INNOVATION
Comfort
The 1007 and its "Open Sesame" doors
Its so-called "Open Sesame" electric sliding doors offer unprecedented accessibility and are thoroughly discreet when parking the car in a confined space. They are one of the dominant features of this motoring pleasure of a new type.
Practicalness:
A single press on the dedicated remote control button, and the "Open Sesame" door slides to the rear without going beyond the overall length of the vehicle. It thereby gives open access over a width of 920 mm, as though there were no break between the outside and the inside.
Passengers can obtain access to the front seats without any obstruction. Depending on their morphology, they can settle themselves directly in the rear seats thanks to the B-pillar located well back, or else take up position after tilting the front seats. This second possibility also makes it far easier, by comparison with a two-door vehicle, to install children in their special seat.
Astuteness:
When open, the "Open Sesame" doors require only a small side clearance, jutting out about as far as the door mirrors. They thus permit parking in very confined spaces, inaccessible to hinged-door vehicles, while simplifying entry and exit for the users of the 1007.
Innovative safety qualities:
With regard to the outside environment, with their moving parts contained within the overall dimensions of the vehicle, the Sesame sliding doors protect the safety of cyclists by avoiding the consequences of unexpected opening of a door that is conventionally hinged.
From the inside, due to the combined effects of the large glazed area of the door and the retracted B-pillar, the driver has a clear angle of lateral visibility of 105° on the left and 49° on the right. This enhances safety and the passengers benefit from a panoramic effect.
These easy everyday features are accompanied by numerous safety systems which testify to the great care taken with this innovative car:
- Opening impossible at speeds above 5 km/h.
- Compression sensor programming, by which, when the door encounters an obstacle, the movement is reversed until the door is completely open, during a closing operation, or stopped during an opening operation.
- Opening control inhibited in the event of an impact. Manual opening and closing nevertheless remain possible.
- Electric opening control inhibited when the fuel filler flap is open.
How the magic works:
The door has three fixed rails guiding three carriages, allowing it to slide on the body, and a motor connected to the lower carriage by a cable by which it is driven. Rubber gaskets provide various types of sealing on its perimeter, and the lock located in the B-pillar provides assistance with closing and exerts pressure on the gaskets.
A "piano" contactor on the A-pillar communicates with the moving contactor on the door edge, ensuring liaison.