A quick overview of the Citroen C Elysee

By: Suraj Viswanathan

August 1,2019

4 min read

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Citroen C-Elysee: A Comprehensive Review of the Budget Family Sedan

Citroen C-Elysee

Introduction

The world of budget family sedans is quite an interesting and active one within the busy automotive landscape. From large major carmakers to several smaller ones, almost all have made the effort to produce at least one budget category sedan. The segment is so popular amongst car companies that players from America, Europe, Japan, and South Korea (among others) all have one profitable sedan that appeals to buyers who want all the basics covered with the least amount of outlay. European automaker Citroen is one of the few marques from that part of the world which has been making the C-Elysee since its introduction in China in the early 2000s.

Market Expansion

However, it wasn’t until 2013 that Citroen finally realized the potential of the C-Elysee in other markets as well. This was when it came out with the second-generation iteration of the C-Elysee, which is built at Peugeot’s manufacturing facility in Spain alongside the similar Peugeot 301 sedan. The Citroen C-Elysee is basically a budget C-segment sedan and as such, it competes with some heavyweights from the likes of the Hyundai Accent, Nissan Sunny, and Toyota Yaris sedan.

Exterior Design

The Citroen C-Elysee’s exterior follows a typical three-box sedan design, lacking any fancy lines, contours, or peculiar styling cues that help it stand out. In fact, even though it’s a touch larger than some of its closest rivals, the bland design means that it’s not the most observed car on the street or in a parking lot. However, it isn't necessarily an ugly duckling—it just doesn’t look particularly beautiful or intriguing.

The front end features a double-slatted chrome grille.
Slightly sweptback headlamps and subtly creased hood.
A smooth bumper with an integrated air dam and protruding fog lamp housings.

Viewed from the sides, the C-Elysee looks fairly decent, with:

A sharp character line running between the headlamps to the rear light cluster.
Gently flared fenders and multi-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels.
A rising shoulder line and a thin chrome strip along the window line.

At the back, the C-Elysee has wrap-around tail lamps, a subtly contoured trunk lid, and a simple yet sculpted rear bumper. The Citroen C-Elysee measures:

Length: 4.427 meters
Width: 1.748 meters
Height: 1.466 meters
Wheelbase: 2.652 meters
Boot capacity: Over 500 liters

Interior Features

Just as in the case of its exterior styling, the interior of the Citroen C-Elysee has clearly not been designed to impress. There are barely any interesting angles, contours, or curves in this cabin, as the upright layout of the dashboard and center stack suggests. If you want excitement and interesting aesthetics on the interior, look elsewhere.

Fortunately, there’s loads of space for five adults in this cabin, which would likely be one of the biggest factors if you’re choosing this sedan. On the features front, the C-Elysee includes:

Halogen headlights
Front fog lamps
Rear parking sensors
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Power windows and power-operated door mirrors
Manual air-conditioning
Four-speaker audio system with radio, CD, and MP3 playback
Dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes

Engine and Performance

The Citroen C-Elysee is powered by a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine that develops a modest 115hp and 150Nm of torque. This unit is paired with an old-school 4-speed automatic gearbox that drives the front wheels. The C-Elysee can reach 100 km/h in a shade over 10 seconds, and if you’re patient enough, achieve a top speed of 190 km/h.