The Citroën Activa was a research prototype presented at the Paris Motor Show in autumn 1988, the first edition of the show to be styled the Mondial de l'Automobile. Built as a single example, it served both as a technical showcase and as a demonstration of Citroën's individual design identity. It was developed entirely in-house at the Citroën design centre, unlike the production XM saloon that followed in spring the following year, which was styled by Bertone instead.
The car measured 475 cm in length, 190 cm in width and 127 cm in height, making it longer, wider and considerably lower than the CX it effectively stood alongside, and it achieved a drag coefficient of 0.25. Its bodywork featured pinched front flanks, a short rear overhang, integrated Valeo headlamps, and Saint-Gobain glazing that wrapped around the roof pillars with no central B-pillar, allowing rear doors to open rearward in the manner of certain Lancia or Lincoln models. The doors opened at a wide angle for easy access to four individual seats and could be unlocked via a remote control offering four functions and a personal code; only the front windows were able to be lowered.
Suspension used a fully electronically controlled evolution of Citroën's hydropneumatic system, adjusting dampers, spring rate and camber based on sensor data covering wheel movement, steering angle, braking and vehicle speed. Ride height was managed electro-hydraulically rather than purely hydropneumatically, with the body rising by 4 cm when the doors were opened. An additional system virtually eliminated body roll in corners, and the same electronic architecture governed a four-wheel steering setup allowing an unusually large rear-wheel steering angle, along with anti-lock brakes with slip control.
Power came from a transversely mounted 90-degree V6, not an ordinary PRV production engine but a highly tuned unit derived from those used in Peugeot-backed WM sports-racing cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, displacing 3 liters with four overhead camshafts and 24 valves for 220 hp, sent through a four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission to a four-wheel-drive system splitting power evenly front to rear. A speed-sensitive rear spoiler adjusted for added downforce.
The interior featured automatic climate control, a rectangular steering wheel able to rotate 60 degrees each way with no mechanical link to the steering, ultrasonic parking sensors in each bumper displaying obstacles up to 1.4 m away on the dashboard, a memory driver's seat activated by remote unlocking, a coded electronic key in place of a conventional ignition key, a head-up/holographic speed display, electrically adjustable rear seats, a telephone, and a connection to the Minitel network with a personal communication card.
