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Rare Rides: The 2003 Citron Xsara Picasso, Too Hot to Title

Today’s Rare Ride follows a trio of recent Citroën entries in this series. But unlike the other chevaux in the stable, this one’s an illegal alien.

It’s the Xsara Picasso from 2003 .

That’s right, only in the progressive and more import-friendly United States of Canada would this Citroën be legal. It needs another nine years of aging to qualify under the U.S. 25-year import rule. So what’s a Xsara Picasso, and is it worth the crime?

The Picasso fit into the compact MPV segment that’s popular in Europe, but mostly a non-entity in the North American market. The Kia Rondo comes to mind as one local qualifier, and maybe the Ford C-Max. MPVs combine a high roof and flexible seating arrangements with improved cargo capacity. The MPV usually has more space and a more dorky appearance than a standard hatchback like a Fiesta or Golf.

Citroën based the new Picasso on the compact Xsara platform shared with the Peugeot 306. The Xsara went into production in 1997, and the Picasso followed up in 1999. On offer initially were a trio of four cylinder engines in 1.6- and 1.8-liter displacements, along with a larger 2.0-liter diesel. Introductory trims LX and SX were reorganized for 2000 into Desire, VTR, and Exclusive. Inside, flexible seating flipped, folded, or could be removed to turn Picasso into a cargo hauler. All models had tray tables just like a Jaguar Vanden Plas. Exclusive trims offered an optional glass roof with retractable sun shade.

A facelift arrived in 2004, along with a new 1.6 diesel offering. Particularly popular in the United Kingdom because of its versatility and low price, demand was considerable enough globally to produce the Picasso in six different countries. Original European production ended for Picasso in 2010, as the Xsara line made way for the new C3 and C4 models. Citroën kept the Picasso name across its lineup, and still uses it to denote an MPV.

Today’s Rare Ride has a “clean title” in Arizona (Florida of the Southwest), and is a manual, diesel hatchback in luxurious Exclusive trim. Who knows what it’s insured as (if at all), but don’t let the small details deter a purchase. It’s offered for $6,500.

[Images: seller ]

Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.

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If it was one of Citroen's more interesting offerings, like the C5 or C6, it would be worth jumping the hoops to import. But these, even this side of the Atlantic, are ten a penny beaters. https://www.usedcarsni.com/search_results.php?keywords=&make=4&model=140157 Couple of examples locally going for around £1000 MPVs here can be anything from a small passenger van (eg. Transit Connect with seats) up to when they used to sell the Chrysler Voyager. The Renault Espace popularised the segment, then the likes of the Scenic and the Picasso brought them down in size.

These are nothing remarkable in Europe. In fact they are still a common sight. They are dirt cheap forms of transportation that are primarily cheap to maintain and not enthralling to drive in any way, shape or form.

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Aerodynamics of WRC

Aero evolution of the Citroën Xsara: from the Kit Car to the T4/WRC

The Citroën Xsara WRC is one of the most successful rally cars in the history of the World Championship, for what a review of the aerodynamics of the car, from the initial Kit Car model to the T4 (FRC) and finally the WRC was an absolute must.

The origin of the Xsara project as a rally car has to be found in the ban of the participation of Protos T3 cars (such as the Citroën ZX rally raid) in off-road races for 1997. The imminent launch of the Xsara road car required a motorsport specialty to market the car, and rallying was the most obvious alternative. The most logical step to start with was creating a Kit Car, a category cheaper than WRC that allowed the French manufacturer to concentrate their efforts in the main market, Europe.

As usual, Citroën Sport Technical Manager Jean Claude Vaucard (who had been previously working in the Peugeot 205 T16 and the ZX rally/raid) was charged with the design of the new car, with the support, amongst others, of Robert Choulet (Head of Aerodynamics at Peugeot Sport and Citroën Sport) and Laurent Fregosi (then Performance Improvement Engineer and future Technical Manager in charge of the design of the Citroën C3 WRC).

Citroën Xsara Kit Car

Testing of the car started in the same 1997, with Patrick Magaud and Michel Périn at the wheel. Based on the three-door road car, and initially using the engine of the ZX, the initial design included round, prominent front and rear fenders, as well as a rear wing with square endplates, adapted to the dimensions allowed for kit cars. The rear wing was supported by two arms connected under the wing.

Citroën Xsara Kit Car in the first development tests held in Col de Mens, France in 1997

Soon a more advanced aero package was installed, including a completely modified front bumper and side skirts. The new front bumper included a more prominent front splitter covering most of the front area of the car. The higher area was compensated with a smaller drag coefficient thanks to the rounded shape, in order not to increase drag.

Citroën Xsara Kit Car development test, France 1997 – image by Eric Claude Pierre

Also, the wings of the car were enlarged, so the fenders did not look so prominent from the front, while the view from the rear (see image below) confirmed the size of the modification.

Under the car, some carbon fibre parts were added to make the undercar flat, thus allowing air to flow faster under the car (due to less friction with internals). The higher airspeed meant lower pressure, which turned out to increase downforce generation.

