Test drive Citroen C4 hatchback since 2004 Hatchback

Double debut C4.

The novelty from Citroen had to withstand a harsh test on the first day of stay in Russia
The story of the new Citroen C4, which is literally recently appeared in Moscow, and in the editorial office of the Assurance, I this time we combine with a report on the presentation of the car that has passed on the territory of one of the metropolitan exhibition complexes. The fact is that there was a unique case to check in practice not only the driving quality of the car, but also its safety. I will say right away - everyone remains alive, including the car
Respect physics!
We must pay tribute to the representation of Citroen in Russia, which organized an interesting and extraordinary event. In addition to standard speeches and a short test drive along the tracks of the exhibition complex, journalists were proposed to try out Citroen C4 in extreme conditions. It should be accelerated, to drive up with a left front wheel on a special bar, from which huge spikes stick out, and then on the exploded wheel in the process of braking to drive around two obstacles, and finally stay in the corridor placed cones. And so that the drivers do not seem to do not very much, the races arranged for a while. It was separated from the moment the start until a complete stop, and for each shot down cone was added free seconds.
The first check-in is a demonstration. Behind the wheel - a professional athlete that only one cone knocks on a puncture wheel, and he almost stopped. After that, the company's representative was announced about the highest level of active security Citroen C4. I tried myself - really so, do not deceive. ABS is set to cancel, and ESP helps the driver exactly so much as its intervention is needed in such a situation. I would not mention it from modesty, but the chief editor insisted: I managed to win in this competition, and I honestly earned a huge bottle of excellent champagne.
But the most interesting expecting us to all be ahead when representatives of near-automotive editions were driving. Judging by their results, at school, they stripped all physics lessons. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain - why these people accelerate, as if on the last path, did not take into account the weather conditions and the type of tires (instead of asphalt - ice, on the disks - mediocre Michelin Pilot Alpin without spikes), and then they tried to catch a car long and stayed far beyond marked corridor. That they will eventually write - it doesn't matter and uninteresting. But after all, such experiments are simply dangerous, and the cars are sorry!
The act of a representative of some glossy magazine became the top of unpreparedness and driver's stupidity. Typing about 70 km / h and breaking the wheel, he forgot to start braking, tried to drive around the cones, and when I realized that he could not succeed, hit the brake pedal, and at the same time turned the steering wheel in the extreme position, since his car was already in the side slide on a lamppost. Naturally, such panic actions caused a completely opposing reaction - new C4 continued to fly in full compliance with the laws of physics - there, where his inertia was attracted, that is, an obstacle. He would let the brake go, and gas and the steering wheel so - no. As a result, the car flew first to the border, and then effectively hugged the hood with a lamppost
In general, it turned out a practical demonstration of Citroen passive security funds, which from the point of view of the automaker completed excellent results. Sitting in the car did not receive either scratches, the driver's and passenger doors continued to open. Even smart airbags did not work - because of the wrong speed, with which the colleague approached this complex test. As for the energy of the impact, the bumper was absorbed and its amplifier, as well as, most likely, the front side mehers. At the same time, the engine started, and the car could have moved somehow with his move. Well, Citroen C4 once again confirmed that it was not without reason during the crash tests according to Euroncap, a higher score was earned - five stars.
Real French
However, quite about sad. I will tell you better about the car itself. Moreover, he deserves it. Title This material implies not only a double check, which C4 passed on the presentation, but also the double debut of the same model. The French presented the car at once in two bodies - five-door hatchback and coupe (for some reason, that's how they prefer to call three-door hatchback). Machines, for nothing, which is completely the same in internal and external dimensions, are designed for different buyers. In theory, the owner of the coupe must confess the sports values, and the owner of the Fifteen - family. The external design of models is also solved accordingly. The three-door body looks dynamically due to slightly narrower side windows and cutting down the roof line. I repeat that at the same time it occupies space on the road and provides free space for all passengers exactly as much as family modification.
The only drawback - loses to her by visibility due to the original solution of the door of the trunk. Its upper, horizontal part is the continuation of the roof and is made of glass. Just for this reason, the standard, the vertical window was rotable, and in the rearview mirror I was visible to me only a piece of asphalt meters long behind the car. At the same time, there may be no complaints in the side mirrors in the side mirrors - they are quite large and are located in comfortable door areas.
