Citroen C4 Hatchback test drive since 2008 hatchback

We buy Citroen C4: Transformer

In an advertising television, this car is a robot capable of turning into various objects. Can C4 with the same ease of adjusting to the current situation in the market, found out Pavel Leonov. Photo: George Sadkov.

PEDIGREE
For the first time, C4 was introduced to the widespread masses in 2004 at the Paris Motor Show. For European buyers, two types of bodies have been provided: five -door
hatchback and a three -door coupe (the creators position this model precisely as a compartment, although in fact this is a three -door hatchback). Cars are assembled in the French city of Muluz. In China and Argentina, a C4 was established with a body sedan for local markets.
In 2008, the premiere of the restyled version took place at the Moscow International Motor Show: having undergone insignificant external and internal changes, it, more importantly, received a new gamut of power units.
The machines officially supplied to Russia prepared for a harsh climate: they changed software settings, installed a battery of increased capacity, organized the pipe of oil vapor recirculation, etc.
The main competitors of the C4 Peugeot 308, Ford-Focus, Mazda-3, Honda Sivik, Mitsubishi-Lenser, etc. at the prices of Citroen are comparable to classmates, but are noticeably standing out against their background by extraordinary design. These cars are chosen not with the mind, but by the heart. Here we are, succumbing
they decided to opt for emotions on an elegant compartment, and not at a more practical hatchback: we will not forget that the five -time WRC world champion Sebastien Loeb is almost the same car.

Configuration
The list of equipment of a particular car depends not only on the configuration and the installed engine, but also on the selected body type. So, for the hatchback, three execution options have provided: Classique, Conform and Exclusive, and there are only two for the compartment: VTR and VTR-PACK. It is not provided for all basic configuration, so we take the Classique version as a stove (see our certificate). Despite the fact that it is the cheapest, the list of equipment here is very extensive.
Confort, more advanced, is distinguished by the interior decoration built into the ventilation system with a flavor of air, stamped 16-inch wheels with tires of 205/55 and the ability to order an additional number of options. Their list also depends on the modification. For example, for the same Classique, you can not buy rear electric windows, two-zone climate control system, ESP stabilization system, etc., and for all the rest, please.
The richest Exclusive adds to everything else adjustable heating of the front seats, an audio system with six speakers, capable of reproducing disks in the format of MP3, an armrest between the front seats, velor decoration of the salon, etc. As options for it are not offered from parking And behind and ending with a navigation system with a colored 7-inch display and a 30 GB hard drive. VTR modification by the level of equipment almost completely coincides with Confort, and VTR-Pack with Exclusive.
The principle of reasonable sufficiency, in our opinion, embodies VTR equipment. On it and stop your choice.

