The Citroën Eole was a concept car shown by Citroën at the 1985 Geneva International Motor Show, presented alongside the Eco 2000 economy-focused study. It was created in Citroën's Centre de Style and followed the design tradition long associated with the French brand. The Eole was built on the mechanical base of the Citroën CX, leading many Citroën enthusiasts at the time to hope it previewed the styling of a future CX successor. That role instead went four years later to the Bertone-influenced XM, which turned out to be considerably less radical in appearance than the Eole had been.
The Eole was a one-volume estate-bodied concept with five doors and seating for four, and it achieved a drag coefficient of just 0.19, a marked improvement over the CX's own comparatively high 0.39, which had been affected partly by its inward-curved rear window. This placed the Eole in line with the aerodynamic progression begun by the DS (0.36) and continued through the SM (1970, 0.34), GS (1970, 0.35) and BX (1983, 0.34). Its low drag resulted from an egg-shaped nose, tapering side and roof lines ending in a Kamm tail, fully enclosed wheels, underbody paneling, flush and curved side glass running over the roof pillars, a recessed windshield wiper, wind-tunnel-developed exterior mirrors, flush door handles, an antenna integrated into the windshield, and covered light units. Thermostatically controlled cooling air intake flaps and hydraulically actuated front wheel covers that extended outward a few centimeters when the steering wheel was turned added further aerodynamic refinement. The hydropneumatic suspension also automatically adjusted ride height according to speed for additional aerodynamic benefit.
The Eole was the first Citroën developed directly as a full-size model using computer-guided milling, bypassing the usual 1:5 scale model stage; based on three digitized plan drawings taken from the designer's original sketches, the 1:1 polyester model was completed in three weeks.
Inside, the cabin featured a single-spoke steering wheel with integrated control buttons, satellite switch pods, and an asymmetric dashboard flowing into the door panels. A raised central tunnel ran the length of the cabin, carrying a sliding electronic unit with a liquid-crystal video screen for rear passengers that incorporated radio, cassette and CD players, a tuner, and video games in removable modules. The front-facing side of the console held touch controls for the automatic transmission and a flush-mounted telephone, plus floor-illuminating spotlights. Extensive photochromic glazing covered the full-width roof over both rows of seats, and the car featured automatic climate control.
Mechanically, the Eole used the CX's 2500 cc four-cylinder engine producing 138 hp at 5000 rpm and 211 Nm of torque at 4000 rpm, paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission. It had a wheelbase of 2850 mm and measured 4770 mm long, 1910 mm wide, and 1380 mm high. The Eole remained a concept vehicle and was never put into production.