Family Fiftemer visited our test. You can tell about it in three words - a funny and beautiful car, but you can go inner into details. There are a lot of them, but I will focus on the main. So, the salon. As always, Citroen engineers went their own way and decided to do something that does not like it. They managed to fully. The front panel lost instrument combinations. Instead of it in the middle, almost under the windshield, there is a long liquid crystal display. The most curious thing is that its thickness does not exceed 2 mm, and the screen itself misses the light. However, Citroen specialists managed to defeat the problem of glare and contrast - all the readings are visible on the instrument panel even with the bright sun and the driver, and any passenger.
The central display is displayed, say, the most general information is the speed (huge numbers in the middle), the stock of the fuel, the temperature of the engine, the path passed. All the same service information is only available to the driver. The second screen is strengthened on the steering column, which shows the tachometer scale. In normal mode, it is highlighted by orange, and when the speed approaches the maximum 6000, the display will noticeably blush. Finally, on the hub of the steering wheel, there were a narrow strip with indicators of turning signs, manual brakes and other data important to the driver. Although it is, if we talk about the hub of the steering wheel - not the most interesting. Imagine that it exists separately from the rim! That is, you twist the ram, and its central part remains fixed. It may seem that it is inconvenient, but even the rotating steering wheel in a sporting style with rapid interceptions, I did not have any problems. In addition, the fixed hub has become a house for an airbag of a special anatomical shape (which, I will not say - God has fallen to see), which in the event of an accident will shoot exactly into the driver's body, regardless of the degree of rotation of the steering wheel. But I will return to the salon - it has another display that is already responsible for the indication of the operation modes of the standard radio or a luxurious music complex based on the JBL equipment supplied as an option. On the same display, it periodically pop up official inscriptions about the operation of wipers, which were provided with a rain sensor and a very confusing work algorithm. Maybe use them - the thing is the habit, but in a few hours I did not get comforted with them. From time to time they scared me with sudden waving.
What else should I tell about C4? Passengers inside this car will be warm and cozy, and the places behind the back will be sufficient for people to grow to 190 cm. If you are higher, it is better to book a place in front and stretch your legs there - this is allowed by the niche dimensions. In the trunk as an option, you can set the retention system, which consists of their folding plastic partitions and elastic grids.
The cost is determined by the opportunity
There is a wonderful opinion that the car goes exactly as much as he is expensive. That in 90% of cases is confirmed by practice. Therefore, in the story about the challenges of Citroen will begin with prices. The most affordable C4 will cost the owner of $ 18,200. This car has in price competitors - Peugeot 307, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Almera, etc. I can definitely say that the Frenchman is controlled by canceled, not yielding in this sense to the compatriot and surpassing, for example, Corolla.
What is the impressions of the trips to C4, I can say that this is a nice quiet car. In terms of noise while driving, it can easily argue with the leader in this class - Renault Megane II. It was possible to overcome the sounds with the help of special linings on the bottom who made it practically flat, and thanks to painstaking work on the aerodynamics of the body. The frontal resistance coefficient is, by the way, only 0.28, which is also one of the best results in the class. By the way, the lining on the bottom is played and another important role - they distribute the incident air flows so that the body at high speed is additionally pressed against the road and the machine is clearly followed by a given trajectory.
I apologize, dear reader, but describe in detail about the behavior of C4 in real, and not specially organized extreme conditions, I can not. Because on the day of the test day, a snowdrift was collected in the size of the city, and therefore the common roads turned into a rink. On it, Citroen feels quite confident, carefully helping the driver in case of an anti-test system, as well as ESP and ABS.
Finally, the motor, but again with the reservation on the snowfall. The traction capabilities of the base 1,6-liter engine are more than enough for a sure start in the ice from the second transfer. It works almost silently, and fuel consumes not much - on average only 7.1 l / 100 km. More detailed about the possibilities of the engine, and at the same time and the new chassis C4 I can tell quite soon - in one of the nearest guestroom numbers will be published a coupe, which technically repeats the hatchback. Therefore, I do not put the point in the completion of the material
Text: Sergey Ilinsky
 

A source: Newspaper "Car Izvestia" [№3 (71), 2005]