- Doors and Seats
2 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
124kW, 196Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 9.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Manual
- Warranty
3 Yr, 60000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Vive la vitesse
Good: Good value for a well-sorted sports coupe. 2.0-litre four delivers torque and power, excellent economy and snappy, enjoyable performance. Five-speed's ratios well matched to engine's performance characteristics. Tactile, responsive dynamics. Lovely steering. Comfortable ride. Luxury driver's seat. Most of the gear you'd expect for the money.
Bad: Underdone in the wheel and tyre department. Fit and finish quality is still getting there. Gearbox is a bit of a clunker. Tight rear seat. No cruise control. Resale value could be below average.
Verdict: Fast French class.
Stars: 4 (out of 5).
Not so long ago, European imports were little more than oddities in the Australian market. They were owned by the rich, and/or the eccentric.
Prices were ridiculous, due to tariffs which in the 1980s hit the high side of 50 percent. Dubious reliability and quality, spasmodic parts availability and wallet-busting servicing costs were also part of the deal.
Today there's a much wider choice of Euro tackle, especially in the $25,000-$40,000 price range. Quality is up (though the non-German brands still can't find Japanese levels of consistency), most distributors are properly organised to support customers' after-sales requirements, and ownership costs are less extortionate.
Australian buyers are now embracing mid-priced European cars in a big way – sales have doubled in the past five years. The new appreciation of Euro style has been driven to a significant degree by women.
Citroen is still one of the fringe Europeans in the Australian market. It is slowly but surely increasing its presence, though, with fine cars like the C5 luxury sedan.
Sports performance is an attribute not usually associated with Citroen. It has a more genteel character, derived from an emphasis on luxury, comfort and a wonderfully supple ride.
However, its Xsara VTS coupe is a legitimate Euro hot rod, up there with the likes of Renault's Clio Sport, Alfa's 147 and the Peugeot 206 GTi.
The VTS has been a bit of a sleeper, overlooked in most comparison tests of this genre. Perhaps the styling isn't sufficiently unsubtle; the VTS is all femme prettiness, with none of the usual in-your-face horsepower cliches.
Priced at $32,990, the Citroen uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, with a five-speed manual gearbox. There's no automatic option.
The 2.0's 124kW at 6500rpm is the same size/power formula as Renault's Clio Sport. These are the most powerful engines in the class; the Alfa produces 114kW, the Peugeot 102kW.
The Citroen powerplant is a beauty, with the ability to pull with purpose from only 2000rpm, solid mid-range punch from 3000-5500, then a mean, rasping top end which extends past 7000rpm.
The five-speed's intermediate ratios are just close enough to let you keep the 2.0 singing in the high register on a tight section of bitumen. It is a ball to drive; 7.9 seconds for the zero-100kmh sprint is also quick.
Low gearing – it pulls just 3000 rpm at 100kmh in fifth – and a big dose of torque makes the VTR an effortless highway cruiser by four-cylinder standards. Like some other Euro fours, the Citroen engine has periods of intermittent mild vibration, though not to the point of annoyance.
The gear ratios are well chosen, but it's no sports gearbox. Its action is quite vague, with a longish throw; the 2-3 shift in particular can be difficult when you're in a hurry.
The VTS's dynamics are outstanding for a front-driver. It is beautifully light, responsive and poised, with great stability and security on rough roads. Suspension tuning is of the highest order, with complete control over wheel and body movement.
The VTS flows through a set of bends with that easy, fluid grace which defines an A-grade Euro sporty. The steering requires minimal conscious input – you simply point it in at the spot and it looks after itself.
The main limitation on the handling front is the wheel and tyre package: relatively low spec 195/55 rubber on 15-inch alloys. The Michelins hang on adequately in normal use, but they're from the cooking model section of the catalogue.
A set of 16-inchers shod with a more aggressive tyre would be a more appropriate match for the VTS's handling ability. Larger wheels would look more convincing, too – the 15s don't properly fill the wheel arches.
The anti-lock equipped brakes have electronic force distribution. Power, progression and feel at the pedal are excellent.
Ride comfort is a given with Citroen. Despite the VTS's sports character, it still soaks upbumps with ease, isolating occupants from hits large and small. In the hot hatch context, it's luxurious.
This quality extends to the interior, which resembles a typically elegant French prestige sedan rather than a spartan sports cabin. The velour upholstered driver's armchair is also characteristically Gallic – soft, supportive and good for a full day at the wheel.
You sit relatively high in the VTS, no matter where you position the seat with the ratchet-type height adjuster. The steering wheel is also adjustable for height and reach. Some drivers may want more front seat travel.
Vision around the VTS is good for a coupe, due to quite thin rear pillars and the elevated driver's seat. The dash layout is logical and efficient, though the various functions on the three wands take time to master. Air and audio controls are easily accessible, and a snap to use. Plenty of oddment storage space is provided.
The white instrument dials feature arty blue/orange lighting. The headlights are average.
Cruise control is the only unjustified absentee from the VTS standard equipment list. Six airbags, automatic air, in-dash CD player, leather-wrapped wheel, power everything, trip computer and remote central locking are included. A full-sized spare (on a steel wheel) is mounted externally under the boot.
Despite feeling nice and solid, the test car had a few quality glitches. The occasional rattle and squeak in the cabin betrayed fit and finish that could be improved. The cheap, nasty carpet was a low-rent touch among otherwise high quality materials. The driver's door closed with a tinny clang, whereas the passenger's door emitted a more reassuring thunk.
The VTS's back seat, as in most coupes, is a place where you would hesitate to put your friends. Access is fine via the single action tilt/slide front seat.
The rear seat backrest comes up only to your shoulder, headroom is adequate for passengers up to 180cm and leg room is tight for all. Three lap-sash belts and head restraints are fitted a case of misguided optimism and the side windows open on hinges.
A net and load cover are provided in the boot, which is reasonably spacious, though shallow. Three child restraint anchors are immediately under the tailgate, where they will restrict the boot's usefulness when restraints are fitted.
The 60/40 split-folding rear seat back considerably increases carrying capacity. The extended floor is long and flat.
When you tick off the Euro hot hatch contenders, the Citroen Xsara VTS doesn't exactly leap to mind but it should.
It's a classy, comfortable coupe, with great dynamics and a serious wallop under the bonnet. It's a quiet deceiver.
Vital signs
Citroen Xsara VTS
Engine: 2.0-litre 16-valve fuel-injected four-cylinder.
Power: 124kW at 6500rpm (equal best of European 2.0 fours).
Performance: 0-100kmh in 7.9 seconds (quick).
Brakes: Discs with ABS (good).
Economy: 6.8 litres/100km highway; 8.9 city (excellent for a high-performance 2.0).
Price: Recommended retail – $32,990. Street price – Drive-away pricing currently applies to the rest of the Xsara range. Suggest it should extend to the VTS if they want to sell you one.
Main options: Leather upholstery $2750; sunroof $1500; metallic paint $550.
Warranty: Two years/unlimited kilometres (below average years).
Safety rating: 3 stars out of 5 (Euro NCAP; 2.0 five-door).
Residual value: 63 percent after three years (Xsara 2.0 five-door hatch; slightly below average).
Alternatives:
Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 – $38,500
Holden Astra SRi 2.2 – $28,485
Peugeot 206 GTi 2.0 – $29,990
Renault Clio Sport 2.0 – $33,990
VW Golf GTi 1.8 turbo – $38,500
Prices correct at publication date.