Citroen C2 1.6i 16v SensoDrive

Recently, I saw the citroen ad on TV showing their replacement for the hugely succesfull Saxo VTR and thought I'd go for a test drive. Having driven a saxo before, I was expecting quite a lot from the new car as I had found the saxo to be hugely entertaining to drive. I was also very interested in the Sensodive semi automatic gearbox that came with the new car as, living in a city, this could be a very handy thing to have when stuck in traffic.
...a 1.6 litre engine which citroen states produces 110bhp.

So, once inside the car, the seats are very good. They are very supportive and not to firm. The dashboard is very grey though. Not a very interesting or exciting dash layout at all and the plastics are not the best quality. I found that although you can move the steering wheel I could not quite find the right position for it although given more time I may have gotten used to ... more

Recently, I saw the citroen ad on TV showing their replacement for the hugely succesfull Saxo VTR and thought I'd go for a test drive. Having driven a saxo before, I was expecting quite a lot from the new car as I had found the saxo to be hugely entertaining to drive. I was also very interested in the Sensodive semi automatic gearbox that came with the new car as, living in a city, this could be a very handy thing to have when stuck in traffic.

So, off I went to the local dealer to arrange a test drive.

I do like the design of the car, it is a bit different from the rest of the supermini group and in the VTR trim does look quite sporty. The addition of 7 spoke alloys and a small roof mounted spoiler help to distinguish the car from the normal C2 range.

Equipment levels are really quite good as well. The car comes with remote central locking, an alarm, four airbags, electric windows, cruise control and a cd player as standard. There is the option of air con but that costs about £500.

It has a 1.6 litre engine which citroen states produces 110bhp.

So, once inside the car, the seats are very good. They are very supportive and not to firm. The dashboard is very grey though. Not a very interesting or exciting dash layout at all and the plastics are not the best quality. I found that although you can move the steering wheel I could not quite find the right position for it although given more time I may have gotten used to it. The car is fine for two people in the front but would only be suited for small children in the back as the seats do not look very big and are set out as two seats rather than a bench for three.

So, after starting the car up and getting it on the road, the first thing you really notice is the gear box. I don't have that much experience of autimatics (other than my fathers old Merc but thats a bit different!) but I did find this to be a tad too sluggish on the changes and it felt like it was holding the car back. It does have the option to change to 'manual' where you can either move up or down a gear by pushing the gear level up or down or by using the paddles behind the steering wheel. This is an interesting way to drive and would take some getting used to but it still takes a lot longer to change gear than if you were using a normal manual gear box.

In town, the car is nimble enough. The size of it is great for parking and squeezing through tight spaces. It is also good on the motorway and even with the slow gearbox does at least feel quite fast.

As it is meant to be a hot hatch, its worth looking at the stats. The official figure for 0-60mph is 11.5 seconds but I'm not sure that isnt being a bit optomistic. Comparing it to my current car (a 1.4 MG ZR) it simply did not feel anywhere near as quick which I think will put a lot of the target 'boy racer's' off buying one.

I did enjoy driving the car, it does handle well and when not changing gear feels nippy. I would say that it is more suited as a city runaround however as this is where the gearbox would be more beneficial.

The list price of the car is £11,195 which is a bit expensive for the car however citroen dealers are famous for the reductions they give on new cars and is likely to be at LEAST £1000 on this model as that is what the dealer opened with to try and get me to buy one.

I would recomend the car but only in terms of a good city car, not as a hot hatch. The gearbox makes that claim a bit much to swallow. 

...less