Test drive Citroen C4 hatchback since 2010 Hatchback

We buy Citroen C4: Transformer

In the advertising television, this car appears a robot that can turn into various items. Maybe C4 with the same ease to adjusted under the current situation on the market, found out Pavel Leonov. Photo: George Sadkov.

PEDIGREE
The best masses of C4 were first introduced in 2004 at the Paris Motor Show. For European buyers provided for two types of body: five-door
hatchback and three-door coupe (creators position this model exactly as a coupe, although in essence it is three-door hatchback). Machines are collected in the French city of Mulhouse. In China and Argentina set up the release of C4 with the body of a sedan for local markets.
In 2008, the premiereled version was held at the Moscow International Motor Show at the Moscow International Auto Show: Perestev's minor external and internal changes, it was more important, received a new gamut of power units.
Machine officially supplied to Russia prepared for a harsh climate: changed the program settings, installed a battery of high capacity, organized heated tube recycling of oil vapors, etc.
The main competitors of C4 Peugeot-308, Ford Focus, Mazda-3, Honda-Sivik, Mitsubishi-Lancer, etc. At the prices of Citroen are comparable to classmates, but noticeably stand out on their background an extraordinary design. These cars are not chosen by the mind, but with heart. So we, yielding
emotions, decided to stop their choice on an elegant coupe, and not on a more practical hatchback: I will not forget that the five-time world champion in the WRC rally sebastien Loeb performs on the almost as car.

Package
The list of equipment specific car depends not only on the configuration and installed engine, but also from the selected body type. So, for the hatchback there were three versions: Classique, Confort and Exclusive, and only two for the coupe: VTR and VTR-Pack. Unified for all basic configuration is not provided, therefore, as the stove, take the Classique version (see our reference). Despite the fact that it is the cheapest, the list of equipment here is very extensive.
Confort, more advanced, is distinguished by the interior trim embedded in the air flavoring system, stamped 16-inch wheels with tires 205/55 and the ability to order an additional considerable number of options. Their list also depends on the modification. For example, for the same Classique, the rear electric windows, two-zone climate control, ESP stabilization system, etc., and for all others, please are not purchased.
The richest EXCLUSIVE adds all the time the adjustable heating of the front seats, the audio system with six speakers, capable of playing the disks in MP3 format, the armrest between the front seats, the velor interior decoration, etc., as options for it, which is not offered from the parking sensors And at the back and ending with the navigation system with a color 7-inch display and a 6 GB hard disk. VTR modification in terms of equipment level almost completely coincides with Confort, and VTR-Pack with Exclusive.
The principle of reasonable sufficiency, in our opinion, embodies the VTR equipment. On her and stop your choice.

