The
Citroën C2 is a
superminiA supermini is a British car classification term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as Subcompact in North America....
-class car produced by the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
manufacturer
CitroënCitroën is a French automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1919 by André Citroën, it was the world's first mass-production car company outside of the USA. Since 1976 it has been part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and its headquarters is on rue Fructidor, Paris...
since autumn of 2003, replacing the
Citroën SaxoThe Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106, the major difference being interiors and body panels...
. A different model, based on the
Peugeot 206The Peugeot 206 is a supermini , manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot since 1998, in addition to licensed manufacturing by Iran Khodro since 2005.-The project:...
, is sold in China as the C2. The Citroen C2 will be axed and replaced by the upcoming
Citroën DS3The Citroën DS3 is an upcoming luxury supermini and will be produced by the French manufacturer Citroën in 2009. This will be the first car in the new luxury DS range from Citroën. It is to be produced in Poissy, France. It was first hinted by the concept car Citroën DS Inside....
or a production version of the recently announced concept, DS Revolte in spring of 2010.
Along with the
Citroën C3The Citroën C3 is a supermini car with a range of inline-4 engines that has been produced by the French automaker Citroën since 2002. It was designed by Donato Coco and Jean-Pierre Ploué, previously known for designing the Renault Twingo; the former has been the head of the Citroën design team...
, the C2 successfully replaced the popular but ageing
Citroën SaxoThe Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106, the major difference being interiors and body panels...
.
The
Citroën C2 is a
superminiA supermini is a British car classification term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as Subcompact in North America....
-class car produced by the
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
manufacturer
CitroënCitroën is a French automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1919 by André Citroën, it was the world's first mass-production car company outside of the USA. Since 1976 it has been part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and its headquarters is on rue Fructidor, Paris...
since autumn of 2003, replacing the
Citroën SaxoThe Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106, the major difference being interiors and body panels...
. A different model, based on the
Peugeot 206The Peugeot 206 is a supermini , manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot since 1998, in addition to licensed manufacturing by Iran Khodro since 2005.-The project:...
, is sold in China as the C2. The Citroen C2 will be axed and replaced by the upcoming
Citroën DS3The Citroën DS3 is an upcoming luxury supermini and will be produced by the French manufacturer Citroën in 2009. This will be the first car in the new luxury DS range from Citroën. It is to be produced in Poissy, France. It was first hinted by the concept car Citroën DS Inside....
or a production version of the recently announced concept, DS Revolte in spring of 2010.
Along with the
Citroën C3The Citroën C3 is a supermini car with a range of inline-4 engines that has been produced by the French automaker Citroën since 2002. It was designed by Donato Coco and Jean-Pierre Ploué, previously known for designing the Renault Twingo; the former has been the head of the Citroën design team...
, the C2 successfully replaced the popular but ageing
Citroën SaxoThe Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106, the major difference being interiors and body panels...
. The two cars have relatively different designs allowing Citroën to grab different sub-markets of the supermini class. The C2 was designed by
Donato CocoDonato Coco is an automobile designer, currently chief designer at Ferrari. Born in Italy, Coco studied architecture in Besançon, France, before taking a masters degree in vehicle design at the Royal College of Art in London....
. The C3 was originally designed as a larger "family friendly" vehicle" being 5 doors, whereas the C2 is seen as a "young driver" image with 2 doors and flatter styling, though still with low power. Unlike Saxo, which had only 2 out of 5 stars on Euro NCAP, the C2 achieved 4 out of 5 stars.
Marketing and advertising issues
Unlike its sister models, the
Citroën C1The Citroën C1 is a city car produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since 2005.The C1 was developed as part of the B-Zero project by the PSA Group in a joint-venture with Toyota. The Peugeot 107 is identical to the C1 other than the front bumper and front and rear lights, while the Toyota...
and the
C3The Citroën C3 is a supermini car with a range of inline-4 engines that has been produced by the French automaker Citroën since 2002. It was designed by Donato Coco and Jean-Pierre Ploué, previously known for designing the Renault Twingo; the former has been the head of the Citroën design team...
, the C2 is a victim of poor advertising. According to many Citroën enthusiasts and to the motoring press, it's the most neglected model in the Citroën lineup in terms of promotion. In comparison, the C1 and the C3, on which the C2 is based are both well-presented in the media. Despite that, the Citroën C2 was awarded the "Best European Hatchback of 2003" in September 2003.
Versions
The L model is the "no-frills" version of the C2 and comes with basic equipment, including black plastic bumpers and no fog lamps.
The LX model, produced from 2003 to 2005, came with black lower bumper and door handles, CD player, rear seat modulation and no fog lamps.
