Test Drive Citroen C3 since 2002 Hatchback

C3 Formula of Love

Fashion on cars, as it turned out, the same capricious and unpredictable, like her sister, which is responsible for the design of the outerwear. What exactly will be wearing next season and what will be in demand, and what is not, to predict with certainly no marketing specialist. Yes, there are some statistics that allow manufacturers to somehow plan to plan future market priorities, but all these predictions are valid until the first boom on some new chip. Recently, this very chief in the world of the automotive business has become the design of cars in the style of Nostalzhi: a new model is a remake of an old bestseller, with minor changes.
 
A specific and striking example, the most significant demonstrating, as the car that has fallen into a stream, even suffering from high quality assembly and simply terrifying driving capabilities, may be the leader at several markets in the next few years - Chrysler Pt Cruiser. The whole world admires this design, in general, a fairly ordinary car, and its level of sale jumped to unattainable for competitors. And all because of what? Only because of the fact that in his style this car is very different from the fact that potential buyers have seen in other conceptual models. What they saw in Pt Cruiser, they really liked.
 
Naturally, such a mad popularity of neoclassics did not go without the attention of automakers. Literally in one season, almost each of them developed a whole series of concept cars, in the design of which the motives of popular models of previous years were used.
 
Ford reanimated his Thunderbird, stylized under the model of the middle of the twentieth century, BMW successfully sells a new mini, and those who have nothing to remember, had to look for inspiration in classic models. But the most prominent concept-crash, actively operating the subject of the unity of the past and present, became Citroit Lumiere. As the hero said one of the most popular film, do not go to the fortuneteller - you do not need to be an expert of cars, including vintage, to guess what model used Citroen as a preview when creating this concept. The famous nasty duckling, the legendary 2CV model was glanced in almost all elements of Lumiere, although to say exactly that this or that item is borrowed or simply similar to that of duckling, it is impossible: cars are simply similar to style. Naturally, on the wave of retromation, such an unusual and stylish car had mad success among visitors to exhibitions and press. All the success is not less predetermined by this car than the same PT Cruiser. And no one, in principle, was not particularly surprised when Citroien announced the beginning of the serial production of the new ugly duckling.
 
True, the new bestseller appeared completely under a different name - C3, and with a completely different ideology. Now it is not utilitarian and the most simplified car, for a more accurate description of which the phrase of the self-graded stroller is suggested, and the modern representative of a small class, which is not inferior to its competitors. Why c3, not 2cv or, let's say, 3cv? If only because if you look at the car carefully, then you can come to the conclusion that it is more like not even on the duckling, but on another model, produced during the same years - Citroi Dyane. And secondly, all modern Citroen are indicated by this way: the alphanumeric index, and the name C3 just corresponds to the location of this model in the Citroen hierarchy. Following this ideology, all subsequent Citroen models will be classified according to the digit in the title: the higher, the steeper. Model C3, replaced on the conveyor long ago outdated Saxo, together with revolutionary C5 and XSARA Picasso, is designed to change the image of this French automaker: to replace the original, but not always enough high-quality and convenient machines come even more extravagant models with more decent characteristics.
 
About appearance, and only about it, in this case you can speak to infinity for a long time, for only it is the main factor in the popular popularity of this car even before it is on sale. As well as other toys of this kind, for example, Chrysler Pt Cruiser or VW New Beetle, a good design determines the fate of the car initially. If the appearance comes to taste to many and it can be considered stylish, then the fate of the car is predetermined. He simply will be written in the family if not a bestseller, then at least one of the most popular cars of recent years. But inside, unlike the exterior, the designers were much easier. They did not need to create a salon in the spirit of the Lumiere concept, because in him the interior was too untouched, and it was to some extent unleashed their hands. Nevertheless, they completed their work on the top five: inside C3, although it is not the most original, nevertheless, it is immediately clear that the salon is designed in about the same style as the appearance of the car itself.
 
What is just only tidy: speedometer, tachometer and control lamps are collected in one compact block, and at the same time each of the devices simply affects the originality of the solution. The tachometer, for example, is made in the form of a semicircular scale over a digital speedometer, and the engine turnover is shown by a small red arrow that moves along this scale. However, no one else expected from the Citranges. They could not miss the opportunity to once again demonstrate their originality to the whole world, especially when it comes to such an unusual model.
 
Although in some trifles, as it seemed to me, the developers even moved a bit. For example, the inner door handles: they are incredibly stylish and comfortable when the doors are closed, but at the time of the movement for them, it is not something that is inconvenient, but simply impossible. But the original ventilation system deflectors are just a find! This is true: and convenient, and original, and in production is inexpensive. If all modern cars are, regardless of class and cost, to change the direction of air supply, you need to twist two handles, then the air flow sends the deflector itself, which can be rotated in any direction. I also liked landing behind the wheel. The car is high enough, so you sit relatively vertically, but at the same time the seat itself is very convenient and sensations that you sit on a stool, does not occur. The steering column is adjustable in two directions, and it can make a convenient position of any, regardless of the complex.
 