The car was thoroughly tested during the last months of 1997 and was aligned as course car in the 1997 edition of the Rally du Var, driven by Fabien Doenlen and Jean-Marc Andrié and already with the Citroën/Total decoration. Some days later, Chus Puras and Philippe Bugalski had the opportunity to first drive it in a test held in the Rally Catalunya special stage La Riba.

The car’s official debut took place in March 1998, at the Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières Rhône, where Bugalski/Chiaroni obtained the first win for the Xsara, while Magaud/Perin were fifth. The only visible modification on this car, with respect to the car seen in the last test was the addition of a small roof scoop.

P.Bugalski/J.P.Chiaroni, Citroën Xsara Kit Car, Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières Rhône 1998, 1st – image by Vincent Olympe

A few days later the car was homologated as a Variant Kit of the Citroën Xsara VTS ( Homologation Form Nr. A-5583 , Extension 03/01-VK) with the addition of new air intakes on both sides of the main intake of the front bumper, possibly for brake cooling.

Images of the Citroën Xsara Kit Car extracted from the Homologation Form Nr. A-5583 , Extension 03/01-VK, April 1st, 1998

Once homologated, the car debuted in the WRC in the Rally Catalunya 1998, with Bugalski/Chiaroni, reaching an excellent final 5th position while  Puras/Del Barrio had to retire due to engine damage in an off. Both teams were able to set the fastest time in one stage, confirming the potential of the car and, most important, causing a first shock in the Championship.

The Kit Cars were lighter (max. weight 960 kg) than WRC cars (1.230 kg), while the difference in power was much smaller (officially 280 hp against 300 hp for the WRC cars, but both figures fall short from reality). The Xsara was also wider (max. width of 1855 mm against 1770 mm for the WRC cars) which made it more stable and equipped with highly sophisticated transmission (BTP active differential system). All these characteristics allowed Kit Cars to equal and sometimes be faster than the WRC cars, especially on dry tarmac.

P.Bugalski/J.P.Chiaroni, Citroën Xsasa Kit Car, Rally Catalunya 1999, 1st – image by Citroën Sport

The only aero modification of the Kit Car arrived in February’99 when a Variant Option was homologated to allow liquid cooling of the front brake calipers and the rear shock absorbers. That would result extremely useful on tarmac events to compensate for the excess heat generated by drivers’ use of left-foot braking (esp. Puras and, later on, Loeb).

Citroën Xsara advertisement after the first win in the World Rally Championship of the Kit Car

After several attempts, the wins of Bugalski/Chiaroni in Rally Catalunya’99 and Tour de Corse’99 (together with some podium positions achieved by the Peugeot 306 Maxi Kit Car) provoked many complaints from the official WRC teams. As a result, the FIA put some restrictions in place to reduce their competitiveness in 2000: weight was increased up to 1000 kg and power was limited. But, whatever the restrictions, Citroën was already working on the 4WD version of the car, whose first test was developed also in the spring of 1999, days after the win in Corsica.

Citroën Xsara T4 scale model test in the wind tunnel – image by Laboratoires Eiffel

Citroën Xsara T4

The 4WD version of the Xsara was initially named T4, where T stands for turbo ( Garrett ) and 4 for the 4WD (designed by Prodrive). With 300 hp power and 53 mkg of torque at 4000 rpm, the car had a total weight of 1230 kg, to fulfill the WRC rules. The aero package suffered important modifications, that were first evaluated with a scale model in the wind tunnel of Laboratoires Eiffel (Paris), the same facility previously used in the development of the Peugeot 206 WRC, amongst others.

Comparative between Citroën Xsara Kit Car (above) and T4 (below) – images by Eric Claude Pierre (above) and Manuel Madrid (below)

The car was presented to the public in May’99, with a modified aero that included many differences with respect to the kit car:

the bonnet vents (a) were relocated, as a result of the review of the internal flows, while a NACA duct intake was initially previewed, but finally discarded,

the front bumper was redesigned, especially at the level of the lower lip (b), a bigger central air intake (h) and with two vents (c) on both sides of the bumper, to remove air towards the sides of the car

the design of the side skirts (d) was also modified, to make them thinner on the rear end (compared to the design the kit car), while the rear bumper was extended at the bottom (e)

a new rear wing (f) was introduced, with the max dimensions allowed for a WRC car (max. width 1354 mm). The upper wing had a very low angle of attack (almost horizontal) as shown with yellow lines in the image below. The reason behind this would be to minimise drag (through minimal front area) while still getting reasonable downforce (as this increases with higher angles of attack). The upper wing was extended vertically on both sides, acting as endplates (see Total sticker), and it included a small Gurney flap (g) at the rear end, to delay airflow separation, thus increasing the wing efficiency.

Citroën Xsara T4 rear wing side view and dimensions – images by Manuel Madrid for Motor 16 and from Homologation Form

The car width was reduced to 1770 mm to fulfill the WRC regulations, making it more nervous (oversteering) while cornering. As with the kit car, the option of liquid cooling for front brakes and rear absorbers was included in the WRC.

The side mirrors were removed in the T4 and replaced by internal mirrors in order to reduce drag (due to the lower front area of the car). Some of the images included in this article confirm this solution, which was seen also in the Kit Car as well as in the WRC until 2002, when they all got back to the classic side mirrors.

