BRIEF TEST Appealing Citroen

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32838, 11 February 1972, Page 7

BRIEF TEST Appealing Citroen

Citroens are always individualistic, and the new Citroen GS, an example of which was on show in Christchurch briefly last week, is no exception.

For a start, is is amazing how much room for passengers Citroen have been able to find in the 13ft Binlong vehicle —and the amount of luggage 'space in the deep, square, carpeted boot revealed when the vertical rear panel is opened is staggering. According to the makers, there is 16.4 cu ft of boot space—but to an owner, the important thing is that all of it is useable.

The Citroen’s specification includes a 1015 c.c. flat four air-cooled engine driving the front wheels, and the firm’s famous hydropneumatic suspension. But the car is a 1-litre that can almost compete with some 2-litre models. If a driver did not know, he would probably estimate the power-plant size at closer to 1800 ex.

The well-shaped clothcovered seats—the front ones with reclining backs—are among the most comfortable in any car, and a brief test-run in the GS showed that their comfort is very much complemented by the excellent self-level-ling suspension. As with the big Citroens, the GS gives an excellent ride with little apparent

roll, and bad bumps are absorbed well, although there is some low-speed thump from the radial-ply tyres. The GS provides excellent comfort for four persons, and excellent visibility for the driver. Most of the minor controls are worked by fingertip stalks on the steering column, and the distinctive one-spoke steering-wheel has a very comfortable leather rim. The instruments, clearly visible through the wheel, include an electric clock, the usual warning lights, and a tachometer, and there are efficient facelevel air-events at either end of the dash.

The specification Includes an electricaily-heated rear window.

The central-mounted gearlever is well positioned, but on the test car was a little notchy in its action. The synchromesh is good.

Although the engine is an air-cooled 1-litre, it is not unusually noisy, it provides considerably more performance than one would expect from its capacity and, even in the high top gear, it will pull away happily from 25 m.p.h., and without sounding strained from 20 m.p.h. The brakes, which are discs all round and powerassisted, are very effective, and with good feel, and the steering is reasonably light and pleasantly direct. It gives a particularly good turning circle—for a front-wheel-drive car—of 30ft lOin between kerbs.

The handbrake is worked by a plastic “spade handle” which fits into the centre of the dash. Although it is better-placed than the atrociously-positioned handbrake on the big Citroens, it is still inferior to a proper pull-up lever. The three-position heightcontrol lever for the suspension is mounted between the seats, behind the gear-lever, and is left on the forward position for normal driving. The centre position gives extra clearance for rough roads, with the third position giving a great deal of clearance for low-speed negotiation of very rough roads, and for jacking the car.

The spare wheel is under the bonnet, with the engine. Engine service points do not look particularly accessible. Citroen has said long service life is expected from the engine, which, being aircooled, heats up very rapidly and therefore does very little low-temperature high-wear running. The Citroen GS is an unusual, well-equipped, very comfortable, and very practical car which is likely to earn itself a good place on the local market in spite of a duty-inflated price of $4300.

The French-assembled test car was well-finished, and one becomes accustomed to the large amount of black plastic moulding in evidence. All of it is neat. In the past, motorists who have bought a Citroen have, from then on, rarely shown much interest in other marques- The GS seems to share the qualities which inspire this loyalty. SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE: Flat four with opposed cylinders, 1015 c.c., bore 74 mm, stroke 59 nun.; air cooled. Compression ratio 9 to 1; cylinder heads, oilcooler and block of light alloy, two overhead camshafts with toothed belt drive; 61 b.h.p. at 6750 r.p.m. TRANSMISSION: Dry plate clutch, four-speed all-syncro-mesh gearbox driving to front wheels. , SUSPENSION: Hydropneumatic to all wheels, selflevelling with built-in shock absorbers and height control. BRAKES: Dual circuit, discs on all wheels, power assisted. STEERING: Rack and pinion. Turning circle between kerbs, 30ft lOfn. PERFORMANCE: Top speed 92 m.p.h., fuel consumption approximately 35 miles a gallon at an average of 50 m.p.h. (makers’ figures). DIMENSIONS: Length. 13ft 6ln; width sft 3in; height, 4ft Sin; total kerb weight, 19401 b. (Test car made available by Archibald’s Garage. Ltd.)