Citroen C3 test drive since 2002 hatchback

Citroeon C3 pluriel duckling number two

To date, automakers have learned to please all customer requests that all existing types of cars are simply impossible to count. Capriolets compartment, cope relatives, micro- and minivans, crossovers and parking lots are only those models that have appeared literally in the last decade. However, there was another type of body, which, despite its popularity, has not yet reached serial production - a transformer. That is, a car that can be modified to such an extent that it automatically moves from one class to another, and then returns back again. So, as Citroeon C3 Pluriel does.
The transformer is not a transformer, but Citreon C3 Pluriel can really transform very seriously. First, from the usual three -door hatchback to a car with an open top, and then to a full -fledged convertible. The very idea of \u200b\u200bsuch a transformer has long been in the air, which is especially noticeable in concept kars, annually exhibited at the largest car dealerships. Almost every automaker tries to present a car that could have some removable, and sometimes also replaced body elements, the use of which would increase the functionality of the car to an unprecedented high level. Suppose, if there was an opportunity to temporarily turn their hatchback or station wagon into a pickup with an open body, then probably many car owners would pay for an additional body that would allow transformation. And in our century, when they buy not so much the car itself as its design, functionality or image, this would surely become the greatest discovery in automobile management. Which, in turn, would probably affect the image of the manufacturer and the level of sales of such a model.
All ingenious - just
Recently, Citroeon has only time to convince us that all brilliant things are born almost by themselves - it is enough just to see the idea. And the idea is also quite simple. Using in his interests fashion for classic design, Citroeon presented one of the variations on his legendary duckling - Citreon 2 CV, produced in the seventies of the last century. The concept on which marketers experienced this idea was called Lumiere - in honor of the famous brothers, the creators of the first movie. He was not very similar, but stylistically in almost everything echoed with the famous duckling. The general lines of the body, the details of the exterior design, even the sloping roof reminded of the 2 CV model. This car was very attracted to visitors to the exhibitions, and the question invariably arose about when such or such a model will go into production and how much it will cost. I did not have to wait long for the answer: literally a year and a half later, a completely new C3 model - a five -door hatchback of a small class, which was created based on that concept car, went into production.
True, it should be noted that the serial model turned out to be much less advanced in design exterior. She really looked like Lumiere, but thanks to technologists and stylists, she had almost no resemblance to the legendary ancestor of the seventies. However, in itself, the T-thirds turned out to be very successful both from a commercial point of view and in terms of the attractiveness of external design. The only but the absence of any other body types, except for the initially proposed five -door hatchback. Neither the sports three -door version, nor the prestigious sedan - the appearance was so whole that any change in the style of the car was very negatively perceived by customers. Only a convertible remained - there was no such car in the scheme of Citroone for a long time, and the French would not be French if they had not ventured to experiment. The task was this: to make a beautiful and stylish convertible that attracts maximum attention. Inexpensive, with the maximum use of components and assemblies from the C3 model, but at the same time interesting and unusual in its own way. Citroeon still remains one of the most avant-garde manufacturers, and where he still approve his championship, if not when creating a convertible. Although there were difficulties. After the appearance of a relatively inexpensive coupe-capricate with a strict folding roof, Peugeot 206 CC, the consumer would no longer take the next car of a similar design with enthusiasm: the wrong time. And even more so there was nothing to dream of overcome all the available convertibles - a really original idea was needed. And Citroeon, taking a certain risk, still built such a car and even launched into production. The new convertible really turned out to be original, in some ways even unique.
Pants turn ...
The essence of the idea of \u200b\u200ba new convertible from Citroeon is that this car itself is initially not like a convertible. After all, most models with an open top are either a compartment or in general double relatives. The Americans still had convertibles with a sedan body, and open three -doors are often found among SUVs - an open three -door station wagon is obtained. But a convertible hatchback has not yet had any manufacturer.
