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Citroen C2 VTS 1.6 HDI Road Test Report

VTS 1.6 HDI

The cute C2 first went on sale in 2003 replacing the previous Saxo model. Two years later Citroen launched the 231mm shorter C1, but at about 12ft bumper to bumper the C2 isn’t exactly hard to park, and it has more interior space. A revised, ‘new look’ C2 has just gone on sale.

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Performance

The VTS comes with either a 125hp 1.6 petrol engine or a 110hp 1.6 HDI. I tested the latter, but without an HDI badge there aren’t many clues that it’s a diesel. That said, the HDI makes almost twice as much torque (192lb/ft) as the similarly-sized petrol engine, so that’s something of a giveaway on its own, and with a 0-62mph time of 9.4secs and a top speed of 120mph, the little C2 is more than capable of mixing it with the big boys when out of town, although without a relaxing sixth gear the engine can feel ‘busy’ while cruising at speed.

Ride & Handling

While the engine is refined and provides big car performance, the C2 feels like a small car when you’re out on the open road. With quick, responsive steering and little weight to lug around it feels nimble, and being light on its feet means it’s also pretty good to drive. The flip side of this agility is that on some roads the sporty VTS’ stiffened suspension can make it feel a bit lively, though the giggly ride is really only noticeable when driving fast on rural roads.

Build Quality & Reliability

The ‘new look’ C2 I drove wasn’t just ‘new look’ but brand new too, with just enough miles on it to be run-in. This being so I didn’t experience any squeaks, rattles or bits falling off. The old Saxo didn’t earn itself a reputation for being the world’s most robustly-built supermini, but the C2 is much better finished with decent plastics and interior trim, although some of the seat upholstery doesn’t look or feel hugely durable.

Safety & Security

With 4 stars for occupant protection and three for child protection the the C2 fares pretty well for a small car in the EuroNCAP crash tests. The list of standard equipment includes electronic stability control, central locking, an alarm and immobiliser, front seatbelt pre-tensioners plus driver/passenger and front side airbags. Having been an early victim of hot-hatch wheel theft, I’d advise you fit locking nuts to those shiny 7-spoke alloys as I understand that sort of thing still goes on…

Space & Practicality

There’s no escaping the fact that this is a small car inside and out, with limited space in the rear for two adults and precious little boot space (193 litres minimum). However, the rear seats both slide fore and aft, and they also fold and tumble forwards to give a substantial 879 litres maximum loadspace – handy if there’s just one or two of you aboard. Though not exactly large, the front seats offer good lateral support and are comfortable, but even at best the rear legroom and headroom is cramped for larger adults. Considering the compact overall dimensions of the car Citroen has made the C2 as capacious and as flexible as can be.

Ownership & Value

At £13,995 the VTS 1.6 HDI is the most expensive model in the C2 range. Throw in some options like heated leather front seats, satnav and rain sensing wipers and you’ll soon be looking at pretty serious money, certainly enough for a substantially larger car… However, if you drive enough miles then its very impressive 64.2mpg combined (23.3mpg better than the £1,000 cheaper 1.6 petrol) could recoup some of that initial cost. 119g/km of CO2 is pretty low, as is a group 6 insurance rating, but unless you do serious mileage the petrol 1.6 might prove easier on the finances.

Submitted: 03/11/2008 14:08:18

Superminis

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