However, the overlap with the Peugeot 206 WRC in the Championship almost kills the project, which was frozen by PSA. It was not until November’99 when the French Rally Federation (FFSA) created a new national homologation category, named France Rally Car (FRC), that the Xsara WRC project was given the green light again. The FRC category allowed cars with the same base of WRC to enter into the Championnat de France de Rallye, giving Citroën an alternative to regularly align the 4WD car while continuing with its development, in view of a future jump into the WRC. Thus, the car was homologated by the FFSA as a version of the Xsara VTS 1.8l 16v, through Hom. Form A-5612 , Extension FRC.

Again, part of the WRC testing program was developed in Catalunya, in rally stages like Can Ferrer or the road traditionally used for the Pujada a les Ventoses, a hill climb race developed near Sant Jaume dels Domenys, as well as in France (Citroën private track at la Ferté Vidame and Saint-Michel des Portes).

P.Bugalski/J.P.Chiaroni, Citroën Xsara T4, Rallye Lyon-Charbonnières Rhône 2000, 1st – image by Xavier Pouchan

The T4 car took part in the 2000 French Rally Championship, winning in all the 7 events in which it participated, while the kit car was used as a benchmark for the 4WD car and participated in some European (ERC) events and many National Championships.

Citroën Xsara WRC

The development of the WRC continued in parallel to the participation of the T4 in France all over 2000. The efforts were concentrated mainly on gravel, as the car had been designed specifically for tarmac.

Then, in October Citroën launched the new version of the Xsara road car, with a new front design, easily identifiable by the larger headlights. That forced Citroën Sport to redesign the front of the WRC car. The changes affected the bonnet, wings, bumper, air intakes and splitter, and forced the relocation of some internal elements, for what the internal aerodynamics were also reviewed. The image below shows the main visible differences, such as the headlights or the removal of the front bumper side vents.

Citroën Xsara T4 (above) and WRC (below) – images by Manuel Madrid (above) and Petr Fitz (below)

Other improvements were implemented in the WRC car with respect to the T4, affecting, amongst others, the intercooler and the air intake systems. The car was finally homologated as a WRC version of the Xsara 2 VTS 2.0 16v ( Hom. Form A-5626 Extension 01/01 WR) in March 2001, and only two days later the car was aligned in the Spanish Rally Costa Blanca Mediterràneo held in La Vila Joiosa, still as a T4, where Puras and Martí obtained an easy win.

Two weeks later, the debut in Catalunya shocked again the WR Championship: Puras/Martí lead after day one ahead of Bugalski/Chiaroni, who occupied the first position at the end of day two. Only mechanical issues (fuel pressure and clutch) prevented both teams from a well-deserved win, but the potential of the car on tarmac was clearly stated.

P.Bugalski/J.P.Chiaroni, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Catalunya 2001, 8th

To continue with the development on gravel, two cars were aligned in the Rally Acropolis, where both cars were equipped with air conditioning system, in spite of the extra weight (15kg). Bugalski/Chiaroni finished 6th and Radström/Thoner had to retire due to electrical issues.

On the next event, Sanremo, the team gave the first opportunity to drive the Xsara WRC car in the World Championship to the emerging duo Sebastién Loeb and Daniel Elena. And they responded with an excellent performance, fighting for the win till the last stage and finishing in an excellent second position.

C.Puras/M.Martí, Citroën Xsara WRC, Tour de Corse 2001, 1st – image by unknown

The first win of the Xsara WRC came in the next event, the Tour de Corse, and it was obtained by Puras/Martí. It would be the first of a long list that would extend to 2006.

The season 2002 represented for Citroën Sport the last year of preparation before assaulting the world titles in 2003. The plan was to take part in 8 events, discovering new surfaces such as Monte-Carlo, Safari or Finland. The season started with the same car used in 2001 and the incorporation of Loeb/Elena as regular drivers. And they could have won since their first appearance, in Monte-Carlo, if it was not by a tyre replacement carried out in a forbidden zone.

A new homologation was obtained on March 1st, 2002 (Extension 09/02 WR), with some modifications in the engine and the addition of new air intakes in the front bumper, as shown in the image below.

Citroën Xsara WRC front bumper in 2001 (above) and 2002 (below) – images by llluis555 (above) and Vít Bezděkovský (below)

Also, a new roof scoop was homologated, although it was not introduced until Rally Acropolis.

Citroën Xsara WRC roof scoop in 2001 (above) and 2002 (below) – images by Miquel Rovira (above) and Vít Bezděkovský (below)

The best result in 2002 arrived with the first win of Loeb/Elena at the Rallye Deutschland, as well as a third position in the gravel of Rally Safari by Radström/Giraudet, showing that the car was ready to attack a full World Championship in 2003, six years after it was conceived. It is probably the longest preparation a rally car has ever had, and the success in the coming years proves that it was a wise decision. Adding to this the incorporation of the World Champions Carlos Sainz (with Marc Martí as new codriver after the retrieval of Luis Moya) and Colin Mcrae (with Derek Ringer), the prospectives for Citroën Sport couldn’t be better.

However, in the constant search for improvement, an important modification arrived at the Xsara WRC in 2003: the introduction of the hydraulic anti-roll bars (as Variant Option) , which we reviewed in a dedicated article , that was used since Monte-Carlo. Then, for Sweden, the team had to redesign the air intake system following problems with snow clogging the intake on the previous year’s event.

