Tier 1 supplier, Faurecia, and Citroen have collaborated to develop an advanced pedestrian protection system for the new C6

The Citroen C6 achieved four stars for pedestrian safety in the Euro NCAP crash tests. The C6 takes the essential cues of executive saloons - elegance, sophistication and on-the-road presence - and combines them with the marque's own key values. Derived from classic Citroëns and continuously updated, these values are expressed through avant-garde technology, based on styling and the pursuit of comfort, and through engines that place the emphasis on driveability rather than sheer power. Through its fluid and dynamic styling, the C6 is a highly distinctive car. Depending on the angle from which it is viewed, its unique styling brings to mind an elegant coupé or an executive limousine. Tier 1supplier Faurecia and Citroën joined forces to achieve this goal by developing the front and rear bumpers of the Citroën C6.

Supplier, Faurecia has introduced several innovations like the front-end module of the new BMW 3 Series using the innovative mEasy system patented by Faurecia. The mEasy system optimises the adjustments made to the front-end module on the vehicle by mechanizing the alignment of the headlights with the wings and the bumpers of the vehicle. And thanks to the mEasy process, when the carmaker mounts the front-end module on the vehicle, it gains valuable assembly time by eliminating adjustments and obtaining optimal alignment. Interestingly, the front-end includes a hybrid metal/plastic front-end carrier designed and produced by Faurecia. Equipped with an upper strut and two lateral metal inserts, it offers good safety and assembly conditions.

It thereby meets requirements in terms of energy absorption, rigidity and therefore safety and reductions in weight and cost. Faurecia is claimed to be the leader in this technology applied to front end carriers.

For the C6, Faurecia took into account impact resistance, repairability and protection requirements for the development of the pedestrian protection system on the front of the vehicle. It designed energy absorbers to protect the leg segment irrespective of the area of impact on the bumper. The system also employs sensors integrated in the bumpers that detect an impact with a pedestrian. A shock absorber then raises the hood by 6.5 cm in 1/10 second, so increasing the distance between the pedestrian and the engine. The risk of the pedestrian being hit by dangerous parts is therefore considerably reduced. In addition to designing the pedestrian protection system, Faurecia made sure that the front and rear bumpers were produced using a high-performance paint technology that respects European environmental norms. Citroen calls the advanced pedestrian protection system as active bonnet system.