The
Design includes body-coloured bumpers and electric windows. The
SX is the luxury spec. It features 'bumper colour coded paint' and air conditioning, the latter of which has an unfortunate effect on the 1.1 SX performance, increasing the 0-100 km/h time by 4.5 seconds to 17.2 seconds.
The
Furio,
VTR and
VTS are the sports models which made the C2's predecessor, the Saxo, famous as an affordable, sporty-looking and very fast 'pocket rocket'. The
Furio has exactly the same sports body kit as the more expensive VTR and VTS models but lacks the alloy wheels of those models.
The
VTR also has an adequate engine, whereas the VTS is the premium sports model, with a engine capable of accelerating from 0 to in 8.0 seconds, seen as sluggish by modern hot hatch standards where the fastest hot hatch achieves 5.3 seconds (Clio V6), although this is obviously designed to be more insurance-friendly. Other additions which helped the VTS model achieve a low insurance rating (in the UK) were security based including deadlocks and a Thatcham Category 1 alarm system which includes perimeter and volumetric detection as well as engine immobiliser.
2004's limited edition
GT model offered a sporty bodykit, with bright red, blue, silver and black paintwork and unique white alloy wheels. All GTs had a number certificate to show their authenticity.
2006 saw a number of small revisions to the C2. Externally the car looks identical save minor changes to alloy wheels (on the VTR), half colour coded door mirrors, clear side indicator lenses, and white indicator rear lenses. Internal changes saw a new electrical system, new stereo with vehicle computer integration and some cosmetic changes to the driver displays and centre console.
The VTR Sensodrive and VTS Manual are the two current petrol options available for the Australian C2.
Technology
The Citroën C2 brings with it two key new technologies, the
Stop & Start environmental system, and the
SensoDrive five speed
semi-automatic transmissionA semi-automatic transmission is a system which uses electronic sensors, processors and actuators to execute gear shifts on the command of the driver...
.
- The Stop & Start is a hybrid system, with the internal combustion engine being supplemented by a small electric motor. The "Stop & Start" system automatically disengages the engine when you bring the vehicle to a complete stop, with pressure being applied to the brake pedal. The engine quickly restarts when pressure on the brake pedal is relieved. The technology has been developed by Valeo
-History:The Société Anonyme Française du Ferodo was founded in 1923 in Saint-Ouen, a suburb of Paris. It first distributed brake linings and clutch facings under license of Ferodo UK....
and results in lower urban fuel consumption. The system, however, requires pressure on the brake pedal when stationary for the system to work - holding the vehicle on the handbrake (parking brake) alone will not be sufficient for the system to operate. The Stop & Start system is mounted to the SensoDrive gearbox.
Similar technology to the Stop & Start system was previously seen in the 1980s, with the VW Polo "Formel E" and the VW Golf MKIII "Ecomatic".
- The SensoDrive five speed semi-automatic transmission
A semi-automatic transmission is a system which uses electronic sensors, processors and actuators to execute gear shifts on the command of the driver...
is an electronically controlled manual gearbox, with the clutch and gear-change functions electronically managed. As a result, the vehicle has no clutch pedal and the gear lever - which remains present - has no mechanical link with the gearbox. The SensoDrive gearbox is managed by a control unit, which controls two actuators. One actuator changes gears while the other, which is equipped with a facing wear compensation system, opens and closes the clutch. The gearbox control unit also dialogues with the engine control unit. The SensoDrive gearbox has two shifting options of either the fully automated mode, or the paddle-shifted/gear-shifted manual mode.
Engines available
- 1.1 L TU1
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1987 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
(1124 cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 60 PS (59 hp/44 kW)
- 1.4 L TU3
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1987 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
(1360 cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 75 PS (73 hp/55 kW)
- 1.4 L ET3
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1987 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
SensoDrive Stop & Start (1360 cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 90 PS (88 hp/66 kW)
- 1.4 L DV4
The Ford DLD engine is an automobile engine family - a group of compact straight-4 Diesel engines developed jointly by Ford Motor Company and the PSA Group . The Ford/PSA joint-venture for the production of the DLD was announced in September, 1998...
HDi Diesel (1398 cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 68 PS (67 hp/50 kW) and 111 ft·lbf (150 N·m)
- 1.6 L TU5
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1987 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
SensoDrive VTR (1587 cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 110 PS (108 hp/80 kW)
- 1.6 L TU5
The PSA TU engine is a family of small four cylinder engines used in the Peugeot and Citroën range of cars. It was introduced in 1987 with the Citroën AX, replacing the X family, although it shared many components with its predecessor...
VTS (1587cc) I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a...