Wind tunnel evaluation of the Citroën Xsara WRC at the Soufflerie Climatique Ile de France, 2003

The aero development of the car continued during 2003. With this purpose, a full-scale unit was brought to the Wind Tunnel of the Soufflerie Climatique Ile de France (SCIdF), located at Saint Ouen l’Aumône, northwest of Paris. This facility, with airspeeds up to 230 km/h and a moving ground, was used for the evaluation of some external and internal improvements, such as the redesign of the front bumper or the introduction of five vertical strakes on the upper surface of the rear wing to improve downforce in high-speed corners when the car is sideways.

S.Loeb/D.Elena, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Catalunya 2003, 2nd

The new rear wing, together with changes to the turbo, intercooler and exhaust manifold, was part of the third evolution of the Xsara WRC, homologated in April (Extension 17/03 WR) and first used in competition in the Rally New Zealand 2003.

C.McRae/D.Ringer, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally New Zealand 2003, ret. – picture by Citroën Sports

Following overheating issues in the Acropolis, the team improved the cooling system for Cyprus, while in Germany, the team worked on the ride height of the Xsara WRC. At the end of the season, Citroën won its first Manufacturer’s title, mostly thanks to the three wins obtained by Loeb/Elena (Monte-Carlo, Germany and Sanremo) plus the victory in Turkey by Sainz/Martí. The French/Monegasque duo ended in a brilliant second position in the Driver’s classification, beaten only by one point by Petter Solberg and Phil Mills (Subaru).

For 2004, Citroën decided to align just two cars, and the Scottish duo left the team. The next evolution of the car was homologated in April 2004 (Extension 28/04 WR) and first appeared in Rally New Zealand 2004. The main modification was the replacement of steel with composite material panels in the rear wing, thanks to the new regulations approved in March. Also, the minimum weight for the body shell, complete with roll-cage was changed to 320 kg, forcing the teams to review the car’s overall weight distribution. Another important modification was the addition of fans attached to the intercooler, to be used in the hottest events for better cooling of the turbo.

S.Loeb/D.Elena, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Cyprus 2004, 1st – picture by Petr Lusk – ewrc-result.com

Later, in June 2004, a new Variant Option was homologated, for the addition of fans for brake cooling, which were again modified in January 2005. At the end of the 2004 season, the results even improved those obtained in the previous year, as both Citroën and Loeb/Elena were crowned World Champions, after the six wins obtained by the French/Monegasque duo plus the win obtained by Sainz/Martí in Argentina. For Loeb/Elena it was the first of a long list of titles. For Sainz, it was the end of his rallying career, as the Spanish driver had decided to leave and to start his collaboration with VW in view of the Dakkar… although he soon came back, in 2005, to replace Duval in two events.

The new regulations for 2005 allowed the WRC cars longer than 4,2 m to increase the car width to 1800mm. Unfortunately, the Xsara didn’t reach such a length and had to remain with the original width of 1770 mm, which was a disadvantage in terms of cornering stability against the rivals. Also, the development of the car was almost complete, and only some modifications to the brake cooling system were introduced. As for the drivers, the absence of Sainz was covered with Duval/Smeets and Stohl/Minor.

F.Duval/S.Smeets, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Catalunya 2005, 2nd

Even without development, the car was still really efficient, allowing Loeb/Elena to obtain an impressive record of 10 wins (out of 16 events) to claim their second world title, while it was the third in a row for Citroën as a Manufacturer. But the efforts required to develop the new rally car, based on the C4, forced Citroën to withdraw from the Championship in 2006, while a private structure (Kronos Racing, led by Marc van Dalen) would be in charge of the Xsara WRC program.

In spite of this transfer to a private structure, Citroën made a final homologation of the car in March 2006 (extension 45/05 WR) that included a new design of the front bumper, with big side vents, as shown in the image below.

S.Loeb/D.Elena, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Finland 2006, 2nd – image by Petr Sagner

For the 2006 season, the Spanish duo Xevi Pons and Marc Julià joined the ‘official’ team, while Dani Sordo and Marc Martí drove a private Xsara inside the same Kronos structure. The eight wins obtained by Loeb/Elena seemed to be enough to ensure their third title, but an accident prevented them to participate in the last four events of the season. The final rush of Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen only served to put them one point behind Loeb/Elena, while Ford conquered the Manufacturers title for the first time since 1979.

S.Loeb/D.Elena, Citroën Xsara WRC, Rally Japan 2006, 1st – image by Dan Vrubel

The good results achieved by Pons/Julià (fourth position in four events) were overshadowed by the excellent results of Sordo/Martí during 2006, who finished second in Catalunya and Germany and third in Corsica and Sardinia. These results catapulted Sordo as an official Citroën driver, a role he still plays, fifteen years later, now in Hyundai. And proved the value of Marc Martí, as he co-drived Sainz, Puras and Sordo in the Xsara WRC with excellent results in all cases.

At the end of 2006, the Citroën Xsara kit car/WRC had obtained a total of 33 wins in events of the World Rally Championship, thus one of the most successful rally cars ever. And still, a 34th win could have arrived n 2007, when Duval/Pivato finished in the second position in Rallye Deutschland, only 20 seconds behind Loeb/Elena.

