But such a design concept was actually proposed in 1980 by Carrozeria Coggiola (which later designed the original Saab 9000) for a Citroen concept car.

Showing forward thinking
Commissioned by the French carmaker for its Paris Motorshow highlight that year, the Karin concept was notable for its angular shape which was a reversal of the Cybertruck’s form. It was a typical demonstration of forward thinking by the French carmaker, with Michel Harmand’s design for a GS Coupe said to have provided much inspiration.

Three people could be accommodated within the 3.7-metre long body which had its highest point 1.075 metres from the ground. The flat area over the cabin that was the ‘roof’ amazed people by its dimensions which were about the size of an A3 sheet of paper! Fortunately, the large areas of glass were heavily tinted but it could still have been a mobile sauna.

Futuristic 3-seat cabin
Needless to say, the interior was likewise futuristic. The dashboard was clean with the steering wheel centrally located, so the driver too was in the middle. All the instrumentation was in a semi-circular panel with control buttons on the left and right sides of the instrument panel pod.

Coggiola’s designers anticipated that future cars would have computers and what we now refer to as infotainment systems, so there was a keypad to the left side which was presumably used for entering commands or making telephone calls.

FWD, 4-cylinder engine
Though electric powertrains were not unknown in 1980, the Karin was proposed with a 4-cylinder combustion engine driving the front wheels. The hydro-pneumatic suspension system was adapted from the one on the SM, so the Karin would have been able to rise and lower when required (a memorable feature of Citroen models of that era).

Only for show
Like most concept cars of that era, the Karin was built as a showcar to wow visitors. It is unlikely that it was ever expected to be the basis of any production model as it was just too radical. But a company that never existed in 1980 would somehow see the form as being a good idea for a truck in 2023.