Xantia - committed to business

With the launch of Xantia in the UK on 20 May 1993 Citroën gave the clearest signal yet of their intention to become a serious contender in the fiercely fought upper medium sector of the new car market, competing head on against the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Cavalier (Opel Vectra).

Attractively styled and armed with a comprehensive level of standard specification, Xantia appealed to a broad spectrum of buyers attracted by class leading driving dynamics, strong performance and an emphasis on security and safety.

And with more than 70 per cent of sales in the upper medium class accounted for by corporate buyers in the UK, Xantia's high build quality and commitment to low 'whole life' costs have proved to be vital ingredients for success.

Competitive front end pricing, low operating costs, and expected low depreciation - maintaining the trend set by Citroën's other models ensure that Xantia is financially attractive to the fleet buyer.

Four models from the fifteen model Xantia range went on sale on 20 May 1993 with the remainder becoming available in early July in time for the key August sales month.

These four models were Xantia I .8i SX, 2.Oi SX, 2.OiVSX and the 2.OiVSX l6Valve.

The Market for Xantia - The Upper Medium Sector

In the first quarter of 1993 the importance of the upper medium class was underlined with registrations reaching 109,575.

Around one in every four new cars sold in the UK in 1993 came from the upper medium sector, and registrations for this class were expected to reach 425,000 units during 1993.

The key to success in this class lies in the corporate sector with company purchases accounting for more than 70 per cent of all vehicles sold. Rivals to Xantia in the upper medium sector include the Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Cavalier, Rover 600, Toyota Carina and Nissan Primera.

Success in Fleet

In recent years Citroën have made great inroads into the fleet sector spearheaded by the success of the class leading Citroën ZX. The strength of Citroën diesel models such as the BX and XM has also enabled the company to gain sales as the numerous advantages of diesel fuelled vehicles become widely recognised by business.

For Xantia, however, Citroën recognised that they needed to reorganise to ensure they provided an even better level of committed service to the corporate sector.

In readiness for the Xantia launch the company doubled the size of its network of Fleet Business Centres to 80 nationwide and the Fleet Sales Department housed at the company's Head Office in Slough was strengthened to cope with the new levels of interest from all areas of the fleet sector.

Xantia - Continuing the Citroën Success Story

The Citroën success story, continued in 1993 with the company's best ever first quarter performance securing some 5 per cent market share with 22,490 sales, up by 38 per cent compared to the same period last year, thanks to a solid new product programme.

The launch of the Xantia was the next, vital stage in the process and took the company into the volume, upper medium class fleet market with a mainstream contender for the very first time.

Pitched head-on against the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Cavalier, Xantia was set to repeat the success stories of the Citroën ZX in the lower medium sector and Citroën AX in the small car sector.

In the small car sector the new generation Citroën AX consistently took five per cent share achieving some 20,000 sales during 1992. With 6.4 per cent share of the small car sector during the first quarter of 1993, the Citroën AX achieved its highest ever penetration underlying the growing popularity of the model.

In the lower medium sector, the Citroën ZX established itself as a major contender and with more than 28,000 sales during 1992, won many new customers for the marque.

And with the growing importance of the diesel sector, Citroën were well positioned to continue their success which in 1992 saw sales rise by 69.6 per cent to reach a record 29,044 units and allow Citroën diesels to outsell Vauxhall and Ford.

STYLED TO MARRY BEAUTY WITH MAINSTREAM APPEAL

An exceptionally cohesive and attractive shape, Xantia's eye catching looks bridge the gap between mainstream and beauty to appeal to the broad spectrum of upper medium sector buyers.

It is the result of the combined talents of Italian stylists Bertone and Citroën's own studios in Paris led by chief designer,Art Blakeslee, who said when describing the styling task, "We set out to create a beautiful, fluid shape which brings new levels of sophistication, solidity and quality to the upper medium sector and which will allow Xantia to stand head and shoulders above its rivals."

Ever since the earliest sketches appeared it was clear that Xantia would benefit from an European styling pedigree which would help differentiate the car from the myriad of more anonymous, Japanese influenced rivals.
Xantia's profile,which lifts in a gentle sweep from the sloping bonnet through to the slightly concave, precisely styled rear end, benefits from the longest wheelbase in its class.

This allows front and rear door widths to be maximised and results in a fluent, integrated shape which appears deceptively compact - at 174.8 inches in length, Xantia lies in the heartland of upper medium sector vehicles.

From the rear, Xantia is styled to give the impression of a booted saloon, but is actually a hatchback which lifts from bumper level to reveal 17 cu ft of boot space.

Wrap round, two colour rear lamp clusters together with the concave line of the tailgate complement Xantia's purposeful rear view.

Xantia's width and height dimensions are both greater than Mondeo and contribute to ample head and elbow room for both front and rear seat occupants. The roof line tapers gently to the rear hatch and adds a sweeping, fluent line as it blends with the lifting waistline.

An integrated chin spoiler, a dual ridged sloping bonnet, complex surface headlamps with integrated indicators and a Citroën family grille give Xantia a sophisticated front look which promises aerodynamic efficiency. A Cd of O.3O and O.31 for wider tyred models is amongst the best in the upper medium class and contributes to fuel efficiency and reduced wind noise at speed.