This post would not have been possible without the invaluable data and images provided by eWRC-RESULTS.com .

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4 thoughts on “ Aero evolution of the Citroën Xsara: from the Kit Car to the T4/WRC ”

Awesome article, pretty entertaining lecture awaiting for the 2022 season

And better writing than any of the Dirtfish crappy articles

David, you’re very kind with us. We will continue in 2022 doing as best as we can, as an amazing year has just started. Muchas gracias!!!

Regarding the kit-car, you wrote: “The Xsara was also wider (max. width of 1855 mm against 1770 mm for the WRC cars) which made it more stable and equipped with highly sophisticated transmission (central differential). All these characteristics allowed Kit Cars to equal and sometimes be faster than the WRC cars, especially on dry tarmac.”

The Xsara definitely did not have a central differential, as this car was front wheel drive, lika all other Kit Car class vehicles

Corrected, thanks!

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Scrapyard Gem: 2006 Citroën Xsara Picasso Desire

This compact mpv was a huge sales hit in 2000s europe.

YORK, England — By the time our current century got started, most American car shoppers had become fully committed to pickups and SUVs as their preferred rides. Cross the Atlantic at that time, however, and you'd find that the compact MPV was one of the most popular choices for Western European drivers seeking plenty of passenger and cargo space in a small package. The Citroën Xsara Picasso was one of the best-selling compact MPVs of its era , and I've found this '06 in a self-service scrapyard (as they call them here) in York, England .

It has been 51 years since new Citroëns were sold in the United States, and so I've only managed to document a handful of them during my junkyard travels . Citroën began building cars in 1918 , merged with Peugeot in 1974 and became part of the mighty Stellantis Empire in 2021.

How did it happen that Citroën is allowed to place Pablo Picasso 's famous signature on its cars? In 1989, Pablo's son sold the rights to Citroën for $20 million .

The brochures for this car bear down very hard on the Pablo Picasso connection.

Although the Xsara Picasso never came close to being sold in the United States, here's one in the brochure negotiating t he Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange in Los Angeles (where the bus-jump scene in 1994's "Speed" took place ).

The California high desert in 2006, where cops in 15-year-old box Caprices hide behind Picasso billboards in order to bust speeding Citroëns.

The U.K.-market 2006 Xsara Picasso was available in Desire , VTX and Exclusive trim levels. This one is the base Desire model. These badges now live on my garage wall.

For a car that weighed well under 3,000 pounds, the Xsara Picasso offered an amazing amount of interior space. There's room for five inside, with airliner-style folding tables for the rear-seat passengers; those rear seats are removable to make room for bulky cargo.

This type of vehicle never caught on in North America, despite the best efforts of Japanese manufacturers .

The Xsara Picasso was succeeded by the C4 Picasso , which has since evolved into the kind of crossover SUV that would look right at home on American roads . It took awhile, but the SUV craze finally has conquered Europe.

The Xsara Picasso was one of the first vehicles designed by Donato Coco , who went on to work at Ferrari and Lotus . In addition to his work designing many Citroën models, Coco was behind the styling of the Ferrari 458 Italia .

This one is a petrol-engined model with five-speed manual transmission, featuring 110 horses beneath its bonnet. Diesels and automatics were available as well.

U-Pull-It York's inventory listing for this car shows that it had 114,279 miles on the odometer when it was retired with front-end damage. A check of its MOT history indicates that it passed its final inspection in October 2022 and that its registration was allowed to expire a year later.

Citroën got its money's worth out of that Picasso branding deal.

Those rebellious assembly-line robots have had their minds freed by the spirit of a long-dead Spaniard.

The faces of ordinary French children become terrifying Cubist sculptures when they ride in an Xsara Picasso.

Richard Hammond reviewed the first-year Xsara Picasso in 2000.

Featured Gallery Junked 2006 Citroën Xsara Picasso Desire

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1998 Citroen Xsara Coupe (N0, Phase I) VTS 2.0 16V (163 Hp)

• VTS 2.0 16V (163 Hp)
• VTS 2.0 HDi (90 Hp)
• VTS 1.8 i 16V (110 Hp)
• 1.9 Turbo D (90 Hp)
• 1.9 SD (75 Hp)
• 1.9 D (69 Hp)
• 1.8 i (101 Hp) Automatic
• 1.8 i (90 Hp)
• 1.6 i (88 Hp) Automatic
• 1.4 i (75 Hp)

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Citroen Xsara Transmission Information in Quick-to-Read Graphs

Average transmission load (nm), choose generation.

