Xantia Convertible

[ThwartedEfforts]

Found on Flickr...



The Xantia's a nicely proportioned car - more so than the XM if you ask me - and the convertible looks great. Anyone know if it's a genuine Citroen model?

[andmcit]

This picture has been around a few years now and is really a BMW roof and interior stiched
onto a Xantia electronically. The what if's and what could've been's are quite galling - the
Peugeot 406 coupe was originally designed and destined to be a Xantia Coupe with the Activa
suspension and was only subverted into a Pug at the latter phase of proceedings.

When you see the Activa 1 and Activa 2 show car prototypes from Citroen running on an XM
floorpan and running gear there was immense potential at Citroen that was never realised.
Sad really.

Andrew

[ThwartedEfforts]

The headrests did look a bit... German

[andmcit]

One aspect of the Xantia saloon is actually removed on the convertible pictured and on the
estate Citroen did produce; the rear 1/4's roof line into the wing is very nicely executed and
gives the car a solidity yet is svelte with nice subtlety that many others lack:



OK, I guess it shows I'm an ex art student/designer and can talk fluid bibble bobble!

Andrew

[jorgy]

When you see the Activa 1 and Activa 2 show car prototypes from Citroen running on an XM
floorpan and running gear there was immense potential at Citroen that was never realised.
Sad really.

Andrew

I specially find the Activa 2 would have been a classic design, *so* beautiful -I specially love the length of the thing-.

But how do u want them to realise such potential, when they can't even realise the potential of the models they actually...decide to produce!! XM was designed to sell 800,000, only sold about 330,000, due to some bad earthings, basically...otherwise being a very accomplished design. And the reputation for unperfected details continues with the C4, the C5 I; I'm curious to see how the C5 2 will fare....

G

[andmcit]

Perhaps it'd have been better for Citroen's reputation had they NOT made and largely failed, but if they'd not bothered
we wouldnt all be here discussing the flawed yet still very engaging Xm, Cx and others. I'm surprised you mention C4
problems as my sister hasn't a bad word to say about her now 3 year old C4 bought new; yes it has too firm a ride to
what she was used to on her previous Xm, but as is currently expected with modern suspension, the Vogue is for daft
unyielding Germanic suspension.

I think I'd have made damned sure by now that I'd be driving a Delage Red Activa Coupe 2 if they'd produced one,
moreso the s1 but that'd never have made production with the 4 wheel steer system and suicide rear hinged doors etc.
but I'd certainly live with any irritations/quirks they may have had to own such a fantastic designed car!

What an opportunity missed: seems today, Citroen is prepared to hive a similar car a go with a v8 powered GTbyCitroen
straight out of Gran Turismo! Even if it is only 10 or so at a million quid each!!

Andrew

[jorgy]

C4 and C5, was talking electronics, otherwise they both are very very solid cars -like the XM-. However, all this new trickery -lights wipers etc that come on automatically, Cit -and other brands- has mastered while cars were selling, it seems-. Mind you, in french fora I'm reading that, in France, the worst reputation is with the recent Laguna -and I perveive Renault a click above PSA quality wise!-.

These r silly glitches that, like the XM, has severly hampered (or...maintained? ) the brand's reputation, but, more seriously imo, Cit can't be forgiven though for presenting the S1 C5s with a not-perfected rear suspension (noises etc). I mean, Citroen = suspension, isn't it? Like Alfa= engine etcetc.

I wish the go and make the GT -eve nin 10 copies!-. I think they won't...
G

[citroenmad]

Renault is possibly the worst for reliability and build i can think of, id say PSA cars are a cut above!

We have had two Scenics, one was the old shape but the RX4 model (4X4) it was a fine car when parked, but drive it and all its faults become clear. The engine, even though it had 144bhp, was gutless, it wouldnt even crawl round a corner in 2nd which resulted in a lot of needless gear changing. This made pulling our horse box difficult and im sure its poor clutch did not approve, it was just so lacking in low down power. However, the worst bit was the brakes, it doesnt have any, Renault failed to upgrade the brakes for the 4x4. They are fine in normal driving, but come the need for a quick stop and they fail to work any better. The brake pedal hits a stop and thats it, it just cruises along slowing down as if you had just lightly applied the pedal. They are soo poor, that even with the gutless engine, you could put the car in 2nd gear, press both the accelerator and brake as hard as possible and it would accelerate slowly away, every other car would stop on its nose and stall. Since then i have heard a few stories about them not stopping and causing bad accidents. Im told diesel RX4s do have brakes though!

One day it sailed through a traffic light when it had loads of time to pull up, so we traded it in for the new shape scenic 1.9DCi. That one scrubbed its rear tyres off in around 18K miles (michelins i might add, the dealer said fitting cheaper ones could wear out in half that, on the rear!) The MAF went wrong, as did the heater fan, and numerous things actually. I went to wash it one week, it had bird poo on the roof, after i washed the car i noticed there was no paint left where it had been, it could only have been on a few days at most. I took it to a bodyshop who pointed out just how thin the paint was on the whole car, part of the roof you could see the primer though it. If the cars radio was on at a decent level the outside door trims would vibrate and rattle, the gearbox had developed a crunch going into 2nd (common on the 1.9, as is turbo and engine failure) the list is endless actually. It had 3 recalls while we had it, one to loctite the rear seatbelts in as they can unscrew, one to fit new window catches so they dont drop into the doors and one to inspect the brake pedal for cracking!

That was all within its first 2 years and 20K, nice cars but built very very badly.

Onc both of the above cars had been sold, the Renault service manager at our local garage admitted the faults, and stated not one of the new renault range is free from issues! Very very cheap and nasty cars are Renaults. Not to mention the dealer network!

The C5s atleast seem much better put together, they have not been problem free over the last 4 months of ownership but all things you can expect at their age and mileage. I am a little worried about the complexity of them though, they are both 52reg cars with around 110K miles, they seem ok at the moment, the odd issue but nothing major. Ive not grown to like the C5 as much as i would have hoped though, its a good car but doesnt interest me like the Xms do. Both C5s will be going once we get back from our hols in France, in favour of younger lower mileage cars, and fewer of them too.