Power units
For the cheapest coupe C4 with a 1.6-liter engine with a capacity of 110 hp And the mechanical transmission is asked 565 thousand rubles. For a similar car with a 1.6 liters of VTI (120 hp), an equipped system for changing the gas distribution phases, it is necessary to post 588 thousand. The most interesting thing is: during the preparation of the material (March 2009), impressive discounts were offered to all models, the size of which depended on the modification. And it came out that on C4 with a less powerful engine, you can leave the salon, paying 495 thousand, and for the fellow with a more powerful engine only 488 thousand rubles. That is, we did not have to suffer with the choice.
Now this Citroen establishes a 150-strong engine of the same volume. This power unit is equipped with a 6-speed manual box or a 4-speed automata. Moreover, the last combination is available only for hatchbacks, and the motor in this case is defined up to 140 hp. Less powerful power units can work in a pair of both with 5-speed mechanics and automatically. By the way, 120- and 140/150-strong engines are developed by the French in collaboration with the Specialists of the BMW company, and they are no wonder regularly receive rewards for the best engines of the year.
The only thing to which you can find out, automatic transmission. According to the design, it is by no means nov and is not distinguished by termination when switching, so temperamental drivers are hardly suitable. Yes, and pay extra 43 thousand rubles for it.
SAFETY
Citroen traditionally offers its customers a high level of protection. C4 did not exception: even in the fiscal configuration itself there is a sufficient set of means of active and passive safety. In expensive EXCLUSIVE and VTR-Pack sets, sedlons are additionally protected by front side pillows, as well as curtains in front and rear. For all modifications, with the exception of the cheapest itself, electronic stabilization systems and anti-sovietary systems are also offered.
In rich equipment with a motor 140/150 hp The latter is included in the basic equipment, in all other cases for it will have to pay extra 19 thousand rubles. We do not think about this money for the cost of the selected car.
In the EURONCAP 2004 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) per side. Protecting children, Citroen received four stars (out of five possible), and keeping the health of pedestrians three stars (out of four).
In the test, a car with side pillows and security curtains took part. But do not forget that after restyling in the design, certain adjustments were made, affecting safety (in particular, the shape of the hood), so even the owners of cheaper versions are entitled to count on a high degree of protection.
MAINTENANCE
All cars manufacturer gives a guarantee of two years or 100 thousand km. Intervalized intervals are 15 thousand km. The first maintenance must arrive as soon as you roll 1500 km, but only if the gray-color service book. If the book is red, you do not need to go to the station. The fact is that the manufacturer recently revised the order and terms of service, so that for C4 of the last parties in zero, it is not necessary, but in the salons there are still cars for which it is necessary. Free TO-0 includes diagnostics chassis and computer testing.
The cost of the following two, then, in each of which the replacement of oil, oil, air and cabin filters is included, as well as checking the main components and aggregates, is an average of 7,000 and 8,500 rubles, respectively. Depending on the degree of wear of the pads, it may be suggested to change them for surcharge (2000,2500 rubles). In the selected modification, the engine with a chain drive of the gas distribution mechanism (the chain resource is calculated
for the entire service life of the car), so no belts and rollers will have to change. There are practically no queues, because the record for the day or two you can not call. Yes, and organizations ready to serve your car, too, a lot of official dealers, which account for 12 autointers, and in total in Russia 29 dealers and 37 auto centerrs.
The most frequent claims of the owners are associated with the failure of the fuel and oil sensors (issue incorrect data), the drive of the stove damper (does not respond to change in temperature), the disinalization of the throttle valve (the car stops responding to the movement of the gas pedal), the incorrect operation of the machine (goes into Emergency regime, refuses to switch transmissions, etc.), violins in the exhaust system (in the exhaust manifold area), harsh rear suspension, etc. Many of these dealers have been removed under warranty, and restyled cars are already delighted from most sores. In general, the level of reliability of C4 is quite high, it should not deliver special concerns during operation.
Hijaciousness and secondary market
The hijackers are not particularly interested in such machines, so the state immobilizer is quite enough. In addition, C4 (according to Tetchesky Research and Technological Center in Berkshire, United Kingdom) takes up the top lines in the ratings of anti-theft protection, and in expensive EXCLUSIVE and VTR-Pack equipment and was presented to the highest marks of five stars at all. However, for consuming tranquility, you can set the alarm and some mechanical blocker. For the policy of CASCO insurers will be asked an average of 68% of the car's cost.
Liquidity indicators on 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, each subsequent 1015%. And this, unfortunately, applies to almost all French cars. Japanese and Germans are valued much higher.
Summing up, we note that from the start of the production of C4, almost a million edition varied around the world. In Russia, the Citroen company at the end of February increased sales (their main share accounts for C4) by 99% compared to the same period last year. And this is against the background of a common essential decline in the automotive market! Apparently, our harsh century has not yet become short-circuited pragmatists, many are able to choose a means of movement at the emotional level. Or did the transformer managed to adjust to the requirements of the market?
As the calculation shows, C4 (SMS 23) in operation is cheaper to Toyota Corolla (SP index 19), but more expensive Ford Fusion (SP index 24).
Our certificate
Classique version equipment list includes airbags for the driver and front passenger (the latter with the ability to shut down), anti-lock brake system (ABS) with brake force distribution, assistant during emergency braking, front straps with pretensioners, fastening isofixes on the rear seats, automatic door locking on speed 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, headlights, fog, audio preparation (antenna, wires and output of information on the display), Folding (60:40) Rear seat, disk brakes of all wheels (front ventilated), stamped wheels with tires 195 / 65R15, etc.
Five stars in EURONCAP CRREST tests (35 points out of 36 possible) excellent results.

CEXATION V.
It is calculated as a difference between two values. The first maximum permissible value of the cost of the operation of the car during the year, which, in our opinion, supported by the current practice should not exceed 40% of the initial cost of the machine. The second ratio of the cost of exploitation of a specific modification for the first 30 thousand km of run to its initial price (expressed as a percentage). The cost of the OSAA and CASCO policies is taken into account (the price of the first is established by law, for the second we take the average value), the transport tax (according to the tax service), the cost of planned that (according to the regulations and rates of official dealers), fuel costs (we consider the recommended manufacturer and the manufacturer and Specified consumption in a mixed cycle). Survived from the first digit to the second, we get the SG index. What it is more, the relatively cheaper operation. For example, for the Citroen chosen by us, the cost of operation for the first 30 thousand km is 17% of its price. This indicator we deduct from the maximum 40%
and we obtain an index equal to 23.


 
 

Source: Journal "Behind the wheel"