With the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that the Citroen Xsara VTS was fairly doomed from the start. Even with Claudia Schiffer in the advert. Here was a car that, in 1997, was uglier and slower than the Peugeot 306 GTI-6 with which it shared so much. It was lighter and cheaper, yes, but that wasn't enough - Peugeot had a USP with six gears in a hatchback, as well as those pert good looks, and Citroen did not. Especially so given the feisty, flighty Saxo VTS was also available at the same time, which was fast, cheap and hilarious fun. By the end of 2000, Peugeot had sold 3,896 GTI-6s and Citroen 5,200 VTS Saxos to fervent teenagers; 670 Xsaras had found buyers in the same time.
In some ways, that's rather a shame, because you could give an orangutan the vital parts of a 306 GTI-6 (albeit with a five-speed gearbox) and end up with a good car; handed to Citroen in the 1990s, with the AX and BX recent enough to be fondly remembered, the end result was really rather good. The Xsara was praised for its punchy, tuneful engine, excellent ride/handling balance and well-sorted steering. It's just that the 306 was better...
The Xsara's plight was exacerbated further by every built-not-bought vulture seizing that sweet XU10 engine for their latest track project. In 2012 absolute minters were £1,000, roadworthy cars half that, and the 2.0-litre worked wonders in cars like the 205 GTI. Given nobody cared especially about the Xsara, for all the reasons listed above, it's little wonder that precious few survive today.
But despite its niche appeal, the demise of the Xsara VTS should be considered a shame; firstly, because it was a thoroughly decent hot hatch, and secondly because variety and diversity should be celebrated. It's an alternative, a valid one at that, so why wouldn't you be interested in a Xsara VTS?
The disappearing act has been pretty drastic, with just 11 pre-facelift cars now registered on our roads. What you're looking at here, then, is very nearly 10 per cent of all such Xsaras in the UK right now. Conveniently for this story, the VTS in question is a fine specimen, with just one owner and 70,000 miles recorded since new. The brief ad details published thus far - we keep an eager eye out for Xsaras, so would guess this ad is pretty new - also state a full service history is present, which is obviously a welcome sign. Be sure to check that the cambelt and water pump have been changed recently, as they need them regularly.
While it will take a committed Francophile to spend £4,000 on what is, to many, a forgettable 90s hatchback, it's easy to understand why they might. Far worse cars have been saved by committed parties than the VTS, for starters. In addition, the Xsara is a pleasant reminder of when Citroen made genuinely good hot hatches, a commitment they seem to have abandoned in the 20 years following, and will surely appeal to those after a worthy hot hatch curio. The renewed appreciation for, and corresponding rise in value of, the 306 equivalent should ensure a steady supply of parts, and chances to buy Xsaras like this don't come up all that often - trust us. Best move quickly...
SPECIFICATION - CITROEN XSARA VTS
Engine: 1,998cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 170@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 142@5,500rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2001
Recorded mileage: 70,000
Price new: £16,395
Yours for: £4,360
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