Test drive Citroen C4 hatchback since 2008 Hatchback

I have a desire ...

And certain financial capabilities. What is the five-door hatchback to choose? With its standards, Maxim Sachkov approached the popular cars in the market. Photo: Alexander Kulnev.
The task is not easy. After all, in disputes about the cars of this class, the most copies are more than any copies. In this case, all requests are different. Someone looks after the medicine for the soul, the other is looking for a family car, others want to have a reliable and convenient means of movement. The universal council can not be, but the objective estimates of the group of experts will definitely expose.
Mitsubishi-Lancer Sportbeck, Chief Member of the Test, having received new numbers, immediately went to the landfill. At the same time, the updated Citroen-C4 arrived. Two other cars of Nissan-Tiid and Toyota-Auris have already been waiting for newcomers patiently.
I want beautiful
There are cars, the appearance of which places in the soul: whenever, passing by, involuntarily turn around. Sometimes it is possible to look inside, but to get acquainted closer alas ... Clean curiosity: just see, swell, sniff. So it was with me and Auris.
Undoubtedly, in the design of Toyota made a smeared step forward. Faceless gray cakes turned if not in beautiful swans, then at least in the stately spieces. And we are not only about the appearance of the exterior pulled the interior of the exterior. Take at least a curved hanging central console or the original dashboard of Auris, looking at the driver from under the curved visor with a pair of orange pupils. Add a lot of compartments for small things, pockets in all doors, a pair of belly boxes that resemble a cosmetic bag or a small lady's handbag, a highlighted mirror in the visor. There is no doubt, Auris will conquer the hearts of many women, especially red.
I feel frustrated. Having settled in the hugged chair, trying to find a joystick to adjust the mirrors. And he fell into the ranks unnecessary, like the buttons of the central lock and heating of the seats. A careful search of secluded corners in the pitch darkness was crowned with success. True, there were no other miscalculations in the Ergonomics of Auris. In addition, landing is high, there is plenty of free space on a driver's seat, and it rehabilizes the Japanese.
But not for long. I remember the impressions of the predecessor of Auris of the editorial Corolla, on which a couple of weeks traveled. Quiet and dynamic acceleration as if you fly, and do not go. The current hatchback is also not cashed (except for noise from winter rubber), and under the hood almost one and a half dozen horses more. But where is the ease? Instead, constant jerks and nodes, in which a robotic box is to blame. With a calm ride, the robot is robot, but it is worth going more active, pauses when switching is starting to annoy. The feeling seems to be dragging someone on a cable, which saves, then again stretches. However, it becomes a little better if you translate the selector into manual mode by taking control of the transmission under control. But they fought the lever quickly bored, and the only consolation remains: she won another victory over artificial intelligence.
Despite the smart engine, the dynamic ride auris is not like. And not only because of the robot. Rolls and inaccurate steering are not at all pushing to the rapid passage of turns. Although it is steep snakes to stay in the rear view mirror, Toyota gives you the opportunity to relax, without requiring too much attention.
Praise technical progress that descended to small and relatively inexpensive cars! No need to make extra movements, including wiper brushes or changing the temperature in the cabin. But to change the direction and flow rate accounts for something, otherwise the glass instantly tightens the white paddle. Separate climate control is good. It's a shame that it has to tame.
I want to spectacular
A bright appearance, sports kit, snow-white color is enough to earn a prime of visual sympathy. And Lancer is actively using external data, and the Sportback prefix only warms interest. Who can resist?
Inside Mitsubishi looks restraint. If it were not for playfully curved eyebrows above the instruments, it was too for thinking that you are inside the European Executive Sedan. And the Japanese minimalism and the thoughtfulness of small parts are viewed, for example, in the layout of the controls of the buttons, levers, the tumbers are functionally grouped, and not scattered on the panel. Take a look at three climate control knobs compactly, simple, convenient.
Want to find fault to the seats. Look for another car. I think that not only me is comfortable here. The only thing, raise a little pillow. Ouch, it hurts! The back side of the hand with each movement lever rubs about the rough, like coarse sandpaper, door plastic. And why the manufacturers like that of the step adjustments of the backs because of this, the legs and hand constantly have to search for a compromise. It seems to be found, it remains to adjust the steering column. Ah, is regulated only in height? Not expected!
Out of habit, pressing the edge of the familiar road to turn around to one sit. It is amazing: where three other cars with difficulty laid in the corridor, Lancer leaves another kind of good half meter in the reserve. But it significantly exceeds rivals along the length and base.
... I make a discount and for noisy winter tires, but it is clearly not only in them: from the driver's seat for the sound, you definite the size of the pebbles drunk on wheeled niches, probably, it was not worth saving on sound insulation. But you quickly forget about it by pressing the accelerator pedal. From the test four in Lancer, the most powerful motor in it is 200 cubes and several dozen horses more than rivals, and therefore leadership in acceleration is indisputable. But the applause does not deserve a motor, but its partner is a variator. You wish to go quietly translate the selector in Drive and immediately forget about the box. The car is smoothly touched by trolleybus smartly and smoothly gaining a move. It is necessary to accelerate after the minimum delay the tachometer arrow rushes to the red zone, and the speedometer readings are growing rapidly.
The best, of course, ahead manual mode. Now the box jumps on the steps built by electronics, and your desires are executed instantly: the selector did not have time to return to the neutral position, and the transmission has already turned on. I start to start, the benefit of Lancer is not bad steering. But in time, she wander and gently enter into turning, the studded tires are gratefully responded by ringing tock on asphalt.
I want to be practical
Lancer and Tiida earned the same number of points in the dough, but I think most, looking at the photo, will give preference to Mitsubishi. It is logical, because they are found along the clothes. Although do not rush to spend you always have time.
Bright appearance of tiid and really do not boast. However, the hatchback is still harmonious the namesakes with the body of the sedan. Inside, everything looks no better than outside: colorless materials, faceless panels and upholstery, which without metallic rims and completely turned into a homogeneous gray mass. But after a while, by spending a hand on soft plastic, snapped leather inserts on the armrests, marking a good assembly, already lost the critical attitude. I did not find serious jambs and in ergonomics by control and instruments to use it conveniently. However, I can popinate the seat that seemed first with the hospitable: a long-time trip did not like rather flat forms of the back and pillows. By the way, like a lancer, the tide steering wheel is regulated only in the same plane. But, despite the high, almost bus landing, a person of any growth will be abused.
It seems to be sustained for gas, and the machine does not want to switch to increased gear. The selector slipped through the drive to the next mode, and the box hung up to the second. Lever would fix the sick. Yes, even the indication of the selected program is duplicated on the instrument panel. But more reproaches are not born to the box and engine. A well-sleeved duet worked immaculately machine gun softly and quickly changed the transmissions, and the weak most weak the test of the motor did not give the driver of the tidida to blush before his colleagues. If I dropped the speed, then only before the steep turns, in which the car drove extremely reluctantly had to fight with sweatsee rolls and blurred steering. But Nissan was softer others passed unevenness and noise in a long road did not bother.
I want kindness
Models have undergone restyling, everything is more difficult to distinguish from predecessors. French car is a bright confirmation. However, no matter how cool, formally updated C4, which means that interest in it should grow. But is it just ready to draw attention?
Here is an example when design and good quality manufacturing in one bottle. The main elements of the interior of C4 of soft, pleasant to the touch of plastic. Should I cut it for a long time about extravagance? It is enough to look at the main flap of instruments, a crown panel, or a fixed hub of the steering wheel. By the way, both of these original discomfort designs are not delivered. With a comfortable steering wheel, getting good at once, quickly get used to track speed, a little later you start to read the rest of the information.
Modern designers getting involved in the process, sometimes forget that the subject should be not only attractive and original, but also functional. Take the same fixed roering hub with small buttons around the edges. Okay, missed a couple of times past the volume of the volume will be to repeat the attempt. But I tried to give a beep three times for the trip, and everything could not get on the curved arc button! Not the most pleasant moments.
Another joke from the Golden Collection of French humor. For the seat, experts wanted to deliver the C4 assessment higher than competitors, but as a result, it was reduced on a score due to uncomfortable adjustments. Especially impressed the backrest setting: not only you need to push your hand between the chair and the stand, so also the lever should be pushing from ourselves. Maybe the developers calculated that sitting on the second row will help the driver?
The engine of 120 forces perfectly copes with tasks quietly leads to cruising speeds, does not make nervous during overtaking. The impression that according to the dynamics of C4 is not much inferior to the more powerful (truth, and more severe) Lancer. The motor does not interfere with the four-stage automatic machine with a calm movement smoothly moved along the steps, and when pressed to the pedal, it is stopped in a pedal to one, or even two down. Perhaps this car is ready to please anyone! If you do not rush anywhere, well-minded pendants, accurate steering, understandable and chain brakes instill confidence and calm. You wish to push the Citroen immediately wakes up excitement. It seems to swell the next turn a little bit faster. The main thing soberly assess the possibilities, their own and the car.
***
What did you choose? I, for example, did not fully determine. I move the desire natural for a normal person to get to the maximum: to take from all these merits and mix a very good car. But to become his owner, one desire will not be enough, you need to have other possibilities.

