Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

The first major change to the Citroen Xantia since its introduction onto the Australian market occurred early in 1998, with a complete new style giving it an impression of being shorter than the previous model. Later in 1998 a V6 engine was released in the Xantia Exclusive Hatchback model and at the end of the same year, a two-litre Estate model was announced. It is these two vehicles that are covered in this report. An increase in comfort, safety, practicality and equipment level, was the aim of the 1998 model range. Citroens have a reputation for the unusual, with the ability to phase all but the enthusiast when first seated behind the steering wheel. Although more conventional than days gone by, the Xantia still retains some of those quirky features, and while it was really in a market on its own, it now competes in the low level luxury market with vehicles such as Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo, Saab, Alfa Romeo, BMW and Audi. Xantia hatchbacks (saloons) are available in "SX", "Exclusive" and "Exclusive Ergo" in four cylinder models, with "Exclusive" and "Exclusive Ergo" models also available with V6 engines. Estate models only come in the "SX" model with four cylinder engines. Only the "SX" level is available with either manual or automatic transmission, all the rest are automatic only. A basic "SX" manual hatch is priced at $42,990 and the top of the line "Exclusive Ergo" is $60,500. The "Exclusive" V6 hatch, as tested, with optional metallic paint and sunroof, is $62,000 and the "SX" Estate auto as tested, is $47,490. The only Xantia options available are metallic paint at $1,000 and a sunroof at $2,000.

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

The Xantia features Hydrapneumatic suspension, Anti-lock Brakes (ABS), power steering, passenger and driver's airbag, tilt adjustable steering column, remote central locking, transponder type engine immobiliser, power windows and mirrors, climate control air conditioning, manual height and lumbar adjustment on driver's seat, velour upholstery and alloy wheels, as standard on all models. 'Exclusive' models attract cruise control, heated mirrors, front fog lamps, power height and lumbar adjustments on the driver's seat, leather upholstery, plus computer sensed and controlled, Hydractive2, suspension. The previous two-litre engine has been upgraded with a new cylinder head, incorporating four valves per cylinder and two camshafts, raising the power by 8.4 kW and the torque by 4 Nm. The V6 is a new all alloy engine with a three-litre capacity, four camshafts operating four valves per cylinder and fueled by multipoint injection. The five speed manual and four speed automatic transmissions remain basically the same, the automatic using the "auto adaptive" system that senses the operator's driving habits, selecting the appropriate change pattern to suit. The most unique and impressive feature of this car is the Hydrapneumatic self-levelling suspension. Although not a new innovation for Citroen, this system has been the catalyst that has inspired many other luxury self-levelling suspensions in use today. As well as providing the vehicle's occupants with a comfortable ride, this system has other practical advantages. The ability to lift the vehicle to its highest position, allows it to ride over or through situations requiring extra height or ground clearance. It enables the vehicle to be raised or lowered to a more suitable height for loading into the luggage area or making passenger entry easier for the disabled or elderly. No matter what load is placed in the vehicle, it will always adjust to the ideal ride height, ensuring comfort and stability at all times. Computer sensing and control further enhances the operation of 'Exclusive' models, by enabling this system to raise the lowest corner of the car when cornering and to level it out under heavy braking. As a result, body roll is kept to a minimum and with the assistance of passive rear wheel steering, superb cornering and braking conditions are created. The high-pressure four-wheel disc brakes have been upgraded with thicker, increased diameter discs, ventilated at the front and with larger effective surface area on the rear. All models feature ABS.

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

The Xantia's safety features include a roll bar incorporated in the turret construction, impact absorbing front door pillars, panels and trims, Anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags, pre-tensioners, load limiters and height adjusters on front seatbelts, Hydractive suspension, self-steering rear wheels and rain sensing front windscreen wipers. The heart of the Xantia's security package, fitted to all models, is its ignition key. As well as acting as the remote control for the vehicle's central locking for the doors, hatch and fuel filler, it incorporates a computer chip that provides a series of rolling codes, where a new code is used to unlock the doors, etc., each time it is used. This key also contains an electronic transponder that, when placed into the lock, matches an encrypted code with the vehicle's computer, enabling the fuel and ignition systems. Rotating door lock barrels with twin cylinders, provide highly tamper resistant lock assemblies. An effective, but annoying, buzzer sounds every time the door is opened with the key left in the ignition.The wedge shaped styling of the Xantia hatchback is more in tune with current vehicle shapes, giving it a refreshing and elegant silhouette. The large double chevrons incorporated into the centre of the grille give the Xantia its unmistakable corporate identity and creates a focal point around which the headlights, lower air intake and wrap round bumper assembly are blended. Although actually longer, higher and heavier than the previous model, the rear wheels are positioned closer to the rear, giving it the appearance of being a smaller car. The quality of the paint and panel finish is impressive, however, I felt it was not supported by the fit of the panels, which was not up to the standard of most vehicles today.

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

Although the front seats are reasonably comfortable, both cars had limited legroom, and the sunroof fitted to the sedan reduced its headroom. The rear seat is shaped to seat two in comfort and three on shorter journeys, but legroom is limited on both cars, while rear headroom in the sedan is also limited. Luggage space in the Estate is exceptional for a vehicle of this size and is increased almost 70% when the rear seat is folded down. The front seats have to be moved forward on both models, before lowering the one-piece rear seat back and on the Estate, the head restraints have to be removed. Each door has a reasonable size storage pocket with a bonus concealed compartment under each of the front door armrests. There are pockets located at the rear of the front seats, however, the glove box is very shallow, and the console compartments small.Even with the seat height and steering column adjustments, I could not find a comfortable driving position in either car. The Euro-style control layout is still not entirely suited to Australia's right hand drive position and always catches the unwary. Apart from the usual left flasher/headlight stalk and right wiper stalk, the other controls are reasonably accessible. However, the power mirror switch is poorly angled and the stereo controls are poorly marked and fiddly to operate. The shallow rear window and large 'C' pillars on the hatch, and the rear head restraints on the Estate hindered the rear vision when driving.

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia

Citroens are renowned for their handling characteristics and the ability to travel quickly between towns, and therefore have a reputation as an excellent touring car. The Xantia is no exception. The V6 engine is particularly responsive with power to spare, whereas the two-litre engine is just adequate. The automatic transmission is very smooth, although a little tardy to respond to the driver's needs, particularly when coupled to the smaller engine. Once adapted to the sensitivity of the brake pedal, the retardation effect of the ABS system is excellent, with no sign of fade or overheating during our performance testing. The self-levelling aspect of the Xantia's, suspension when stationary after braking, can be a little disconcerting for the uninitiated. The hatch's suspension was quite noisy on uneven surfaces and was not as confident on loose surfaces, as the Estate.The manufacturer's warranty for the Xantia is two years and unlimited kilometres, with an additional three years cover against body perforation corrosion. There is not a lot of space in the engine compartment to carry out the scheduled 10,000 km services and it is definitely a chore for the specialist technician.

Citroen Xantia

Citroen Xantia