Citroen C2 test drive since 2003 hatchback
Name for a three -door derivative
Interview with Donato Coco, chief designer of compact cars of Citroen.
Donato Coco Donato Coco
Born in 1954 in Italy. Since 1959 he has been living in France. He graduated from the art school in Bezanson with a degree in plastic art and the royal art college in London with a degree in automobile design. Citroen has been working in the company since 1984. He was responsible for the internal design of Sakso, ZX, Xara, Picasso. Since 1998, the main designer of compact cars. Under his leadership, they saw the light of C3, pluryel, C2.
HARD QUESTION
Shortly before the European test drive of Citroen-s2, we discussed a car with his chief designer Donato Coco. Involuntarily in the conversation, they also touched their own names of cars. Some models have them: Xara, Picasso, Berlingo. Even the smallest of the Citroens was - Sakso. And his follower has only stingy C2.
Donato Coco admitted what he liked when the car has a name. Naturally, the question immediately arose: what would he call C2, if such an opportunity? Coco thought.
- It sometimes takes more than a year to choose from a car. But judging by the character C2, his name should be: a - not female, b - energetic and B - short, preferably from two syllables ...
We went to the test with this.
Not female ...
Indeed, at first glance C2 gives the impression of a kind of strong man. The fanned front and rear wings cover the muscular body and set the tension of the entire athletic figure. Repeating energetic lines in the profile of the hood and side doors give swiftness and decisive appearance. If you look at the car on the car, then the wedge-shaped, with a tilt forward, side glasses are somewhat reminiscent of the notch of the arrow tip and emphasize the impatience of C2 to break off. They say about these: tightly complicated. But the car should be thorough and with all its appearance to inspire confidence in the future owner. After all, whatever one may say, namely, the life of the driver and passengers depends on the strength of the machine in many cases. And who will be the master of C2, a man or woman, does not matter.
In any case, when Donato Coco worked on the project, the portrait of the owner looked like this: - This is an active young man or girl who love to enjoy life. They are attracted to extreme sports. When choosing a car, they don’t care what the concierge thinks about it. They need a nimble car, easy to drive, with a large space on the front chairs and a sufficient place for baggage. However, it is possible that in some cases, someone can get hooked on them from behind. The main thing for them is their own comfort, and not the possibility of transporting people or goods. At the same time, they like extravagant little things endowed with a certain character. At the same time, one should not exclude that such a machine will appear in the family, which already has a car, and, possibly, not one.
But the portrait is a portrait, but how will you feel like the owner?
We liked the brown -colored car. In a black tailcoat, the compact C2 looks solemn, like a groom before the wedding. In addition, it is equipped with the most powerful of the proposed engines - 1.6 liters, 110 liters. with. The front seats are convenient and have powerful side support, which is released by orange spots on the pillow and back of the seats. A wide range of adjustments of the driver's seat, including in height, in combination with a steering column adjustable in vertical and horizontal planes, allows even tall people comfortably located in the driver's place. I really liked that the central inserts of the seats are made of mesh breathing material. The back, of course, is more high. However, here Citroen did not hypocrite and attach the headrest to a non -existent third place in the center. Only two chairs, but full -fledged. They are separate and are able to move back and forth (three fixed positions) and change the back tilt. So adults can accommodate quite conveniently. Another thing is that there will not be so many places for the luggage.
In general, C2 offers for baggage: from 166 to 224 liters of volume in the presence of the rear seats (depending on whether they are shifted back or not), 629 liters at one and 879 liters with two folded seats. As you can see, compact C2 is fraught with great and far from female opportunities.
Energetic ...
There are only two pedals under your feet. Citroen decisively offers future owners of C2 a gearbox of sensors. This is a mechanical transmission with the usual clutch and gearbox under the control of electronics (ZR, 2003, No. 4). The driver can only choose the mode: automatic - and then do not interfere in the work of the transmission, or manual inclusion. In the latter, to move to the next or previous gear, slightly push the lever (more precisely, the joystick) of the box or, without tearing off the hands from the steering wheel, pull the right or left steering wheel switch. The distrust of the robot passes quite quickly. After some time you begin to get used to it; He, apparently, too. Even the French, who all their lives were contemptuous of the American car, magnifying them with the vehicles for the disabled, finally appreciated the advantages of automatic transfers. On C2, mechanics are offered only with 1.1 liters.
It’s nice to ride C2. He is obedient. True, in our opinion, at low speeds, the steering wheel equipped with an electric power is not informative. At the same time, the car is quite a cut. One hundred ten forces are enough for a small car with excess. The automatic machine understands the driver’s intentions, when overtaking on the rise, he confidently shuts down a low gear and disperses the car. The youngest of the Citroenes is maneuverable and stable in corners. He just has evil brakes. Sometimes it seems that the amplifier is a little overdue. This is not a hot hatchback, but not a typical city car. It has more energy than in the basic model, Citroen-S3, on whose platform it is created. It seems that Donato Coco's idea was a success:
- We did not try to create a car for everyone. It is for those who are dynamic and sports, who has a modern taste. The car is perfectly adapted for different occasions, easily transforms. It turns out that the client receives more at the same time than he expected.
Short ...
Citroen C2 - the phenomenon is not quite ordinary and does not fit into the traditional concepts of automobile plants, which, for economic reasons, produce the same car in three- and five -door versions.
It is impossible to believe that C2 is a three -door version of C3. This is a completely new, original car. And yet ... Mr. Coco:
- Stylistically, it is completely different from C3, but at the same time it is its three -door derivative. Although most automobile companies have three -door cars - these are actual copies of their five -door counterparts. We managed to use the C3 platform, changing only the database, which was reduced by one and a half tens of centimeters.
Compared to C3 by 300 mm, the total length of the car also decreased. But in general, C2 is 60% unified with C3.
Of the two syllables ...
- If you still had time to work on the project, what would you add to C2? - We would put more wheels, including the weakest versions. They gave more sports panel sports, which, based on economic reasons, was entirely borrowed from C3.
Throughout the test, we thought what the name C2 would fit better based on the criteria of the main designer. Short, two syllables ... Maybe ko! In any case, Donato Coco has the most directly related to the car.
... No, Coco Chanel is from another opera.
P.S. Car sales in Russia begin in November. Starting price - 11,500 euros. And then you yourself can choose the name of your C2.
In the guise of Citroen-C2, it is impossible to guess the three-door version of the C3 model from behind or from the side.
Each of the rear seats lives its own life and develops and moves separately.
The front panel and the steering wheel inherited from C3.
The back of the back door and folded seats allow you to transport oversized cargo.
EQUIPMENT
Abs
Stabilization system
Side airbags
Climate control
Adjustable steering column
Fog lights
Audiosystem
Full -size spare wheel
SUMMARY
+ Compactness, the ability to transform the salon, sports appearance, good handling.
- hard plastic of the front panel finish, insufficient trunk volume.
Peter the smaller, Vladimir Soloviev. Photo: Vladimir Soloviev
A source: The magazine "Driving"