Xsara Coupe (N0)

Xsara Picasso (N68)

Xsara Break (N2)

Quick notes on Citroen Xsara transmission

• Drive: Front wheel drive
• Gearbox construction: Manual
• Transmission type: 5 MT
• Average acceleration: 11.9 s to 60 mph
• Average optimal engine speed: 5235 rpm
• Average torque: 161 Nm
• Weight to torque ratio: 7 kg to 1 Nm
• Average weight: 1089 kg / 2401 lbs
• Maximum load for transmission: 1584 kg / 3493 lbs
• Gearboxy rating: 4 / 10

Gearbox types in Citroen Xsara through generations

• 2.0 16V —5 MT (190 Nm)
• 2.0 HDi —5 MT (250 Nm)
• 1.6 i 16 V —5 MT (147 Nm)
• 1.4 HDi —5 MT (150 Nm)
• 1.4 i —5 MT (118 Nm)
• 1.6 i —5 MT (135 Nm)
• 1.8 i —5 MT (147 Nm)
• 1.8 i 16V —5 MT (155 Nm)
• 1.9 D —5 MT (125 Nm)
• 2.0 VTS 16V —5 MT (193 Nm)

Acceleration with different gearboxes

• 2.0 16V 5 MT—9 s to 60 mph (9.5 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 HDi 5 MT—10.7 s to 60 mph (11.3 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 i 16 V 5 MT—10.4 s to 60 mph (10.9 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.4 HDi 5 MT—15.9 s to 60 mph (16.7 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.4 i 5 MT—13.4 s to 60 mph (14.1 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 i 5 MT—12.4 s to 60 mph (13.1 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.8 i 5 MT—12.4 s to 60 mph (13.1 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.8 i 16V 5 MT—10.2 s to 60 mph (10.7 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.9 D 5 MT—16.3 s to 60 mph (17.2 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 VTS 16V 5 MT—8.3 s to 60 mph (8.7 s to 100 kmh )

Optimal engine speed at last gear

• 2.0 16V 5 MT—6000 rpm.
• 2.0 HDi 5 MT—4000 rpm.
• 1.6 i 16 V 5 MT—5750 rpm.
• 1.4 HDi 5 MT—4000 rpm.
• 1.4 i 5 MT—5400 rpm.
• 1.6 i 5 MT—5600 rpm.
• 1.8 i 5 MT—5000 rpm.
• 1.8 i 16V 5 MT—5500 rpm.
• 1.9 D 5 MT—4600 rpm.
• 2.0 VTS 16V 5 MT—6500 rpm.
• Gearbox construction: Manual, Automatic
• Transmission type: 5 MT, 4 AT
• Average acceleration: 12.1 s to 60 mph
• Average optimal engine speed: 5020 rpm
• Average torque: 187 Nm
• Average weight: 1285 kg / 2833 lbs
• Maximum load for transmission: 1870 kg / 4123 lbs
• Gearboxy rating: 6 / 10
• 1.6 —5 MT (135 Nm)
• 1.6 HDI FAP —5 MT (240 Nm)
• 1.8 16V —5 MT (163 Nm)
• 2.0 16V —4 AT (190 Nm)
• 2.0 HDI —5 MT (205 Nm)
• 1.6 5 MT—14.3 s to 60 mph (15 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 HDI FAP 5 MT—11.3 s to 60 mph (11.9 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.8 16V 5 MT—10.8 s to 60 mph (11.4 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 16V 4 AT—11.7 s to 60 mph (12.3 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 HDI 5 MT—12.4 s to 60 mph (13 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 5 MT—5600 rpm.
• 1.6 HDI FAP 5 MT—4000 rpm.
• 1.8 16V 5 MT—5500 rpm.
• 2.0 16V 4 AT—6000 rpm.
• 2.0 HDI 5 MT—4000 rpm.
• Average acceleration: 12.5 s to 60 mph
• Average optimal engine speed: 4935 rpm
• Average weight: 1112 kg / 2452 lbs
• Maximum load for transmission: 1607 kg / 3543 lbs
• 2.0 16V —5 MT (180 Nm)
• 2.0 HDI 90 —5 MT (205 Nm)
• 1.4 i 5 MT—13.9 s to 60 mph (14.6 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.4 HDi 5 MT—14.2 s to 60 mph (14.9 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 i 5 MT—12.8 s to 60 mph (13.5 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.8 i 5 MT—12.8 s to 60 mph (13.5 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 i 16 V 5 MT—10.6 s to 60 mph (11.2 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.8 i 16V 5 MT—10.5 s to 60 mph (11.1 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 16V 5 MT—9.7 s to 60 mph (10.2 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.9 D 5 MT—16.8 s to 60 mph (17.7 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 HDi 5 MT—11.2 s to 60 mph (11.8 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 HDI 90 5 MT—12.6 s to 60 mph (13.3 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 16V 5 MT—5500 rpm.
• 2.0 HDI 90 5 MT—4000 rpm.
• Average acceleration: 12.3 s to 60 mph
• Average optimal engine speed: 4859 rpm
• Average torque: 164 Nm
• Average weight: 1104 kg / 2434 lbs
• Maximum load for transmission: 1599 kg / 3526 lbs
• 1.6 i 16V —5 MT (147 Nm)
• 1.4 i —5 MT (111 Nm)
• 1.9 TD —5 MT (196 Nm)
• 1.6 i 16V 5 MT—10.5 s to 60 mph (11 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 16V 5 MT—9.4 s to 60 mph (9.9 s to 100 kmh )
• 2.0 HDI 90 5 MT—12.3 s to 60 mph (12.9 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.9 TD 5 MT—12.2 s to 60 mph (12.8 s to 100 kmh )
• 1.6 i 16V 5 MT—5750 rpm.
• 1.4 i 5 MT—5500 rpm.
• 1.9 TD 5 MT—4000 rpm.