Power units
For the cheapest C4 compartment with a 1.6-liter engine of 110 hp. And 565 thousand rubles are asked by a mechanical gearbox. For a similar car with a 1.6 liter VTI (120 hp) engine after restyling, an equipped system for changing the gas distribution phases, it is necessary to lay out 588 thousand. The most interesting thing: during the preparation of the material (March 2009), all models offered impressive discounts, the size of which depended on the modification. And it turned out that on C4 with a less powerful engine you can leave the cabin, paying 495 thousand, and for a fellow with a more powerful engine only 488 thousand rubles. That is, we did not have to suffer with a choice.
Now the 150-horsepower engine of the same volume is also installed on this Citroen. This power unit is equipped with a 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. Moreover, the last combination is available only for hatchbacks, and the motor in this case is deformed up to 140 hp. Less powerful power units can work in pairs with 5-speed mechanics and with a machine gun. By the way, 120- and 140/150-horsepower engines were developed by the French in cooperation with BMW specialists, and they regularly regularly receive awards for the best engines of the year.
The only thing you can complain about is an automatic gearbox. In terms of design, it is by no means new and does not differ in quickness when switching, so temperamental drivers are unlikely to be suitable. Yes, and you will have to pay an extra 43 thousand rubles for it.
SAFETY
Citroen traditionally offers its customers a high level of protection. C4 was no exception: even in the budgetary configuration itself there is a sufficient set of means of active and passive safety. In expensive trim levels, Exclusive and VTR-Pack riders additionally protect the front side pillows, as well as the curtains in front and behind. For all modifications, with the exception of the cheapest, they also offer electronic stabilization systems and anti -wings.
In rich trim levels with a motor 140/150 hp The latter is included in the basic equipment, in all other cases it will have to be paid 19 thousand rubles for it. Without hesitation, we add this money to the cost of the selected car.
In the 2004 C4 Crash test, C4 earned five stars and 35 points (out of 36 possible) for the protection of passengers: 15 (out of 16) for the frontal blow and 18 (out of 18) for the side. Protecting children, Citroen received four stars (out of five possible), and preserving the health of pedestrians three stars (out of four).
A car with side pillows and curtains of safety took part in the test. But do not forget that after restyling, certain adjustments that affect safety were made to the design (in particular, the hood form has been changed), so even the owners of cheaper versions have the right to count on a high degree of protection.
MAINTENANCE
For all cars, the manufacturer gives a guarantee for two years or 100 thousand km. Interior intervals are 15 thousand km. You need to arrive on the first maintenance as soon as you roll 1,500 km, but only if the service book is gray. If the book is red, it is not required to go to the station. The fact is that the manufacturer recently revised the order and terms of service, so for C4 from the last parties in zero there is no need, but cars are still found in the salons for which it is mandatory. Free TO-0 includes diagnostics of running and computer testing.
The cost of the next two, each of which includes the replacement of oil, oil, air and salon filters, as well as checking the main nodes and assemblies, is an average of 7000 and 8500 rubles, respectively. Depending on the degree of wear of the pads, they can be offered to change them for surcharge (20,000,2500 rubles). The engine with a chain drive of the gas distribution mechanism has the modification we have chosen (the chain resource is calculated
for the entire life of the car), so no belts and rollers will have to be changed. There are practically no queues for that, because you can’t call one a day or two. Yes, and there are also many organizations ready to serve your car: in Moscow there are five official dealers, which have 12 auto centers, and there are 29 dealers and 37 auto centers in Russia.
The most frequent claims of the owners are related to the failure of the sensors of the fuel and oil level (they give incorrect data), the stove shield (does not respond to temperature change), with the sequence of the throttle ditch (the machine stops responding to the movement of gas pedals), the incorrect operation of the machine (transfers into The emergency mode refuses to switch the programs, etc.), scripts in the exhaust system (in the area of \u200b\u200bthe exhaust manifold), a harsh rear suspension, etc. Many of these problems were eliminated under warranty, and restyled machines are already eliminated from most sores. In general, the reliability level of C4 is quite high, it should not deliver special worries during operation.
Puelibility and secondary market
The hijackers are not particularly interested in such machines, so the standard immobilizer is quite enough. In addition, C4 (according to the Tatcha Cabinet of Research and Technology Center in Berkshire, Great Britain) occupies the upper lines in anti-theft protection ratings, and in expensive sets Exclusive and VTR-PACK were completely honored with five stars. However, for the tranquility, you can set an alarm and some mechanical lock. For the CASCO policy, insurers will ask for an average of 68 % of the cost of the car.
Liquidity indicators in the secondary market for these cars are not the best. On average, in the first year of operation, they lose up to 20% of the initial cost, in each subsequent 1015%. And this, unfortunately, applies to almost all French cars. The Japanese and the Germans are appreciated by us much higher.
Summing up, we note that from the moment the C4 production began in the world by almost a million circulation. In Russia, the Citroen company, according to the results of February, increased sales (their main share falls on C4) by 99% compared to the same period last year. And this is against the background of a general significant decline in the automotive market! Apparently, in our harsh age, not everyone has become inveterate pragmatists, many are able to choose a means of transportation at an emotional level. Or did the transformer manage to adapt to the market requirements?
As the calculation shows, C4 (index of ZR 23) in operation is cheaper than Toyota-Korollah (index of ZR 19), but more expensive than Ford-Fusion (index of ZR 24).
Our certificate
The list of equipment of the Classique version includes airbags for the driver and the front passenger (the latter with the possibility of disconnecting), the anti -lock brake system (ABS) with the distribution of brake efforts, the assistant during emergency braking, front belts with pretense, fastening isofix on the rear seats, automatic locking of doors on speeds of over 10 km/h, air conditioning, on-board computer, cruise control, central locking with DU, immobilizer, side mirrors with electric and heating, front electric windows, headlight washers, fog, audio tuning (antenna, wires and information output to the display), wires and output) Folding (60:40) rear seat, disc brakes of all wheels (front ventilated), stamped wheel wheels with tires 195/65R15, etc.
Five stars in EURONCAP Crash tests (35 out of 36 possible) excellent result.

Index ZR
It is calculated as a difference between two values. The first maximum permissible value of the cost of the car during the year, which, in our opinion, supported by the prevailing practice, should not exceed 40% of the initial cost of the machine. The second ratio of expenses for the operation of a specific modification for the first 30 thousand km of run to its initial price (expressed as a percentage). The cost of OSAGO and CASCO policies is taken into account (the price of the first is established by law, for the second we take average value), transport tax (according to the tax service), the cost of planned ones (according to the regulations and prices of official dealers), fuel costs (we consider the manufacturer recommended by the manufacturer and the manufacturer and The consumption in the mixed cycle indicated by him). Subtracting the second one from the first digit, we get the index of ZR. The larger it is, the relatively cheaper operation. For example, for Citroen we have chosen, the expenses of operation for the first 30 thousand km are 17% of its price. We subtract this indicator from the maximum 40%
and we get an index equal to 23.


 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"