More solid than spectacular

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Citroën has had a torrid time of it here in Ireland in recent times, what with its franchise holder Gallic Distributors suddenly shutting up shop and leaving the marque temporarily high and dry, and then the name of the brand was further sullied by a series of court cases in which several dealers were taken to task for price fixing.

Not at all a good time then for the iconic French brand here but control of the Irish operation has now passed back to Citroën itself and the new outfit is now very anxious to rebuild the marque’s image here in Ireland, where it has always enjoyed a small but very active following.

Some might maintain that this was primarily because that when you purchased a Citroën here, you ended up being married to it. This was obviously not quite necessarily the case, but it is very true that Citroën supporters often stuck with the brand because they loved the company’s uniqueness and its strident ideas about design and engineering.

Our test car this week is, unfortunately, not a particularly good example of this individuality of expression, as evidenced by many great cars down the years — such as the Traction Avant (a beautiful example of which I saw in West Cork only last week), the original DS, the 2CV and many, many more.

The C3 — the car which we test and which is some ways is something of a spiritual successor to the 2CV — is a far more modern and bland machine by comparison with some of the company’s more individual cars.

Okay, so it does stand out from many of those in the Supermini rat pack in terms of its exterior shape, but it is probably fair to say that the overall look of the car exercised the collective minds of the Citroën design collective a lot less than many others it has come up with.
The tall and somewhat mini MPV-ish look is easy on the eye alright, but not overly soit would most certainly not take that eye out of your head in terms of its beauty. It is pleasing to look at, but in a ‘so-what’ sort of way.

Everything else about the C3 is pretty conventional, and for ‘Citroënistas’ this is almost a mortal sin. But, where are the trick suspensions, the quirky interiors and the wild creativity that has endeared the company to so many?

They are not here, I’m afraid.

In fairness, the company has come up with one novel idea and made the C3 the first car with a receding hairline.

Confused? Well let me explain.

The tester was fitted with what the company call its ‘Zenith windscreen’ which actually extends back to beyond the driver’s head.

Access to this dramatic panorama is by means of a sliding sunblind, so that one minute you have a conventional interior, but then you slide back the blind and you’ve got a very different vista. A receding hairline, if you will.

This is a very attractive feature, but after that the C3 is something of a disappointment. The seats are not particularly supportive and the company’s own claim of “saloon-levels of interior comfort” is not matched by the facts.

The legroom in the rear is pretty tight and while the boot is a very decent size, the seats don’t fold flat to allow it be extended.

Undoubtedly one of the big draws for potential C3 clients will be the 1.4 HDi engine which was fitted to the car.

Although relatively diminutive in its output — 67 bhp — it is still a surprisingly lively drive, and smooth too. The 0-100kph dash is achieved in 13.7 seconds and top speed is 163 kph, which are okay figures, but a big attraction for many will be the claimed consumption level of 4.3 l/100km, which is fairly eye-popping.

On the road the Citroën has a characteristically Gallic approach in terms of the ride and handling. The ride is comfortable, controlled and settled, by and large, but grip levels on tight roads are not great and understeer is something buyers will either have to like or get used to quickly.

The steering is also a bit vague and uninspiring and stability control is not a standard item, which might explain some of the hairier handling traits.

I cannot say I enjoyed my time with the C3 to the point where I’d be dashing out to buy one, but it was a good car which is priced to sell and it does have a lot to offer.

It may not have the composure on the road of some of its competitors, but it does represent a value proposition and while it is not terribly different from many of those in opposition to it, it is different enough to attract people looking to get a bit of individuality into their motoring.

Citroën has corporately turned a lot of corners in recent times, – and not just here in Ireland. There is a very fresh and determined attitude within the company and while that may have come a little too late for the C3, perhaps, it certainly bodes well for the future well-being of a company for whom the word ‘innovation’ might well have been coined.