Chevrolet SS

Citroën Xsara Sales Figures

Citroën xsara.

The Citroën Xsara was a compact car produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1997 to 2006. It was a successor to the Citroën ZX and was replaced in 2004 by the  Citroën C4 . The Xsara’s design was generally considered to be conservative yet elegant, with smooth and rounded shapes. While the Xsara was not groundbreaking in terms of design or innovation, it was well-regarded for its practicality, safety, and value for money.

Citroën Xsara Overview

The Citroën Xsara was a compact car manufactured by the French automaker Citroën from 1997 to 2006. The Xsara was available in three body styles: a three-door hatchback, a five-door hatchback, and a station wagon. It was powered by a choice of petrol engines: a 1.4L engine, a 1.6L engine, a 1.8L engine, and a 2.0L engine. It was also available with a diesel engine.

The Xsara was known for its comfort and practicality. It had a comfortable ride and a spacious interior. It was also known for its handling and fuel efficiency. The Xsara came standard with a variety of features, including a four-speaker sound system, a rearview mirror, and power windows. Available features included a six-speaker sound system, a leather interior, and a sunroof.

Overall, the Citroën Xsara was a good value compact car. It was comfortable, spacious, and came standard with a long list of features.

The Xsara was a popular car in Europe and was also sold in some other markets. It was discontinued in 2006 and was replaced by the Citroën C4. The Xsara Picasso, its MPV variant, continued production for several years even after the main Xsara line had ceased, demonstrating the model’s enduring appeal in certain markets.

Citroën Xsara Europe Sales Data & Charts

Europe annual sales, europe annual growth, citroën xsara china sales data & charts, china annual sales, china annual growth.

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Citroen Xsara

Poreklo vozila, stanje vozila, vozilo auto škole.

Odabrano: Citroen Xsara

Citroen Xsara (može zamena)  

Citroen Xsara 1.9D  

Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDI Daljinsko zaključavanje, Rezervni ključ, Registracija: 11.2024.

Citroen Xsara 2.0hdi  

Citroen Xsara  

Citroen Xsara Sad reg.Povooljno Prvi vlasnik, Garažiran, Automatska klima, Registracija: 05.2025.

Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDI Dizel, Servisna knjiga, Rezervni ključ, Registracija: 03.2025.

Citroen Xsara 1.9  

Citroen Xsara 2.0hdi simens  

Citroen Xsara 16v (može zamena)  

Citroen Xsara 1.6 16v Snaga motora: 109 KS, Registracija: 04.2025.

Citroen Xsara 1.6 VTR Garažiran, Metalik boja, Manuelna klima, Registracija: 09.2024.

Citroen Xsara exclusive  

Citroen Xsara VTR  

Citroen Xsara 1.4 I  

Citroen xsara automatska klima, 50.000km, kuka za vuču, kožna sedišta 1.100 € 1.100 €.

Garancija Lizing Kredit Oštećenje Domaće tablice

Citroen Xsara 1.4  

Citroen Xsara 2.0 hdi Registracija: 09.2024.

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Moscow Metro

The Moscow Metro Tour is included in most guided tours’ itineraries. Opened in 1935, under Stalin’s regime, the metro was not only meant to solve transport problems, but also was hailed as “a people’s palace”. Every station you will see during your Moscow metro tour looks like a palace room. There are bright paintings, mosaics, stained glass, bronze statues… Our Moscow metro tour includes the most impressive stations best architects and designers worked at - Ploshchad Revolutsii, Mayakovskaya, Komsomolskaya, Kievskaya, Novoslobodskaya and some others.

What is the kremlin in russia?

The guide will not only help you navigate the metro, but will also provide you with fascinating background tales for the images you see and a history of each station.

And there some stories to be told during the Moscow metro tour! The deepest station - Park Pobedy - is 84 metres under the ground with the world longest escalator of 140 meters. Parts of the so-called Metro-2, a secret strategic system of underground tunnels, was used for its construction.

During the Second World War the metro itself became a strategic asset: it was turned into the city's biggest bomb-shelter and one of the stations even became a library. 217 children were born here in 1941-1942! The metro is the most effective means of transport in the capital.

There are almost 200 stations 196 at the moment and trains run every 90 seconds! The guide of your Moscow metro tour can explain to you how to buy tickets and find your way if you plan to get around by yourself.

Moscow Metro Underground Small-Group Tour - With Reviews & Ratings

Moscow metro underground small-group tour.

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Tour Information

Key Details

• Mobile Voucher Accepted
• Free Cancellation
• Duration: 3 Hrs
• Language: English
• Departure Time : 10:00 AM
• Departure Details : Karl Marks Monument on Revolution Square, metro stop: Square of Revolution
• Return Details : Metro Smolenskaya
• If you cancel at least 4 day(s) in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee.
• If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
• Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Go beneath the streets on this tour of the spectacular, mind-bending Moscow Metro! Be awed by architecture and spot the Propaganda , then hear soviet stories from a local in the know. Finish it all up above ground, looking up to Stalins skyscrapers, and get the inside scoop on whats gone on behind those walls.

