Citroen C4 Hatchback test drive since 2010 hatchback
Citroen C4 VS Opel Astra: there is an alternative
In the eyes of an inexperienced buyer, the cars seem almost the same: 1.6 motor, a machine gun, five doors, a European brand, a Russian assembly ... Kolesa.ru portal found out what a new Astra is better than an old C4, in which Citroen is ahead of a compact German, and which car is preferable Buy under the disposal program.
Two hatchbacks have a common one in common. Both cars are five-door hatchbacks (was the domestic consumer reoriented from the stylish three-g. Cope for family five-door?). The three-door version of the outgoing generation Citroen C4 is no longer collected (in the middle of the year, sales of a completely new Citroen Golf Class will begin), the time of the descendant of Astra GTC has not yet come. In Russia, at least. However, there is no universal or a four -door version of the German in our market, and C4 in the sedan is only in China (the success of this car in our market is doubtful), and Citroen's compact station wagon also does not offer
Test hatchbacks are armed with 1.6-liter automatic windows with automatic transmission. Perhaps these are the most popular versions for this segment, however, the dynamic capabilities of both cars are equally unconvincing. The paired races from the traffic light won C4 with a slight advantage. However, her weapon played against Astra: the stabilization system on the winter road not only prevents slipping, but can interfere with acceleration. There are no complaints about the Opelian motor and the gearbox. The Citroen engine also accelerates evenly and sedately, only in the transmission with sharp acceleration now and then there are tremors.
But if Astra can be ordered with a more powerful engine (140-horsepower 1.4 or 180-horsepower 1.6 with turbocharges), then for the current C4 you can only choose a gearbox. And about the stabilization system, so useful in winter, it remains only to dream of waiting for it only in a new generation.
Acceleration to 100 km/h, with
Opel Astra 11.7
Citroen C4 11.9
Citroen-light engineers are not permissible to Russian roads; If under the wheels suddenly - even asphalt, then the hard body simply nervously trembles from each touch of the gas pedal. And if a hole was under the wheel or an unpleasant fraction does not make itself wait. Astra, on the contrary, was pleasantly surprised by silence in the cabin and a soft, smooth tread. Opel engineers really worked a lot on the chassis in this generation Astra, and the result may be satisfied.
Astra can be steered literally with a little finger, but behind a cotton three -spoke rim unexpectedly hides intelligible and adequate control. The C4 steering wheel is heavier, but the handling of this still did not become sports.
Road clearance, mm
Opel Astra 140
Citroen C4 130
The Opel Astra salon is similar to a stylish ergonomic keyboard, where each hand has its own sector, for the base of the palm of the palm of your hand, and for fingers, embossed marks on A and O for a blind set. The Opel chair is amazingly tenacious and moderately hard, the sports steering wheel lies perfectly in the hands, the devices framed with silver border are understandable and well read. The central console Opel is replete with a variety of buttons, and in order to understand them you need time. It is not easy to do this on a hunch to the owner of the previous Astra.
It’s not easy to get used to the interior of Astra, but where the control panel can be understood immediately. Citroen is original and unusual for all those who have never sat in a French car. The digital dashboard is put to the central console, signaling lamps of the headlights and rotation lamps and rotation indicators were carried out on the core of the steering wheel (which does not rotate with the rim), almost all the tools of the central console are duplicated on the steering wheel. Unusual and convenient - after several days of adaptation.
Author: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Roman Ostanin
Source: Wheel magazine [February 2011]