, 125 PS (123 hp/91 kW)
UK trim levels 2003 - 2008
- L
- Airplay
- LX
- Design
- Cool
- SX
- Stop & Start
- Furio
- VTR
- VTS
- GT (Limited Edition 2004)
- Loeb (Limited Edition 2007)
- Code (Limited Edition 2007)
UK trim levels 2008 onwards
- Vibe 1.1i and 1.4HDi.
- Rhythm 1.1i, 1.4i and 1.4HDi.
- Cachet 1.1i and 1.4i.
- Stop & Start 1.4i 16v SensoDrive.
- VTR 1.4i, 1.6i 16v SensoDrive and 1.4HDi. All Now With Air Con.
- VTS 1.6i 16v and 1.6HDi 16v .
- Code 1.6i 16v .
2008/9 facelifted C2
April 2008 saw Citroen Europe announcing a facelift for its C2 model, which had received a minor update in 2006. The 2009 modely year C2 featured a larger front bumper and restyled grille with a chrome surround. The trim specifications remain in-line with the 2008 range.
levels remained unchanged.
C2 "China"
Starting in October 2006, the
Peugeot 206The Peugeot 206 is a supermini , manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot since 1998, in addition to licensed manufacturing by Iran Khodro since 2005.-The project:...
will be sold by
PSAPSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe.-History:...
, for the Chinese market only, under the
CitroënCitroën is a French automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1919 by André Citroën, it was the world's first mass-production car company outside of the USA. Since 1976 it has been part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and its headquarters is on rue Fructidor, Paris...
brand, with a modified front and rear body; this is similar to the way the Citroën LN was derived from the
104The Peugeot 104 is a supermini motor car designed by Paolo Martin and produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1972 and 1988.-Production History:
Saloon launch 1972...
. The car will be sold as the Citroën C2, although it has no common features with the model sold on other markets, due to the positioning of the model in the Citroën China line-up.
According to forecasts, more than 40,000 units of this new vehicle will be produced in China at the Wuhan
DPCADongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile is a joint venture between the Dongfeng Motor Corporation and the PSA Group, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China....
site over a full year.
C2 in motorsport
After the success of Citroën's Xsara in the
World Rally ChampionshipThe World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver, co-driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system...
(WRC), Citroën expanded their interests to achieve success not only in the WRC but in the support championship, the
Junior World Rally ChampionshipThe FIA Junior World Rally Championship is a complementary series to the World Rally Championship as is the Production World Rally Championship . As JWRC was originally envisioned as a series for developing drivers, it is limited to drivers below the age of 28. The series' main car specification...
(JWRC) in 2004. The earlier Citroën Saxo
Super 1600Super 1600 is a rally car formula that is primarily used in the Junior World Rally Championship, as well as various national rally championships. Any automobile manufacturer that has a suitable road-going production model in its range may develop a specification for use in this formula...
JWRC car was highly successful. The car won the JWRC title with
Sébastien LoebSébastien Loeb, Légion d'honneur is a French rally driver currently driving for the Citroën Total World Rally Team in the World Rally Championship...
in 2001, and brought him to the attention of
Citroën Total World Rally TeamThe Citroën Total World Rally Team is the Citroën factory backed entry into the World Rally Championship.-1990-2000:Assorted campaigns on the French Rally Championship together with assisting privateer entries into World Rally Championship events...
, and again with
Daniel SolàDaniel Solà Villa is a Spanish rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in 2002 and the Spanish Rally Championship in 2006....
in 2002.
With the new C2 replacing the aging Saxo, Citroën concentrated upon making their new car a winner. Using a heavily modified C2 to create the
Citroën C2 S1600, the works team and
Dani SordoDaniel Sordo Castillo is a Spanish rally driver. He competes in the World Rally Championship for the Citroën Total World Rally Team, Citroën's factory WRC team...
succeeded in winning the championship in 2005. The C2 S1600 has continued to compete in the championship with privateer teams, and remains successful despite newer machinery from Suzuki, Renault and Fiat works teams. In the
2008 seasonThe 2008 World Rally Championship season was the 36th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consisted of 15 rallies and began on January 24, with the 2008 Monte Carlo Rally....
,
Sébastien OgierSébastien Ogier is a French rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in 2008 and currently drives in the World Rally Championship for the Citroën Junior Team...
brought the Citroën C2 its second junior title, and in
2009The 2009 World Rally Championship season is the 37th season of the FIA World Rally Championship. The season consists of twelve rallies and began on 30th January, with Rally Ireland and will end with Rally GB on 25 October...
, the C2 was again the title-winning car, with
Martin ProkopMartin Prokop is a Czech rally driver. He won the Junior World Rally Championship in the 2009 season.-Career:After competing in the Czech Rally Championship for four years, Prokop debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 2005 Monte Carlo Rally, finishing ninth in the Junior World Rally...
taking the championship.
External links