Know More about this tour

We begin our Moscow tour beneath the city, exploring the underground palace of the Moscow Metro. From the Square of Revolution station, famous for its huge statues of soviet people (an armed soldier, a farmer with a rooster, a warrior, and more), we’ll move onto some of the most significant stations, where impressive mosaics, columns, and chandeliers will boggle your eyes! Moreover, these stations reveal a big part of soviet reality — the walls depict plenty of Propaganda , with party leaders looking down from images on the walls. Your local guide will share personal stories of his/her family from USSR times, giving you insight into Russia’s complicated past and present. Then we’re coming back up to street level, where we’ll take a break and refuel with some Russian fast food: traditional pancakes, called bliny. And then, stomachs satiated, we are ready to move forward! We’ll take the eco-friendly electric trolleybus, with a route along the Moscow Garden Ring. Used mainly by Russian babushkas(grannies) during the day, the trolleybus hits peak hours in the mornings and evenings, when many locals use it going to and from their days. Our first stop will be the Aviator’s House, one of Stalin’s Seven Sisters, followed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — and you’ll hear the legends of what has gone on inside the walls. Throughout your Moscow tour, you’ll learn curious facts from soviet history while seeing how Russia exists now, 25 years after the USSR.

Local English-speaking guide

Pancake snack and drink

Additional food and drinks

Tickets for public transport

Souvenirs and items of a personal nature

Tips and gratuities for the guide

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking

Dress standard: Please wear comfortable shoes for walking. For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people

Traveler Reviews

This tour exceeded our expectations. Nikolai (Nick), our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, thorough, and has a great personality. He didn't take shortcuts and really covered everything that was on the agenda in great detail. We saw beautiful metro stations and learned the history behind them, including many of the murals and designs.

We did the tour with Anna her knowledge and understanding of the History surrounding the metro brought the tour alive. Well done Anna!

This tour was amazing!

Anna was a great tour guide. She gave us heaps of interesting information, was very friendly, and very kindly showed us how to get to our next tour.

Amazing beauty and history.

An excellent tour helped by an absolutely amazing guide. Anna gave a great insight into the history of the metro helped by additional material she had prepared.

great tour and guide - thanks again

great will do it again, Miriam ke was very good as a guide she has lived here all here life so knew every interesting detail.a good day

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Tour of famous Moscow Metro. Explore the Underground World! (2 hours)

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On this tour you take in some of Moscow's most important and highly decorated stations. Carrying up to 7 million passengers a day and covering almost the entire city, the Moscow Metro is one of the most extensive mass transit systems in the world. It's famous for the fine examples of social-realism which decorate many of its stations.

Visit some of the most important stations and get the chance to admire spectacular baroque-style ceilings, marble statues, busts of Communist heroes, stained glass windows, and ceiling mosaics depicting the bright Soviet future. Visit the most remarkable stations like Komsomolskaya, Kurskaya, Kievskaya and others, with the experienced guide who will bring you a full insight into their fascinating history.

• Tour of Moscow's Metro system visiting beautifully decorated key stations on the network.
• System that carries more than 7 million passengers per day
• Views of the most opulently designed tunnels & platforms
• Significance to the country—known as the “People's Palace”
• History & stories relayed by an expert local guide

If you wonder why the Moscow metro is considered one the most beautiful in the world, this tour is made for you!

Important info

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• Professional English-speaking guide assistance. Other languages upon request (additional charge may apply)
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities (optional)
• Food and drinks
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Children must be accompanied by an adult

Departure and return point: nearest metro station to your central Moscow hotel  

Departure time:  flexible

Sights included in program

Thanks ! We will reply you in less than 24 hours (usually within 1-2 hours) .

Our flexible payment options allow you to pay 20% of a deposit first and the remaining 80% in 14 days prior to your tour date - payment can be done both online or over the phone. This gives you the peace of mind knowing your spaces are booked on the tours and that you do not miss out on making the most of your time in Russia.

Also you get the best, top-rated and most experienced and knowledgeable hand-picked tour guide appointed on a priority basis. In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the best tour guides only. Multilingual and well travelled, each possesses deep insight into the diverse attractions and cultural patterns throughout the region. With us guides undergo a rigorous selection process, achieving outstanding knowledge of local culture and language. Rest assured that the best tour guides only will be working on the tours to give you excellent opportunity to explore the best of the sights during both short and long-term stay in Russia.

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Contact our experts, and they will help you to plan your best trip to Russia, with attention to every detail!

Our Experts have been in the travel industry for many years, guarantee to offer first class customer service, excellent value for money and unbiased advice. They are standing by to find and build your dream holiday to one of the world's most fascinating destinations - Russia. Your personal Travel Expert will guide you through each stage of the travel process, from choosing a program that fits you best to support during your trip.

Just tell us your e-mail, and we'll take care of everything!

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Please make sure that you receive this message (sometimes e-mail messages may go to the spam/junk mail). If you did not get this message, it means you will not get message with the tours' selection as well. If you use a Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL or Hotmail, we recommend to add  [email protected]   to your address book.

We recommend to leave your phone number. If we will not heard back that you received the e-mail with the tours' selection, we will contact you by phone. And you will not miss the best tour for you.

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