Is Xantia a future classic?
Xantia's predecessor, BX, is undoubtedly a classic today. The BX had something that contemporary competitors – the Ford Sierra and the Opel Vectra – lacked. It was special. It has a special design and special technical solutions. The BX's successor, the Citroen Xantia, follows in many ways in the same vein as its predecessor - but is perhaps not as special in terms of Design. Inside, the Xantia doesn't seem to stand out that much from contemporary models.
Active suspension
All Xantia's came along Hydramatic H2. It is electronically controlled and was found in several contemporary cars, including the XM. However, the Xantia was the first regular mass-produced car to offer "active suspension". It is a system that utilizes the Hydramatic system to control hydraulic roll stabilizers using a computer. This makes the car particularly suitable for evasive maneuvers - and provides a very special driving experience. Only cars with equipment level "Activa" had this system. Active Suspension was praised by the automotive press. On the Citroen-Xantia forums there is advice and tips on how to troubleshoot, repair and maintain the system yourself.
Who should you choose?
There are still quite a few Xantias on the road in France. On the French website "Finn.no" (leboncoin.fr) there are currently almost 800 Xantias for sale. Half of them are in alright condition with no visible rust. For between 30.000-50.000 kroner you can buy a great Citroen Xantia 1,8i 16V (110 HP) or 2,0 HDI (109 HP) – and drive home with it. Then you get a Mondeo-sized family car with electronically controlled Hydramatic system H2 and – in the Activa equipment variant – you get Citroen's Active Suspension. Several cars have low mileage – and are priced high – perhaps to capture the interest of collectors. About a third have the PSA group's 3,0-liter V6 engine with 190 HP and leather seats. Many of them look good and have followed their service programs. The V6 engine is not my first choice for the Xantia. There are several examples of the Xantia with the 2,0 TCT – a turbo engine that produces 147 HP – still in usable condition. Of the current range, the 1,8 liter engines seem to have been the most widespread, but none with Active Suspension. Of the cars for sale, it seems that the Activa edition was mainly delivered with the largest engines, such as the 2,0i, 2,0 TCT and 3,0 V6.
Facelift
The 1998 model received a facelift. The biggest visual changes are in the front, – new, more rounded headlights and a new grill. A couple of changes were also made to the dashboard - among other things, the grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard disappeared. The 2,0 HDI (109 HP) was then introduced. Otherwise, the engines are continuously updated throughout the entire production cycle from PSA's engine range.
About the pictures
The car at the top of the main image is a late model belonging to a local taxi driver in Céret, France. I have often seen a car and driver on the road, and I am delighted at how well the owner takes care of his car. Now it has been standing along the street for several days with the taxi sign mounted. The driver is well advanced in years, so it is conceivable that they are both about to retire. The beige car is also photographed in Céret, a car park in the city centre. The car is a pre-facelift. It is also the silver car photographed in Perpignan. It shows the fine condition many of the Xantia's down in the South of France are in. The car with the V6 was taken from an auction from the Citroen museum outside Paris - and is a sales photo taken by the auction house. The blue-black car was taken outside a used car company in Billingstad outside Oslo. It is a 1994 model with only 89500 km on the odometer.
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