And again....off I go...Citroen Xantia Activa

And again....off I go...Citroen Xantia Activa

Author
Discussion

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

165 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Strange attraction to these after reading one too many threads on them. Will watch with interest...

S10GTA

Original Poster:

12,638 posts

166 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
northwest monkey said:
At the risk of sounding stupid, what's the deal with this car? I'm with your Mrs here (not literally) - it just seems like a Xantia to me.

For the uneducated on here tell us about this carsmile
Pretty much as above. The car has an active ram front and rear which basically keeps the car level as it corners. It can 0.98g round a corner, which was more than a lot of supercars of its time.

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
The really eery thing about driving these is that the car corners completely flat, yet retains a smooth ride while doing so. They're epic cars, one of the most underrated and overlooked Citroen have made. On the journey home that little Saxo (say what you want about Saxos but their prowess around bends is well-documented) was having real trouble keeping up around corners. Short, sharp corners will see an Activa wash-out at the front as they're just too heavy for the tight stuff, but long high-speed bends are another story. It has to be tried to be believed!

Only thing that let them down for me is the dash layout, which is beyond bland, a lack of feel through the steering and the economy of the 2.0 Turbo, which is a pretty average engine. In Europe you could have it with the HDi 110 (highly-remappable) or the 3.0 V6. Over here, only the 2.0 Turbo.

I may have to convince Si to pop a V6 in it biggrin

S10GTA

Original Poster:

12,638 posts

166 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Kitchski said:
On the journey home that little Saxo was having real trouble keeping up around corners.

I may have to convince Si to pop a V6 in it biggrin
Was it really? I was hardly trying as the ride is too firm atm.

This one could be ripe for a V6 conversion one day....

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
S10GTA said:
Kitchski said:
On the journey home that little Saxo was having real trouble keeping up around corners.

I may have to convince Si to pop a V6 in it biggrin
Was it really? I was hardly trying as the ride is too firm atm.

This one could be ripe for a V6 conversion one day....
Saxo could have gone faster if I was happy to let the tyres start squealing pretty badly, but on the public road that was fast enough! But it would have been a lot less composed and twitchy....Activa just eats big corners without drama.

At Goodwood, the Activa would be supreme. But at Cadwell Park it'd devour its tyres and brakes in about half a lap laugh

trashbat

6,005 posts

152 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Yes, pretty much. The system is designed to control springing, damping and rolling automatically. In corners the car is pretty much flat, which keeps the contact patch of the tyre on the road. As a result it can corner at ridiculous speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09-C33SrJi8&fea...

thusly.

The turbo version is nice because it can be made a lot more powerful. As a result the Activa Turbo is a pretty awesome Q-car.
That's ace!!

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Good demo of what these are like around bends, even if the driver is a massive codpiece for doing it on the road:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v1CF_fY4nE&fea...

S10GTA

Original Poster:

12,638 posts

166 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Kitchski said:
Good demo of what these are like around bends, even if the driver is a massive codpiece for doing it on the road:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v1CF_fY4nE&fea...
Those roads look brilliant.

m8rky

2,090 posts

158 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Great stuff watching with interest.The only car in the last century or so of motoring that has dared to move away from the basic principals of springs,torsion bars etc.I just hope one day they get recognised as such.As an important a car as the DS IMO.

Hoygo

725 posts

160 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Yes, pretty much. The system is designed to control springing, damping and rolling automatically. In corners the car is pretty much flat, which keeps the contact patch of the tyre on the road. As a result it can corner at ridiculous speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09-C33SrJi8&fea...

thusly.

The turbo version is nice because it can be made a lot more powerful. As a result the Activa Turbo is a pretty awesome Q-car.
Did Citroen fit the suspension system to a non sh!t car? Or any PSA group car with it? Such a shame its not used to at least a 200 bhp hot hatch,it would have been great.

Rosscow

8,708 posts

162 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Hoygo said:
Did Citroen fit the suspension system to a non sh!t car? Or any PSA group car with it? Such a shame its not used to at least a 200 bhp hot hatch,it would have been great.
It does seem strange, doesn't it!

ReaperCushions

5,910 posts

183 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Technical explaination if your French is any good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZrGpz2KiPs&fea...


Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Rosscow said:
Hoygo said:
Did Citroen fit the suspension system to a non sh!t car? Or any PSA group car with it? Such a shame its not used to at least a 200 bhp hot hatch,it would have been great.
It does seem strange, doesn't it!
Where to start.....

1) Define a st car.
2) Xantia was regarded to be best car in it's class (Mondeo, Vectra, Avensis etc) by the majority of motoring mags until the 406 came out. Sometimes the petrol models lost out to the Mondeo in group tests, but the diesels always came out top.
3) Xantia IS a PSA group car.
4) Xantia is a hatch/Xantia V6 has (near as makes no difference) 200bhp.
5) 2.0 Turbo (while not great) can achieve 200bhp easily.
6) The system only works on Hydropneumatically-suspended cars; it's part of that system. The only other car to have the basic computer controlled suspension required to plumb this into is the XM.


In a nutshell.

Hoygo

725 posts

160 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Kitchski said:
Where to start.....