While the gamma of the power units of this small car consists of only three engines: 1,4- and 1.6-liter, gasoline, and 1,4-liter turbodiesel. It was a turbo code, a version with a mechanical gearbox and without special bells. However, from all the frills offered now for cars of different class, I would only take air conditioning or climate control system, which in the base of C3 does not have. Everything else, and these are airbags, a central locking with a remote control, the power steering and many more useful devices, in C3 already in the basic configuration, and starting the SX level to the list of additional equipment adds no less useful ABS. However, equipping with equipping, but if the car is completely not going, then no frills will help him conquer the heart of the buyer. Fortunately, the Citroen C3 did not happen: even though we had the most slow, turbodiesel, version that is significantly inferior in the dynamics of gasoline versions, complaints about the intensity of overclocking or pickupness did not occur. And although 15.4 seconds, which are needed by a turbo code C3 in order to accelerate from space up to 100 km / h, it is impossible to call a good result, in motion it does not play an absolutely no role. Whether by itself C3 does not cause that normal aggressiveness inherent in almost all BMW models, or in such a car everything is felt quite different, but nevertheless inside C3 is completely not felt by a squabble. Maybe this is a toy design of the car creates such a relaxed atmosphere, and maybe the attention of others so beneficially affects, but one can say exactly: Citroen C3 is one of the few cars on which it is pleasant to just ride, regardless of the speed or intensity of overclocking.
 
The car is interested in how it goes, as smoothly suspension works out of irregularities, as quietly in the cabin. Therefore, somehow gradually forget that it was in a hurry very much. I would not be surprised if the owner of this car will sometimes ride from work home far from the most shortest route. I spent at the wheel of this car not a lot of time, but nevertheless, I really liked to ride the C3. Diesel is well pulling with low revolutions, although for a more complete return, it is desirable to have at least 1500 rpm on the tachometer: then the turbine has more complete assistance. Transmissions switched softly, the grip is sufficiently informative, so it is necessary to stumble on the car. Landing is a bit more vertical than in the usual car, but it does not interfere anything at all, and even more so: with this location of the driver's chair and the steering wheel, the landing process becomes very convenient.
 
By the way, about the steering wheel: the ram is made sufficiently plump and soft, moreover, the steering does not suffer excessive ease, so it is quite possible to afford a small margin, but the driver C3, I think there will be no desire to overtake everyone. I liked the visibility from the driver's seat. The car feels so much that it is possible to park literally, although the nose round and completely invisible from the driver's seat does not allow you to approach the curlers close to the curb. The smoothness of the stroke can be estimated on the four, perhaps even with a plus - small irregularities the car passes well, but to serious running tests, where you can estimate the side rolls and the stability of the car on the blurry, it did not come. Although what difference, there will be C3 to roll in turn or it will not: anyway, most of the buyers of such models never chase their heads on them and even more so are not going to buy a car with a squeezed sports suspension and a powerful, but voracious engine. With its main task: to transport the driver and passengers with the maximum level of comfort and not to deliver the unpleasant sensations, Citroen C3 copes perfectly, which means that his designers knew what customers want.
 
Summary for this car may look, depending on flavoring addictions or even mood, very different. The car is so multifaceted, which, depending on what the consumer was looking for in it, it can either like the wrongness, or, on the contrary, cause frank dislike. If we consider this car from the point of view of pragmatics, then nothing good will bring it: at a cost of 9400 EUR Citroen C3 is not the most profitable purchase option. For such money you can buy a car class more. And even two. But if you follow this logic, it turns out that cars like the same new beetle do not have the right to exist: it is more expensive than C3, and he does not have such a spacious salon ... Nevertheless, such cars bought, buy and buy Will, it seems to me, to buy, and in quite large quantities. And if with the same beetle really need to go to certain spending, having received a very controversial design with a car, then in the case of C3, the benefit is more obvious. For example, according to the part of the C3 functionality, not only is not inferior to any representative of its class, but also greatly surpasses them. The layout of A la Minivan has never become the reason for reducing the useful space of the cabin. Even on the contrary: such a layout recently becomes more and more popular in the manufacture of small class cars.
 
Among the advantages of this layout scheme, a convenient high landing is listed, providing excellent visibility, space both in width and in length. By the way, despite the fact that the length of C3 does not quite reach quite a lot even up to 4 meters, it cannot be called small or cramped. Even if the driving driver, rear passengers, does not interfere with the rear passengers. Do not forget about the trunk quite a decent volume, and even equipped with a unique MODUBOard system. In general, it turns out almost a housewife dream. But here again you remember about the cost and understand that if you wish, you can find more worthy options. In addition, we have not yet seen a new Fiesta, which will also probably boast a spacious lounge and trunk, although the cost should be noticeably lower: there will be no new small carcass to compete with a larger Focus. So to predict exactly if Citroen C3 will find in Belarus mass consumers or not, it is quite difficult: the car is too unusual. And the generally accepted laws of supply and demand do not apply to such machines. If the buyer chooses the vehicles not with a calculator in hand, but in principle I like it - I don't like it, then advise him something just useless ...
 
SUBJECTIVE OPINION:
 
(+) Good build quality, spacious interior, interesting design, big trunk, traction and quiet turbodiesel, good visibility from the driver's seat.
 
(-) Relatively high price, not very comfortable internal door handles.
 
Text: Pavel Kozlovsky
 

A source: Autogase / N 24 (370) dated 03.07.02