New Car Test - Citroen Xsara 2.0

This is the second Citroen Xsara that AutoSpeed has tested. The first used the XU7JP single cam 1.8, making a gut-thumping 74kW. Wearing rear drum brakes and skinny 'economy' tyres on 14 inch steel rims, we said that it felt like there was a good car trying to escape from its down-spec'd mediocrity. Well, is the 2 litre that good car?

A 97kW, the DOHC 2 litre engine has 31 per cent more power than the 1.8. It gives the Xsara decent performance - a claimed factory quarter mile time of 17.8 seconds for the tested auto, versus the 1.8's 20 second standing quarter. Incidentally, Citroen state a raunchy 16.6 seconds for the manual 2 litre.... Also making the 2 litre package far more fun are the four wheel discs, 195/55 Michelins on 15 inch alloys, and what feels like a stiffer suspension.

So how did it acquit itself?

From the preamble you might think that we're judging the little Xsara on performance car criteria, but that's not the case. Instead, the Citroen is a compact - but very spacious - family car, and that's how we looked at it. And as such a package, we have few complaints with either model. It's just that with four people in the 1.8 and facing a country road overtaking manoeuvre, we thought that the 74kW was just far too little. Thankfully, the XU10 J4/R two litre's 97kW (97.4 to be precise!) and 184Nm at 4200 rpm gives the car competent performance in all conditions.

The strengths of the Xsara packaging remain - wide opening doors, a huge boot revealed by the lifted hatch, clear instrumentation, excellent ride and a comfortable interior. The car reeks of well-thought out design - from the illuminated 'battery' warning light on the dash when the key is left in the 'accessories' position, the galvanised body panels, and the fold-up key, this is a very livable car.

Which makes it a bit sad that the 2 litre has some glaring NVH inadequacies. Firstly, the four speed auto - which we praised extensively in our test of the 1.8 - does not work nearly as well with the more powerful engine. It will not change into fourth until 68 km/h, which means that with a 60 km/h urban speed limit, the trans stays in third. In this gear, any minor lift of the throttle will result in strong engine braking from the 10.4:1 compression engine; maintaining station in heavy traffic becomes a jerky procession of on/off throttle movements. If the car is initially travelling fast enough to change into fourth and it is then slowed to 60, progress is smooth.

But even worse is the gear change that occurs when you accelerate to 68 and then lift the throttle - a situation that happens when you realise that you're slightly over a 60 km/h speed limit and back-off, or even when rolling down a hill with no throttle at all. Then there's a loud double ker-lunk! as the trans slams into fourth and (what feels to be) a lock-up clutch comes into action. The harshness of the change is enough to cause questions from passengers....

Then there's the problem that feels uncannily like a tailshaft vibration in a RWD car. The Citroen is (of course) front wheel drive, so perhaps it's one of the driveshafts. When accelerating away from a standstill, a discernible driveline vibration can be felt through the car; one that is absent when the car is driven more gently. Oh yes, and let's not forget the exhaust resonance that can be felt at 80 km/h on smooth roads; the high-pitched shriek that comes from the trans at 105-110 km/h in fourth, or the sheer magnitude of the noise coming from the engine bay at high rpm. Current cars are normally exemplary in their suppression of NVH; the Citroen - or at least the one we tested - isn't one of those.

In cruise conditions (except at the shrieking 105-110 km/h!) all these vibrations and noises are thankfully absent, and with low wind noise and a very stable chassis, the Xsara is stress-free and - if you want it to be - quite quick point-to-point. The handling is very good, with a dollop of understeer if you exceed the limits. There's a huge amount of feedback through the steering wheel, letting you know exactly how far you can go. In fact, while we liked the communication, some may feel that it is too much - at times, the steering wheel can kick in your hands, especially when cornering hard over broken bitumen. On dirt the car is extremely entertaining, with throttle-off oversteer or power-on understeer.

The ABS is less pro-active than some systems, letting you get right to the point of brake lock-up before it comes into action. The four wheel discs feel strong and stable - although you can unsettle the car by very late braking into corners, the Citroen gives only a slight shrug before quickly settling again. The car is very difficult indeed to get into trouble - it has excellent active safety. Talking about safety, twin airbags are provided in this model.

But we just aren't sure about the Xsara. The 2 litre engine, four wheel discs and a better tyre/wheel combination has answered most of our criticisms of the smaller-engined model, but unfortunately in the area of NVH, a whole lot of new negatives have appeared. And at a not-insubstantial A$35,000-odd, it's not a cheap car for which some inadequacies can be overlooked.

But still, if you went right out and bought one, we'd be able to happily look you in the eye, agreeing with your comments on the car's practicality, excellent handling and brakes, and superb packaging...

For more information: www.citroen.com.au

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