- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0i, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
102kW, 194Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 8.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 60000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Gallic bred and better
PIGEONHOLE: Vive la difference.
PHILOSOPHY: Warm hatch, as opposed to hot hatch.
WHO'S BUYING IT: Lovers of French flair and those who prefer the Xsara's curves to those of the Peugeot 306 with which it shares its underpinnings and drivetrain.
WHY YOU'D BUY IT: For the European badge and to get an extremely competent five-door hatch that doesn't look like the others.
WHY YOU WOULDN'T: Some may find the price difficult to justify.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT: The flagship Xsara is suitably well-equipped with air-conditioning, remote central locking, CD player with steering wheel-mounted audio controls, power steering, power windows, front and rear fog lights and alloy wheels. And one quirky French feature; only the passenger's side mirror is electrically adjustable. Talk about penny pinching!
SAFETY: All the important boxes are ticked; dual airbags, seat belt pretensioners and anti-lock brakes are standard. Side airbags are optional but if you want them, your car needs to be built to order. That means a three-month wait.
CABIN: Excellent vision all around. H-u-g-e room in the back with the rear seat folded flat. All buttons and dials are well positioned and easy to use with the exception of the power window switches, which are oddly located on the dashboard. Some buyers may not like the Euro-centric indicator stalk which is on the left.
SEATING: Roomy front and rear and plenty of adjustment in the driver's pew. Drivers who plan on using the 2.0-litre Xsara's prowess in corners may wish for more lateral support.
ENGINE: The 2.0-litre four-cylinder is the same used in the performance version of the Peugeot 306 and the result is brisk-ish acceleration (0 to 100km/h is a respectable 8.9 seconds). The advantage of the 2.0 (98kW) over the less expensive 1.8 (74kW) is extra low down torque (pulling power) which makes the car more flexible in city or highway driving.
TRANSMISSION: The five-speed manual is a sweety. Manuals account for the majority of sales in France so the French know their stuff. The auto saps the power - it's almost two seconds slower 0-100km/h than the manual.
STEERING: Well-weighted and very communicative, although direct comparison testing by car buff magazines preferred the Peugeot 306's steering. We had no complaints. Turning circle is 10.7m, respectable for a front-wheel drive.
RIDE: This is what the French do best. Imagine riding on a big mattress. People with back pain, queue here.
HANDLING: Sure-footed in all conditions thanks to well sorted suspension and quality Michelin tyres.
FUEL: Expect a best of 10.0L/100km around town and 7.0 on the open road. Good.
BRAKES: Strong pedal feel with plenty of bite from four-wheel discs. Excellent.
BUILD: No complaints.
WARRANTY: Two years/unlimited km.
SECURITY: Engine immobiliser.
AUDIO: The Sony CD supplies good quality sound with crisp treble and adequate bass without distortion. Volume is adjusted with a dial - not fiddly buttons - and audio controls are also conveniently mounted on the steering wheel.
COST: There is only one five-door model with the warm-ish 2.0-litre engine and it is $33,490 plus on-road costs. Add $1,500 for automatic transmission, $1,600 for a factory sunroof and $595 for metallic paint.
VERDICT: With an impressive list of equipment, safety features and a brisk-ish engine, the Xsara 2.0 is a competent package worthy of consideration if you're a Europhile. Our only reservation is the price - there are other, similarly equipped and equally competent Japanese cars for much less.