On this, the Citroeon C3 Pluriel chips do not end. On the contrary, they are just beginning. In its usual form, Pluriel appears before us a classic three -door hatchback with a sloping roof and three doors. True, it is equipped with a soft folding top - something similar had to be observed in some models, for example, Renault Twingo and Mazda 121. The central part of the roof is made of special multi -layered material and can be made up with an accordion: you turn the handle on the ceiling console, and the front of the roof moves back , giving the sun to warm the driver and the front passenger. Another turn of the handle - and the top surrenders a little more, driving back, almost to the rear glass itself. Thus, all passengers are already warming under the sun: both front and rear. But Pluriel’s convertible is still too early to count: firstly, the roof still closes the salon, and secondly, the massive racks of the roof do not add airiness at all. And they are really very massive. If in the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the frame of the windshield they simply inspire confidence in the safety of the riders, then closer to the middle of the diameter of the racks is about 25-30 cm, and at all grows to indecent sizes. For passengers, especially the rear ones, these racks simply close the horizon: they put pressure on top, while inspiring a sense of confidence and closing the review.
But this is not a problem: we stop and proceed to the process of car transformation. First of all, we finally fold the roof: once again we turn the aforementioned handle, and the roof folded by the accordion moves back, completely placed on the rear window. We leave the car and open the trunk. You need to do this in two tricks: first we throw up the glass (along with the roof folded on its surface), then, like the rear side, the second half of the rear door leans back down. After that, we remove the special shelf in the floor of the trunk, which divides the trunk into two parts - the lower for the folded roof, and the upper one for baggage. Then, holding the glass with one hand on top, and with the other - from below, click on the electric shock located in the lower end of the glass. Two electric shocks are triggered, and the rear window, along with a folded top located on it, with the help of special rods, moves to the floor of the trunk, while turning over. Everything is done manually, without any help of electric drives, from electronics - only electric heaters. After the roof along with the glass is moved to the lower half of the trunk, all this is closed with a special shelf, and you can again place your luggage in the trunk. But Pluriel himself still cannot be considered a full -fledged convertible - massive side racks remained in place.
But that is the uniqueness of this car that the Citroeon C3 Pluriel hatchback can turn from a full three-door hatchback into a real, pure convertible. The word pure in this case means that the convertible is deprived of any racks or arcs of safety, except, of course, the racks of the windshield. Now everything is really done simply: open the trunk (more precisely, throw off the rear side), find special locks-stops on the sidewalls and click them. Next, click a special lock that connects the side racks to the windshield frame (one on each side), and ... remove the side racks. Completely - from the very frame of the windshield to the trunk. A convertible four -seater by the way, is ready for walking!
From the point of view of pragmatics
The idea that has become the main thing when creating this car is certainly good. Inexpensive convertible with an interesting design, an original algorithm for folding the roof and, in general, a very unconventional layout - this is a really interesting offer for the European market spoiled by the new products. So far, no one offers anything like this: there are only cope relatives, traditional convertibles and cars with a body of Targa.
Structurally, the Citroeon C3 Pluriel is not much different from its ancestor - a five -door C3 hatchback. It was his convertible who borrowed the platform and the chassis, as well as engines and transmission. On the convertible that we tested, a 1.6-liter 16-valve gasoline engine with a capacity of 109 hp is installed. In combination with a new transmission from Citroeon - a mechanical checkpoint with electronic control Sensodrive. Also in the range of Pluriel, there is a more affordable version with a 1.4-liter 75-horsepower engine, which is offered only in combination with a conventional mechanical gearbox. But we will dwell in more detail precisely on the modification of 1.6: and because we traveled on it, and because we first met a sensory. So, the key to the start ...
In terms of running qualities, Pluriel did not present any surprises, since in motion it is very similar to C3. Although it should be noted that the open car, unlike the hatchback, lacks torsion hardness of the body - this is especially felt when driving along an uneven road, where the Pluriel body simply plays. And if we take into account that the basic C3 does not initially shine with honed handling, then in the case of a convertible to talk about the sports purpose of the car and is completely incorrect.
Nevertheless, traveling to Citroeon C3 Pluriel is interesting and pleasant. Yes, perhaps there is not enough drive in it, and Pluriel does not cause a special desire to pass on the verge of foul, but it’s interesting to just ride it. Slowly, quickly, calmly or assertively - there is no much difference. Although the presence of a Sensodrive transmission, unfortunately, makes his adjustments to the driver's desire to go quickly and assertively. And more about it ...
