I've just returned from a week in Belgrade, where I had the use of a Citroen C4 (not the recently launched one, but the original shape) in 1.6HDi form. This came as a surprise to me as the agency I use usually give me a Megane or an Astra, neither of which I particularly like, but this agency are substantially cheaper than the mainstream big names ones, and I always get a cheery, personal service from them. It's always the same two folks on the desk, and they always recognise us and greet us in a very friendly manner. They're called “Yu Tim” rent a car, if anyone is minded to visit Belgrade and hire a car. Highly recommended.
On to the car. I was pleasantly surprised by the build quality of the car, and the remarkably smooth, powerful and quiet way in which it went about its business, even with a full load of people and luggage on board. In fact, I assumed it was a larger petrol engined, perhaps a 2.0, car until I glanced idly at the rental documentation and saw 1.6HDi on the paperwork.
I was so taken aback I even went and checked inside the fuel filler flap, lo and behold it was indeed marked "Diesel". Then, back behind the wheel, I scanned the instrument panel for the tell-tale ignition coily light which I assumed I had missed - there was none. Never seen that before on a diesel.
The vehicle was showing 37000k on the clock, not exactly brand new for a hire car, but it was showing almost no signs of wear and tear, again this impressed me as I had expected a modern, smallish Citroen to be flimsier, evidently unfairly so. It felt very robust, easily a match for such rivals as the Focus and Golf in my opinion. And superior to the Megane and Astra (H).
Even Mrs A (a dyed in the wool VW Golf fan) liked driving the car, she especially liked the lightness of steering and gearing (she usually hates manuals), and the electronic instrument display, along with the comfort afforded by the seats, both front and rear. She says she’ll consider one to replace the Golf should the need arise. Praise indeed. Rear passenger space is a little cramped, and boot space a tad restricted, along with poorish rearward visibility. But none of these gripes are terminal.
The car was fitted with 4 winter tyres (it’s the law there now to have at least two from November to March, on the driven wheels naturally), and these were Maxxis “MASPW Spike” tyres, without the optional studs fitted. All I can say to these is wow, wow and wow again. Whilst we were in town, it started snowing on the Monday, and it was still belting down when we left on Friday. We drove on fresh snow, compacted slush, ice, you name it. Our apartment is in a particularly hilly part of the city too and the car never felt like it was going to lose any grip, even in dreadful conditions going up or down quite steep hills. Utterly, utterly brilliant. I am most definitely going to order some for one of our cars when the summer comes and the prices drop. The snow, though heavy and constant, didn’t cause one single problem on the city network, even in parts which remained unploughed and untreated. Everyone’s got proper tyres, so no one gets stuck. And no one needs a 4x4 to cope with it.
Sadly (from my point of view as a crappy-old-car spod), Belgrade’s fleet of cars seems to be getting progressively more modern all the time. The number of Yugos and other old eastern bloc cars is decreasing quite quickly, although they are still pretty common. Quite a few Skoda Estelles and the like rattling round still. The older British cars which used to be common, like Avengers and Marinas, seem to have died off now, I didn’t see any at all on this trip. Although the number of Renault 4s on the road is quite staggering. Testament to the genius of the design and build of that model. There is one on virtually every street still.
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Citroen C4 - Winter tyres and other notes from Serbia - Boxsterboy
