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The
following is an edited version of my first
Xantia column:
Both my
wife and I now have two apparently identical
and very bulky plips on our key rings. This
has come about as a result of our both running
modern Citroëns. Presumably the two Citroën
family is not all that unusual. A suggestion
to the folks at Slough (since they read this
publication) - please ask Paris to:
a) reduce the size of the plips; and
b) produce them in colours other than
black
I have now
driven the Xantia and the following are my
observations on it.
Christina’s
Xantia is an LX with manual window winders. In
an Iconoclast some time ago, I was critical of
the fashion for electric windows (too much
weight - increased fuel consumption, etc.).
The one thing I failed to realise is that
small children find a manual winder a great
temptation. The solution is simple - a
mechanical lock for the rear winders.
The Xantia
represents a considerable improvement over its
predecessor, the BX, in all areas but one -
the BX’s steering is much more informative
than the Xantia’s which is both very light and
lifeless. Doubtless one becomes accustomed to
this. Suspension
is less prone to pitching under acceleration
or braking and the car does not roll as much
as the BX. Ride quality on this non-Hydractive
car is very good - better than on my XM and
better than the BX. Road noise is better
suppressed than on either the BX or XM too.
Engine noise is also much lower than on the BX
and the gearchange is much more precise. The
1,9 turbo diesel has more torque than the 1,7
turbo diesel but there is a little bit of
turbo lag which was rarely apparent with the
smaller engine. Once the turbo is on stream
however, the engine is very smooth and
powerful. Subjectively the Xantia seems
quicker than the BX but this might be a
manifestation of the lower noise. The car
accelerates without any drama or fuss. The
brakes squeak at low speeds.
Overall, I
am impressed by the Xantia. It represents a
considerable improvement over the BX,
especially in terms of refinement and build
quality. In some areas, it even betters the
XM. I quite like the styling although Xantiae
are so common these days that it has
regrettably become somewhat anonymous. With
the BX, there were plenty of body style
variants - spoilers, smoked plastic panels in
the C pillars, differing bumper treatments,
etc. all of which created the illusion of
individuality. To my untrained eye, all
Xantiae look the same. Differences where they
do occur are so subtle that one must be an
“anorak” in order to appreciate them.
Furthermore, the shape is not as “different”
as the BX was in comparison to its
competitors.
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One
final gripe - the glove box
continues the grand Citroën
tradition of being minuscule -
unlike that fitted to the XM.
©
Julian Marsh 1998
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