Two of a kind

By Alastair Sloane.

Citroen a few months ago did what motorsport fans thought was no longer possible - it won a couple of World Rally Championships with a two-wheel-drive car based on the Xsara.

Citroen? Doesn't it make those funny French cars? asked the uninitiated. What's a Xsara? What is it doing in a big rally? How could it beat the four-wheel drives of Mitsubishi, Subaru, Toyota and Ford?

But o dry, hard surfaces the naturally aspirated front-drive Xsara was too nimble for its turbocharged four-paw rivals.

Suddenly, Citroen went from a minor marque to a name which began to crop up in conversation. Not a lot, mind - at best it is a bit player in the New Zealand retail market.

But the thirtysomething rally fans brought up on Lancias, Audi Quattros, Toyota Celicas and Subarus began asking questions.

A mid-30s fellow who has photographed the Rally of New Zealand for years still can't believe Citroen's victory, mostly because all he knows about the marque is that it uses a different suspension.

Some Citroens use the oleo-pneumatic gas-over-oil system; others, like the Xsara, use a more conventional mechanical set-up.

There is something more he should know. Citroen is the only carmaker with three vehicles in the final 25 contenders for Car of the Century.

But to many Citroen remains an oddball carmaker. The Japanese probably still consider it so.

Some years ago Citroen sold its cars through the Mazda network in Japan. But the few Japanese who bought Citroens weren't used to irritating quality and service problems with which European buyers routinely cope.

At one stage Mazda was basically rebuilding the imports. Citroen never enjoyed much success in Japan.

Ford New Zealand and its Wiri plant at one stage found itself in a similar situation with Australian-built Falcons. Ford set up an operation in Otahuhu to essentially rebuild the six-cylinder cars to the standard its customers demanded.

Both carmakers no doubt benefited from the experience. Citroen's quality control is, at least in the excellent ZX model and mid-size Xantia in recent years, better than that of the Peugeot 406, its French stablemate's rival.

Citroen must think so too, because its updated Xantia and Xsara range now comes with a warranty similar to Peugeot's - a three-year, 150,000km agreement, up from two years and 100,000km. Service intervals are now set at 20,000km.

Citroen has also sharpened its prices - the Xantia models have been reduced by an average of 8 per cent across the five-car range, and the smaller Xsara by a similar margin.

"The sales lift we enjoyed last year has continued so far in 1999," said Andrew Butchart, the general manager of Citroen New Zealand. "The major value initiatives we have taken should make this an ongoing trend.

"Since the abolition of import duty, European cars have significantly increased their share of the local market at the expense of Japanese models.

"There is still potential for further growth. Citroen's pricing and specification initiatives will ensure it is a realistic choice for an expanding group of car buyers looking for a European driving refinement at highly competitive prices."

Much of the focus is on the Xsara range. The 1.8-litre five-door SX has been replaced by a 1.6-litre model on one side and a 16-valve 2-litre model on the other.

The 1.6-litre comes with air-conditioning and dual airbags and costs $27,990 for the five-speed manual and $29-990 for the automatic.

The 2-litre Xsara adds anti-lock ABS brakes and two side airbags and is priced at $33,990 for the manual and $35,990 for the automatic. A 1.9-litre five-door turbo-diesel costs $32,990.

The Xsara coupe range starts at $29,990 for the entry-level 1.6-litre model. The better-equipped 16-valve 1.8-litre costs $33,990 and the 2-litre version $38,990.

There are two Xsara estates, a 1.8-litre model at $34,990 and a 2-litre at $35,500.

All the Xantia models come with ABS brakes, air-conditioning and four airbags as standard. The range is priced between $41,990 and $58,990.