Citroen XM Multimedia & other early IT in cars

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Citroen XM Multimedia & other early IT in cars

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

This is the French Car forum

This is a French Car

I had never heard of this edition of the breed until Jim mentioned it on the Interesting Interiors thread.

So if you haven't heard of it, or have heard of it and want a nostalgia trip, and have 4 minutes to spare give this a watch. Plenty embryonic but for the time advanced tech and a taste of things to become standard 20 years or more later. I particularly liked the large grey Magneti Marelli box some of the gear was packaged in (1m54s).

No loud music accompaniment bit of cool jazz which gets a thumbs up from me.



Regards Neil
Last edited by NewcastleFalcon on 07 Feb 2021, 08:47, edited 1 time in total.
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
xantia_v6
Forum Admin Team
Posts: 9052
Joined: 09 Nov 2005, 22:03
Location: France or NewZealand
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: -
1997 Citroen Xantia V6 (France)
1999 Citroen XM V6 ES9 (France)
2011 Peugeot 308 CC THP 155 (NZ)
1975 Jaguar XJ-S pre-HE (NZ)
x 825

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by xantia_v6 »

Citroen, in trying to be first, made the mistake of pulling the trigger too soon. At the time the Multimedia went into production (I think that there were 50 built and sold), GPRS had not yet been deployed in the phone networks (nor in the car's GSM modem) so it only had a 9.6 kbps CSD connection to the internet, which was not much for a "multimedia" experience, and most networks switched off their CSD services soon after GPRS arrived in 1999/2000.

Still, I would love to have one.
Gibbo2286
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 7171
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 18:04
Location: GL15***
My Cars: 2006 C5 2.0 Litre HDI VTR Automatic Estate.(now sold on)
Currently Renault Zoe 2014 ZE
x 2500

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I'll bet that the entertainment kit in that cost more than a couple of small cars. :)
Man is, by nature, a lazy beast, he does not need twice encouraging to do nothing.
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Look how the youngsters are enjoying themselves with a simple game of patience.
Yes the sat nav looks the size of a suitcase on the screenshot
Yes the sat nav looks the size of a suitcase on the screenshot
Time to revive this little video of the new "sat nav" featured on tomorrows world. Never mind all this connectivity stuff, just select the right cassette tape :-D



Regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by white exec »

The Multimedia is one of the few XM models from Ottomobile
https://otto-models.com/en/ot093/93-cit ... 4-ph2.html
.
Worth a click
xmclub.nl
xmclub.nl
Holland does seem to have managed to collect a few of these!
Chris
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by mickthemaverick »

Finally got round to watching the video which to be honest I didn't find that inspiring. Not my music and not enough concentration on the difference from a normal XM. I had a VSX and an SX and loved them both but wouldn't have bothered with the price hike for the multimedia!! :(
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Not meant to be inspiring, just showing what a "multimedia" was in a few pictures, for those who hadn't come across one, and maybe extract a bit of comment. No doubt there's plenty info about that particular special edition to fill in the blanks on the net, and anyone is free to lob some in.

As mentioned in the comments a bit of a rarity in both colour as well as the "tech at the time" and not the first or the last to have a "route planner" which didn't work very well. Ultimately the tech was not that good as Mike pointed out.

Maybe the forerunner of the C5 mk 1 Screen!

Regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 06 Feb 2021, 18:53
Maybe the forerunner of the C5 mk 1 Screen!

Regards Neil
:rofl2: :rofl2:
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

This was the 1990's
Citroenet has a bit of info on the Multimedia here

https://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger- ... xm-13.html

Following in the footsteps of the Evasion "Mobile Office" and Xsara Intel, the XM Multimédia is fitted with Magneti Marelli's "Route Planner" navigation aid system which directs the driver to the destination by the quickest and most reliable route. A voice synthesiser reads out the information displayed on the dashboard below.

temp2.png
Regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Here's another example of Citroens dabble into new tech....
The Citroen Xsara CE Windows good page on Citroenet here
Petrolblog.com. Computer Love Citroen Xsara Windows CE
2000 - CITROËN XSARA WINDOWS CE
2000 - CITROËN XSARA WINDOWS CE
That one was up for auction but unsold By Aguttes September 2020 at an estimate of 13,000 to 15,000 euros
Sales particulars translated
2000 - CITROEN XSARA WINDOWS CE
We inform buyers that this vehicle has been little used in recent years in the case of a vehicle from the Reserves of the Peugeot Citroen DS Adventure Museum. It is therefore sold as it is, without technical control and will need to be overhauled before going back on the road. We invite you to contact our team to consult the files of each vehicle presented.

French grey card Chassis: VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] Very Limited Series State close to the new Performant engine 2.0 HDI 90cv Rare in this state, the Windows CE was the first production car with an on-board PC capable of responding to the voice of its master.

Very well equipped, the first 250 models were sold in less than a week! In a state close to new, our model displays less than 11,000 km on the meter and will be sold with its notebook and instructions of use.
Regards Neil
Last edited by NewcastleFalcon on 06 Feb 2021, 20:52, edited 5 times in total.
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by mickthemaverick »

I take it that this was the forerunner of the Traffic Master system which I have on my car? :)
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

mickthemaverick wrote: 06 Feb 2021, 19:59 I take it that this was the forerunner of the Traffic Master system which I have on my car? :)
There is a thread here on the traffic master Mick....voice activated Sat Nav?

C5 Traffic Master Button

Regards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
quintet
Donor 2023
Posts: 311
Joined: 14 Apr 2010, 21:51
Location: northwest
My Cars: 2.0 hdi Peugeot 307
x 41

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by quintet »

All this reminds me of the sat nav that the xsara picasso was available with, it still used a similar dash display & had arrows that pointed the direction but these picasso's were rare, i think i only ever saw 2.
Music keeps me going.
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by CitroJim »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 06 Feb 2021, 19:54 Here's another example of Citroens dabble into new tech....
The Citroen Xsara CE Windows good page on Citroenet here

Wow! Never knew of this one :cool: Every day's a school day ;) :D

Windows CE... I once dabbled in it... It promised much but did not really fully deliver but I think in those days the hardware was the limitation rather than any fundamental issue with CE itself...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24562
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: Citroen XM Multimedia

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Another French Car early tech offering...although more of a give-away than plumbed into the car :-D
Image
REgards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
Post Reply