Citroen C2 test drive since 2008 Hatchback

Remedy for complexes

Citroeon C2: Women's car for any sex
 
As soon as this three -door appeared on our roads, it was immediately traditionally christened with a female car. Yes, the car did not come out tall, but this is not a reason to write off C2 from the accounts, addressing it only to the weak floor. This tightly knocked, muscular hatchback does not impress a purely ladies car, on the contrary, unlike a calm-elegant C3 in his appearance, more sports and even aggressive features. So, maybe it is worth throwing purely national complexes about sizes?
 
However, they do not argue about tastes, so we just consider the car in terms of a potential buyer. A swift front with a large transparent three -dimensional optics and a radiator grille closed with wide horizontal stripes, almost flat body panels on the sides, a torn glazing line, emphasizing the contours of doors, glass of irregular shape, pentagonal rear lights ... Definitely a spilled athlete - small, elegant, elegant, elegant, elegant, elegant, elegant But at the same time, a dynamic car intended for young, active and close to them in spirit. However, again, opinions diverge here.
 
Inside, the Frenchman almost completely repeats the interior of his older brother, from whom, by the way, he got about 60% of the nodes and details. As if the front panel, which hovered over the floor, the spherical airplane deflectors, covered with the skin of a three-spoke steering wheel, climate control units and a CD Magnetic on the central console ... We have already seen this on C3, and here C2 is notorized. The same applies to ergonomics: like his closest relative, in this component Citroeon, alas, is far from ideal. Despite the sports, clearly spelled out profile, the lateral support of the front seats is weak, you begin to slide in the turns. And in general, the pillows and backs of the seats are clearly designed for a person of rather fragile physique and for a more or less high driver are short-term. The back and legs as a result are in suspense and after a couple of hours they begin to ache. In general, it is better to go on a long journey on another car. But, on the other hand, a car for transcontinental voyages was not developed, and during short movements in the city, such trifles will not cause special troubles. In addition, do not forget that a car of this class never shone with excellent ergonomics, and the German -British Mini Cooper is only an exception confirming the rule.
 
But what is surprising: despite the very modest size of the hatchback, C2 passengers will not suffer from crowding, at least the front ones. The driver's seat can be adjusted in three planes, the steering wheel is two (in height and departure), while anyone will fit there, regardless of growth and dimensions. At least, possessing two meters tall, your correspondent did this simple trick without any problems. Moreover, there was free space in the shoulder zone and above the head, which is not always characteristic even for C-class cars. At the back there is no place for a lesser example. However, we must pay tribute, the French did not fool the heads or people and preferred a couple of separate seats to be a whole sofa, initially declared four seats. In general, you can’t even plant the third from behind. Although this is rather a plus than a minus: firstly, there are few daredevils who dare to compact three passengers in such a small compartment, and secondly, the seats are completely independent from each other, and sitting from the back, as in modern minivans, can be adjusted as The back of the back, and the distance to the front passenger.
 
In principle, these bells and whistles allow to move with acceptable comfort, but only if the growth of passengers does not exceed the average. High people from behind will be inconvenient with any layout, and if a driver with basketball growth is behind the wheel, then even a teenager will not fit in the second row C2. And the longitudinal adjustment of the rear chair will not help here - putting your legs in a five -centimeter gap between the front and rear seats without a certain acrobatic preparation is difficult. In addition, you will have to do something with the feet, since with a completely lowered front seat there is simply nowhere to put them. However, the last problem is easily solved, because it is not so simple to completely choose a 15-centimeter supply of space above the heads of the driver and passenger. By the way, here it is worth considering that the tightness in the back of the cabin is a typical disease of all classmates C2. Try to find a compact car without this lack (for example, in C3 in a similar situation in the second row of the place is exactly the same, but it is noticeably larger).
 
There are also relatively few space in the luggage of space, but for five to six packages from the supermarket there is plenty of place. The absence of rear passengers gives a natural opportunity to double the useful volume. By the way, the French approached the development of the rear door design very original: it consists of two halves, leaning up and down (as on BMW X5). Considering that the lower part remains in a horizontal position and can withstand the weight of the weight, it can easily be used, say, as a table or bench during a picnic. By the way, despite the typically city exterior, C2 is able to cope with trips to nature. A short wheelbase, small overhangs, an acceptable road clearance ... Of course, the tractor track is too tough for it, but Citroeon is quite capable of overpowering a relatively even and dry virgin ground. Moreover, regardless of the engine option (volumes of 1.4 or 1.6 liters) and the transmission aggregated with it.
 
The test hatchback performed by VTR was equipped with a 1.4-liter 16-valve four, developing 90 hp, and a branded robotic transmission of Sensodrive, capable of working both in manual and automatic mode. It all depends on the preferences of the driver and specific road conditions. The gearbox levers are located under the wheel - on the right plus, on the left minus, as on formula 1 car. If it is difficult to rebuild, there is a more familiar lever on the tunnel (by the way, you can turn on the neutral or rear gear only from it). On the course of C2 it turned out to be quite nimble and dynamic - the motor is cheerfully spinning to the top and confidently slows down in reduced gears. The car is quite easily gaining speed, but it just makes noise very decently. In principle, it does not cause special complaints and transmission, but in manual mode - you just need to learn how to play the gas pedal during switching in order to make the movement more smooth. In fact, with the right foot you need to perform the same actions as when moving with a regular manual transmission: to discard gas, switch and press the pedal again. The work of the machine was somewhat disappointed - it is very difficult to name its behavior logical. The unit strangely responds to an accelerator squeezed to the floor, accelerating the car to 90 km/h in the first two gears, and for the next switch the pedal has to be released. At the same time, in a calm rhythm of movement, the transition to the fifth stage can occur already at 70-75 km/h.
 
The hatchback stands well on the road, the rolls are practically absent. The car is not tough, but assembled. However, it is not worth provoking it - on more or less serious potholes, it shakes much more tangible, and the suspension does not become better from this. Thanks to the electric power, the steering wheel in the urban crowd turned out to be very handy, it would only be more feedback ... With an increase in speed, it becomes more informative, but, unfortunately, it remains the same easy - it allows you to cheer up a little, but it does not allow you to relax. I liked the suspension and brake settings more.
 
In general, contrary to the common opinion C2 - a hatchback, albeit small, but far from ladies. The inhabitants of the Old World have long outgrown complexes about the size of the car and calmly plow the Euros space on compact babies like Fiat Panda, Renault Twingo, Peugeot 206, Citroen C3 and, of course, C2. For European roads, they are as ordinary as representative sedans in our capital. Moreover, most often social status, income level, and even more so the driver's gender does not matter much. Just such cars are more convenient and economical. Maybe we should stop complexing?
 
Text: Vladimir Zhidkov
 

Source: Mkobil magazine [09/26/2005]