First about what this Senso-Drive is in general. Although the name of the transmission is original, it is a Citroen analogue of transmission such as Selespeed in Alfa Romeo or Easytronic cars for some Opel models. That is, Sensodrive is a mechanical gearbox with electronic control. There is no adhesion pedals, since electronics also heads this mechanism, and the gearbox lever is very similar to the machine gun selector. He has only five working provisions: R (reverse), N (neutral), D (movement) and two more provisions marked with icons + and -. The lever itself is constantly in one position, and shaking it, you give the command to include a particular transmission mode. To move forward, you need to swing the lever on yourself, and on the instrument panel the number of the inclined transmission will be displayed immediately. Now, shaking the lever forward or backward, we can give a command to turn on an increased or reduced gear - their numbers will also be displayed in the window on the panel. You can change the program without taking off your hands from the steering wheel - special keys on the back of the steering wheel. If you independently choose the programs, there is absolutely no desire, there is an AUTO button near the gearbox lever, with which you can switch the transmission to a fully automatic mode of operation. In this mode, the electronics itself switching the gears - both upwards and down when the speed is reduced or the car is stopped. There is even an analogue of a kick downs, as on an automatic machine: if you sharply stomp on the accelerator pedal, pushing it to a polish, then the boxes of the box will switch one to two steps down.
In a calm rhythm of movement, everything turns out the best as possible in manual and in fully automatic operation of the checkpoint. It differs from a car with a citroeon machine gun only in that during a shift of gears it is better to drop gas a little - otherwise, after turning on a higher gear, the car receives a kick. But you quickly get used to it and very soon you unnoticed for yourself begin to lose momentum at the right time, not paying attention to it. It turns out well to go with sharp accelerations. Even if the checkpoint works automatically, by pressing the key with the icon - on the back of the steering wheel you can always turn on the reduced gear in order to have more power power. But it must be borne in mind that the checkpoint spends a little longer on switching down, so it is better to prepare for overclocking in advance.
If you are used to traveling so that the entire stream just stand still, then you can forget about the automatic spaci mode at all: you simply will not need it. Firstly, because it is completely not driver and is intended more for calm traffic modes. And secondly, because only independent gear shifts, even by pressing buttons on the steering wheel, allows the driver to fully control the car. In manual mode, the box does not jump arbitrarily from one transmission to another only because in her opinion at such a speed you can go in the fourth, and not in third gear. Switching gear independently, the driver also has the opportunity to go at the moment - that is, to go at the engine speeds that have a peak of torque.
Exotic for every day
Typically, those cars, after which all passers -by turn out, turn out to be very uncomfortable in the course of daily operation - this is like a fashionable dress from couture, which looks incomparable and attracts universal attention, but at the same time not always suitable for everyday wear. In the case of machines, only a few of the current -fashionable retroumodes (for example, Chrysler Pt Cruiser) are excluding, they have the shocking of the external appearance completely does not affect the degree of functionality. And almost all other exotic cars are a really fashionable dress, and not comfortable everyday clothes. But Citroeon C3 Pluriel is a pleasant exception and also incredibly beautiful. In terms of functionality, it is only slightly inferior to the base C3 or any other passenger car of a small class. Pluriel has a small trunk, a cramped (behind) salon and not the hardest (to twist) body. But in comparison with the amazing effect that the appearance of this car on the road, all of the above shortcomings is nothing. Citroeon C3 Pluriel is the machine initially female, and undeniably female. For a male driver there is nothing in it for which it would be worth paying such money and driving not on the most powerful and comfortable car. But for a young beautiful person who loves to be in the spotlight, Citroeon C3 Pluriel is best suited. Firstly, because it is a convertible of the year 2003, as it was called at a car dealership in Geneva. And secondly, because there is so shocking, but at the same time a relatively inexpensive car so far no competitors have in the range.

Source: Auto -Gazeta / N 23 (415) dated 27.06.03