Behind the fifth door
Many buy 5-door hatchbacks because of their practicality and versatility: you can not only go beyond the products to the store, but also a washing machine or a small chest of drawers. I look at the trunk and their transformations.
The entire four rear seats are consigned in parts (40:60). Moreover, it is most convenient in Lancer: it is enough to pull the handle and the spring-loaded back itself drops in a closure with a bottom of the trunk. By the way, the Auris and C4 relief turns out the same, only the tidy between the trunk and the salon grows up the step. But Nissan boasts the sliding rear seats: pulled the handle (in the cabin or in the cargo compartment) and the trunk added to a length of up to 200 mm. Another way to increase useful volume to reduce the inclination of the back of the rear seat. Tidis has five fixed provisions for this purpose. Such a focus is trained and auris, only here there are only two such provisions.
Samples were shown: Auris has the smallest trunk. Massive wheeled arches and high floor. True, under it a full spare wheel and plastic trays for small things.
The most elongated long, Lanser will take away, however, not so much better. The doorway is convenient in shape and large in size, but it is difficult to throw heavy things due to a solid loading height.
In the nomination, the deeper trunk defeated Tiid. In addition, its cargo compartment is quite comfortable. The picture spoil the nonsense opening of the fifth door and the sticking lever for shifting the rear seat.
The most capacious trunk according to the measurements from C4. By the way, from the test fourth, only Citroen is laid out both backs and pillows of the rear seats.

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 



 

A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"