Road Test/Citroën C8: The new bus from Citroën bristles with clever touches, writes Andrew Hamilton.
Irish couples, and indeed their European counterparts, don't have big families any more, so why all this interest in extra space, especially in MPVs? Opel has greatly enhanced the appeal of its Zafira MPV with a third row of seats, while Volvo says one of the virtues of its big XC90 luxury SUV is its seven-seater capacity, again with a third row.
But, of course, it isn't necessarily about making space for the siblings. We all apparently secretly like the idea of accommodation that goes behind the confines of the family car, a vehicle that's a blessing for the school run and useful too for getting all the friends together for holiday and recreational activities.
We have been driving Citroën's new C8 which sits a notch above the crowded family MPV scene, represented by the pioneering Renault Scenic, the Zafira and Citroën's Picasso among others. Like its predecessor, the Synergie, the C8 shares engines and platforms with long-term Citroën partners, Fiat and Peugeot whose revised Ulysse and 807 models are also now appearing.
They all roll of the same production line in northern France, complete with styling tweaks at the front and rear to set them apart.
Our actual test model came with the direct injection 110bhp 2.0 litre HDi turbodiesel which sadly had its Irish ex-works price boosted by the recent VRT Budget hike. It also affected the petrol alternative, the 138bhp 2.0 litre.
Citroën doesn't disguise the fact that the C8 is based on the outgoing Synergie. At 4.72m, the new car is 270mm longer, all of it outside the old car's wheelbase. It is now one of the longest MPVs in its class and the widest at 2.17m. But it hides the bulk well - there's a sleeker, softer shape with overtones of the Picasso at the front and large C5 estate-style light clusters at the rear.
Given that all cars using this platform will be similar in profile, it's no surprise that these styling snippets are important. Packaging rather than performance is what the C8 is all about but it's still worth recording that the top speed is a claimed 108mph with a 0-62mph (or 100 kph) time of 13.4 seconds. These figures are with a lone driver with suggests that with a few extra bodies on board, there would be no sprinting form.
Down in the low rev range, below 1,800rom, the form is distinctly lethargic but in the mid-range the urge is lusty and rewarding. We liked the five-gear ratios which are evenly spaced, allowing the driver to keep the engine above 2,000rpm.
It's no surprise that faster roads such as motorways and main trunk routes are more in sympathy with the C8's performance envelope than tight, twisty country lanes.
Citroëns are not always renowned for the quality of their interiors but this car is way above the norm here. The cabin is bright, modern and stylish. It uses high-quality plastics and switchgear and funky blue dials are just one of many cabin highlights. It's well-screwed together and, on our test, pot-holed and irregular Wicklow lanes didn't throw up any squeaks or rattles. We think it's the best Citroën interior by a country mile.
The two-three-two row seating layout is nothing unusual, but in the C8 all the rear seats slide up to 15cm on runners and, once removed, can be refitted in different positions. The only exception is the middle chair in the centre row, which carries its own safety belt.
All seats in the C8 recline and the backs of the front two rows are fitted with fold-down tables. Removal of the seats involves pulling one lever to fold the seat and another to disengage it from the runner. Despite their aluminium frames, we thought the chairs were still a bit bulky and heavy.
Load the C8 with seven passengers and those in the front and middle rows will have plenty of elbow and legroom. But in the rear-most row, even with the middle- and rear-seats adjusted to liberate maximum space, only children will feel genuinely comfortable.
As in the outgoing Synergie model, the driver and front passenger seats swivel through 180 degrees.
The C8's twin sliding doors also hark back to the old car but this time they are electrically articulated via a button on the remote control key fob. The system is a real boon, given the size and weight of the doors - and there's a safety cut-out if something or someone gets trapped.
Boot space is minimal with all seats in place. A total of 480 litres may sound reasonable, but you have to pile the luggage high to realise this potential. With all the rear seats removed, the C8 will hold a massive 2,948 litres.
Back to the driving. The steering has a pleasantly meaty feeling. A variable-assistance system maintains this level of feel no matter what the speed, which means cruising on the open road is always a stable and secure business.
Composure over a variety of roads is impressive. Thanks to a stiffer body and a raft of suspension improvements, the C8 can be driven fast on undulating roads without passengers calling for sick bags.
Even though we were not able to match Citroën's official combined figure of 39.2mpg, our average figure of 33.1 mpg was far from shoddy for a full-size, upright MPV and was achieved on a mixture of open road and urban driving. There's a massive 80-litre fuel tank which should allow almost a theoretical 600 miles between refills.
The high level of specification includes a plethora of storage compartment areas and an automatic digital air conditioning system, designed to give each occupant control of the climate in his or her own zone.
The C8 bristles with thoughtful ideas: for instance, the electrically adjustable door mirrors also automatically retract when locking the vehicle.
The C8 is a very desirable driving package. Features that make it so include the smooth and economical diesel engine, a high degree of safety with side airbags for all three rows of seats and electric sliding doors. These tick all the right boxes with MPV buyers.
But for us what really sets the C8 apart from its competitors is the style, quality and equipment levels of its cabin.
Yes, the price is hefty but that's the fault of Charlie McCreevy and his increasing reliance on the iniquitous VRT. C8 is fresh thinking from Citroën.
FACTFILE:
ENGINE: 1,997 cc 4-cylinder in-line direct injection diesel turbocharged unit offering 110 bhp at 4,000 rpm and 199 Newton metres of torque pulling power.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 108 mph; 0-60 mph in 13.4 seconds.
SPECIFICATION: Electric sliding rear doors, side airbags for all three rows of seats, individual zone air conditioning.
FUEL: Urban 30.1 mpg. Extra-urban 47.9 mpg. Combined 39.2 mpg.
PRICE: €40,640.
THE COMPETITION
Citroën C8 2.9 HDi SX. 1,997 cc; 13.4 (0-60); 108 max mph; 110 bhp; 39.2 mpg combined; €40,640.
Mazda MPV 2.0 TDi Exclusive. 2,000 cc; 11.1 (0-60); 113 max mph; 136 bhp; 39.8 mpg combined; €42,650.
Hyundai Trajet 2.0 turbodiesel. 2,000 cc; 14.8 (0-60); 106 max mph; 111 bhp; 37.2 mpg combined; €31,000.
Chrysler Voyager SE 2.5 CRD. 2,500 cc; 13.2 (0-60); 109 max mph; 140 bhp; 36.7 mpg combined; €44,555.
Peugeot 807 2.0 HDi SR. 2,000 cc; 13.4 (0-60); 108 max mph; 110 bhp; 39.2 mpg combined; €39,495.