1) Define a st car.
2) Xantia was regarded to be best car in it's class (Mondeo, Vectra, Avensis etc) by the majority of motoring mags until the 406 came out. Sometimes the petrol models lost out to the Mondeo in group tests, but the diesels always came out top.
3) Xantia IS a PSA group car.
4) Xantia is a hatch/Xantia V6 has (near as makes no difference) 200bhp.
5) 2.0 Turbo (while not great) can achieve 200bhp easily.
6) The system only works on Hydropneumatically-suspended cars; it's part of that system. The only other car to have the basic computer controlled suspension required to plumb this into is the XM.


In a nutshell.
You wrote all this unnecessary things regarding the question and avoided the point,no worries though i already knew.

I wanted to know if the system was fitted to any other performance car of PSA group,family saloons don't count as have nothing to do with it,if a decent car was equipped with the system was my question, as it really suits a sports car.

If the V6 Xantia has the system than im off to classified .

Hoygo

725 posts

160 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
S10GTA said:
You mention the Xnatia is st, yet you want to find one with the V6. You confuse me?
st car=non performance car,nothing to do with the car itself just with its performance

I dont want the 1.6 or the 1.8 but the V6 is preferable as it's decent performance wise,i get these are no sports cars but the V6 gets close to it,i have at least seen 3 LHD ones on different shows in UK,as i spend my time in Europe mostly i guess is no trouble finding one in France or Italy.

First i thought the "Activa" was a trim available only with the low powered 1.6s or max 150 hp 2.0s with the suspension included.

Rosscow

8,708 posts

162 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Kitchski said:
Where to start.....

1) Define a st car.
2) Xantia was regarded to be best car in it's class (Mondeo, Vectra, Avensis etc) by the majority of motoring mags until the 406 came out. Sometimes the petrol models lost out to the Mondeo in group tests, but the diesels always came out top.
3) Xantia IS a PSA group car.
4) Xantia is a hatch/Xantia V6 has (near as makes no difference) 200bhp.
5) 2.0 Turbo (while not great) can achieve 200bhp easily.
6) The system only works on Hydropneumatically-suspended cars; it's part of that system. The only other car to have the basic computer controlled suspension required to plumb this into is the XM.


In a nutshell.
Thanks smile

I wasn't the one saying it was a st car - however I understood the point trying to be made.

It would have been good if they had fitted this system to a hot hatch rather than a family hatchback.

S10GTA

Original Poster:

12,638 posts

166 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Hoygo said:
S10GTA said:
You mention the Xnatia is st, yet you want to find one with the V6. You confuse me?
st car=non performance car,nothing to do with the car itself just with its performance

I dont want the 1.6 or the 1.8 but the V6 is preferable as it's decent performance wise,i get these are no sports cars but the V6 gets close to it,i have at least seen 3 LHD ones on different shows in UK,as i spend my time in Europe mostly i guess is no trouble finding one in France or Italy.

First i thought the "Activa" was a trim available only with the low powered 1.6s or max 150 hp 2.0s with the suspension included.
Sorry, I had removed my reply.

The car has a 2ltr Turbo in the UK, with 150bhp as standard. A simple bleed valve will see that increase by a significant amount. The performance isn't too shabby, and there is very little between it and the V6.

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
The video with the nutter roads is very impressive if a little spooky - the car just doesn't roll & in some ways looks like a video game!

I'd never even really heard of this before - I've seen Activas in the AT before now but assumed it was just a trim level.

What a shame it never really caught on & I wonder why it didn't?

Presumably cost?

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Hoygo said:
Kitchski said:
Where to start.....

1) Define a st car.
2) Xantia was regarded to be best car in it's class (Mondeo, Vectra, Avensis etc) by the majority of motoring mags until the 406 came out. Sometimes the petrol models lost out to the Mondeo in group tests, but the diesels always came out top.
3) Xantia IS a PSA group car.
4) Xantia is a hatch/Xantia V6 has (near as makes no difference) 200bhp.
5) 2.0 Turbo (while not great) can achieve 200bhp easily.
6) The system only works on Hydropneumatically-suspended cars; it's part of that system. The only other car to have the basic computer controlled suspension required to plumb this into is the XM.


In a nutshell.
You wrote all this unnecessary things regarding the question and avoided the point,no worries though i already knew.

I wanted to know if the system was fitted to any other performance car of PSA group,family saloons don't count as have nothing to do with it,if a decent car was equipped with the system was my question, as it really suits a sports car.

If the V6 Xantia has the system than im off to classified .
I did answer your question....the system can only be fitted to vehicles with hydropneumatic suspension. So that rules out Peugeots completely (except the back end of a 405 Mi16x4) and any Citroen with conventional springs.

Vince70

1,939 posts

193 months

Monday 8th October 2012
quotequote all
Great car I remember my neighbour buying an activa Diesel with full leather, it worked in my favour as I bought his previous xantia, which was one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned.
But saying that my diesel xantia was complete poverty spec with no electrics and was a N/A diesel so quite slow I think that was the main reason why it was so reliable.
Are the brakes quite grabby on the activa, I think my old xantia's brakes could only do emergency stop it seemed with the brakes it was all or nothing.