Test Drive Citroen C4 Hatchback since 2010 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 cars of this class, it is more than any copies. In this case, everyone's 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 assessments of the group of experts will definitely be exposed.
Mitsubishi-Lancer Sportbeck, Chief Member of Test, having received new numbers, immediately went to the landfill. At the same time, the updated Citroen-C4 arrived. Two other cars Nissan-Tiida and Toyota-Auris have already been waiting for newcomers patiently.
I want to be 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 swallowed 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 a visor. There is no doubt, Auris will conquer the hearts of many women, especially red.
I feel frustrated. Having settled in the hug couch, trying to find the 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 the 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 he traveled a couple of weeks. Quiet and dynamic acceleration as if you fly, and you 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 quiet 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 the cable, which saves it, it is still sharply stretched. However, it becomes a little better if you translate the selector into manual mode by taking control of the transmission under control. But she fierces the lever quickly bored, and the only consolation remains: she won another victory over artificial intelligence.
Despite the smart engine, the dynamic ride Auris does 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 mirror of the rear view, Toyota gives you the opportunity to relax, without requiring too much attention.
Praise the 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 peel. Separate climate control is good. It's a shame that it has to tame.
I want to spectacular
Bright appearance, sports kit, snow-white color is already enough to earn a prime of audience 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 over the instruments, it was too for thinking that you are inside the European Executive Sedan. And 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 around the panel. Take a look at the three handles of climate control compactly, simple, convenient.
Want to find fault to the seats look for another car. I think that not only me here is comfortable. The only thing I will raise a little pillow. Ouch, it hurts! The back side of the hand with each movement by the lever rubs about the rough, like coarse sandpaper, door plastic. And why manufacturers like that of the speed adjustments of the backs because of this, the legs and hands constantly have to search for a compromise. It seemed to find, 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 into one sitting. Amazing: Where three other cars with difficulty laid in the corridor, Lancer leaves another kind of good half meter. But he significantly exceeds rivals in 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, you define the size of the pebbles driving on the wheeled niches, probably, it was not worth saving on sound insulation. But you quickly forget about it by clicking on 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, and its partner is a variator. You wish to go quietly translate the selector in Drive and immediately forget about the box. The car shakes smoothly, in trolleybus smartly and smoothly gains a move. It is necessary to accelerate after the minimum delay the tachometer arrow rushes to the red zone, and the speedometer readings are rapidly growing.
The best, of course, ahead is 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 herself and carefully 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, 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 boast can not. 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 metal rims and at all turned into a homogeneous gray mass. But after a while, having spent his hand on soft plastic, snapped leather inserts on armrests, marking a good assembly, already lost the critical attitude. It 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 hospitable: a long-time trip did not like rather flat shapes of the back and pillows. By the way, like the Lancer, the tide steering wheel is adjusted only in the same plane. But, despite the high, almost bus landing, the place above the head will be plenty of a person of any growth.
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 depended on 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 perfectly spent duet worked, the automatic machine was impecorated softly and quickly changed the transmissions, and the most weak most of the test fourth did not give the driver of the tidis to blush before his colleagues. If I dropped the speed, then only before the steep turns, in which the car was hung extremely reluctantly to deal with sweaty rolls and blurred steering. But Nissan softer others passed unevenness and noise in a long road did not bother.
I want kindness
Models have undergone restyling, it is more difficult to distinguish from predecessors. French car is a bright confirmation of this. However, no matter how cool, formally updated C4, and therefore, 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. Is it worth cutting on extravagance for a long time? 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 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 hub of the steering wheel with small buttons around the edges. Okay, miss a couple of times past the volume of the time will be to repeat the attempt. But I tried to file a beep three times for the trip, and everything could not get on the curved arc button! Not the most pleasant moments.
Another anecdote from the Golden Collection of French Humor. For the seat, experts wanted to deliver C4 assessment higher than competitors, but in the end it was reduced on a score due to uncomfortable adjustments. Especially impressed the backrest setting: just what you need to cover your hand between the chair and the counter, so also the lever should be pushed from ourselves. Maybe the developers calculated that sitting on the second row would help the driver?
The engine of 120 forces perfectly copes with the 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 a more powerful (truth, and more severe) Lancer. Motor does not interfere with the four-stage automatic, with a calm movement, smoothly moves along the steps, and when you press the pedal to the floor, it is uninstalled by 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 in Citroen immediately wakes up excitement. It seems that he swells the next turn to pass the next turn a little faster. Here the main sober assess the possibilities, their own and car.
***
What did you choose? For example, I did not fully determine to the end. 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 due to 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. We 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 sama will drop into a closure with the bottom of the trunk. By the way, Aurisa and C4 relief turns out the same, only the tidy between the trunk and the salon grows down 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 raishes useful volume to reduce the tilt of the back of the rear seat. Tiida has five fixed provisions for this purpose. Such a focus is trained and Auris, only here there are only two such provisions.
Samples have 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 in length, Lanser will take away, however, not so much better. The doorway is convenient in shape and large in size, but it is not easy to throw heavy things due to a solid loading height.
In the nomination, the deep trunk defeated Tiid. In addition, its cargo compartment is quite comfortable. The picture spoil the incomplete opening of the fifth door and the sticking lever for shifting the rear seat.
The most capacious trunk according to the measurements at C4. By the way, from the test four, only Citroen is laid out both backs and rear seat cushions.

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 



 

A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"