Citroen C3 test drive since 2002 hatchback

Kolobok "from couture"

Citroen -s3 - triumph of style
Citroen C3 was presented last fall at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The front-wheel drive city compact of the B-class is produced only with the body of a five-door hatchback. Engines - gasoline, 1.1; 1.4 and 1.6 liters or 1.4-liter turbodiesel (68 and 90 hp). The gearboxes are mechanical five -speed, with a 1.4 -liter gasoline engine - also a four -speed automatic machine. Two more powerful gasoline versions are supplied to Russia.
A man runs past a dull fence and suddenly sees a hole at the eye level ... There is no need to be a psychologist to predict: the majority will certainly look into it, this is our nature. So, for the first time in Citroen -C3, it is difficult to resist the temptation to put your finger in one of the holes on the edge of the front panel - they provoke this shape and size. It turns out that these nostrils are quite functional nozzles for blowing side glasses in the zone of rear -view mirrors.
The new Citroen only from afar seems like a sort of God's cow: it is not small at all and, in accordance with modern trends, is very high - as many as 1520 mm! Large doorways allow you not to bend into three deaths during landing. The salon is unusually spacious for this class - five fired men will be freely accommodated here with a tall 175-180 cm or, say, two basketball players in front and three children from behind. It is convenient to get a workplace to the driver will help the driver three adjustments to the chairs and two steers. Inside, the zone resembles a mini-wen: far-standing steep arcs of the front racks, a large glazing area, high seats, armrests in front, an abundance of curtain boxes, a pier with a backlight on the back of a solar visor and even a folding shelf in the trunk.
Conquers the stylish design of each element: what are comfortable and beautiful door handles or rotating deflectors. And the ash-star with a lid can simply be handed over to the smoker in your hands. In some places, functionality is sacrificed to the sacrifice-you need to get used to the dashboard, but even then to see the tiny orange arrow of the tachometer with orange lighting is not so simple.
However, the latter can find an excuse - a friendly car does not spur at all racing ambitions that make the arrow drive into the red sector. Even with the most powerful engine (of those delivered to Russia) - a 1.6 -liter capacity of 110 liters. With. - He is quite silent. Sometimes this causes irritation - for example, at 1000 rpm, the engine is openly striking, demanding to switch to a lower gear. It is possible that it is a matter of strict environmental requirements and setting up the management program. In other cases, it is simply nice to ride Citroen calmly - enjoying silence and comfort. By the way, a useful innovation migrated here from the older brother C5: with intense braking (and due to the super-sensitive pedal of the brake, any slowdown is at first) automatically turns on the alarm is automatically turned on, it goes out when the leg is transferred to the accelerator.
Like most French cars, Citroen C3 is well equipped: even the minimum packages include headlight washers, two airbags, front seats heating, mirrors and front glasses, audio training, a central castle with remote control, immobilizer. True, and all this will cost a lot - with a 1.4 -liter engine, such a machine costs $ 12 thousand. With a more powerful unit of 1.6 liters, ABS will be added to the basic configuration, and the price will increase to $ 13.3 thousand. The car has visited the test for the test. $ 15.9 thousand, equipped with a maximum: with six airbags, climate control, an audio system with a CD player, an flight comprehensive compliance, parking sensors, fog lights and alloy disks of increased (15 inches) dimension. All cars supplied to Russia are equipped with a package for bad roads and have a solid guarantee - three years or 100 thousand km of run.

The dashboard is original and unusual - for example, in the white arc at the top you do not immediately recognize the tachometer.

Original ashtray-old ash.

The trunk can be divided into two floors with an integral shelf. It allows you to form an even platform with folded back seats.

The nozzles of the glass are similar to three nostrils. The lumen between the front racks and mirrors made it possible to eliminate the unenvisable zone for most cars.

+ Bright appearance, stylish design, spacious comfortable interior, large interservice runs, prolonged guarantee.
- High price, non -informative dashboard, traction failure (with a 1.6 l engine) at low speeds.

SUMMARY
Citroen C3 is not just a bright and stylish toy, it is a convenient, functional car. The only, but significant drawback is a high price.

Citroen C3 (manufacturer data)
COMMON DATA:
The number of places is 5; Equipped mass - 1160 kg; Full mass - 1525 kg; maximum speed - 192 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 10.7 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 5.2; 8.6 l/100 km; fuel supply - 45 liters; Fuel is unhealthy gasoline AI -95. Dimensions, mm: length - 3850; width - 1670; height - 1520; base - 2460; The track in front/back - 1440/1440; Road clearance - 120; trunk volume - 305/1310 l; The turning radius is 5.2 m. Engine: a gasoline with distributed injection, four -cylinder, in order, four valves per cylinder, two camshafts, located in front of it cross; working volume - 1587 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 78.5x82.0 mm; compression degree - 9.6; Power - 80 kW/110 liters. With. at 5750 rpm; The maximum torque is 147 N.M at 4000 rpm. Transmission: front wheel drive; gearbox - mechanical five -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.42; II - 1.95; III - 1.36; IV - 1.05; V - 0.85; h. X. - 3.58; The main program is 3.77. Suspension: in front - like McEferson with a reptile stability stabilizer, from behind - longitudinal levers connected by an elastic transverse beam. Brakes: hydraulic, disk with a vacuum amplifier and ABS, in front - ventilated. Steering: rheck with an electric power. Tire size: 185/60R15.
 

 

Text / Yuri Nechetov
Photo / George Sadkov

Source: The magazine "Driving"