The official premiere of Citroën Jumper I took place in 1994 during the exhibition of vans in Geneva. Citroen’ van was the result of cooperation of the French car manufacturer with the Fiat and Peugeot brands and was a twin construction in regard to Fiat Ducato and Peugeot Boxer. This innovative design was awarded the title of Van of the Year in 1995. The process of designing and testing new solutions began in 1987. Giorgetto Giugiaro (Ital design) was responsible for the visual aspect of the vehicle, whose main task was to reduce the air drag coefficient. Cx = 0.35 was achieved, which was an absolute breakthrough in the segment of large delivery vehicles.
Citroen was the first to introduce front-wheel drive to its vans, so this solution could not be missing in the Citroen Jumper. The engine was placed transversely and a solution called the self-supporting body was used. The front and rear axle suspension were completely dofferent. McPherson was mounted at the front, while the rear axle was rigid and mounted on parabolic springs. Perceptive observers may notice that the same solutions have also been used in Ducato and Boxer. The first generation of Citroen Jumper occurred in several dozen different versions, depending on the total weight (2.9t - 3.5t), load capacity (0.9t - 1.9t), length and purpose of the van. Citroen Jumper I was also available in versions with additional equipment such as rear camera, ESP, air conditioning or parking heater. At the beginning of the 21st century, production of Citroën Jumper was launched in Brazil using components produced in Europe. At the same time, work began on the facelift, which was to give the vehicle a more contemporary look. We didn't have to wait long for changes.
Already in February 2002 a refreshed version of Citroen Jumper was presented. The biggest changes concerned the appearance of the van and a completely new range of engines. The front bumper and grille has been refreshed. The Citroen logo located in the central part of the grill was also enlarged. The new design was neater than the previous version, which was met with additional approval from customers. Cosmetic changes also took place inside the vehicle, but the most significant change was the renewed engine range. The most powerful power unit in the Citroen Jumper I was the 2.8HDI engine generating 146 HP. However, this was not Citroen's proprietary solution and the motor was “borrowed” from Iveco.
