Citroën ZX

Lore & Background

The Citroën ZX was launched on left-hand-drive continental markets on 16 March 1991, with British sales beginning in May that year. It was initially available as a three- or five-door hatchback, with a five-door estate added in 1994. The ZX used a conventional front MacPherson strut layout with anti-roll bar, while the rear employed PSA's fully independent trailing arm/torsion bar setup first introduced on the Peugeot 305 estate. Unusual features included passive rear-wheel steering via specially designed bushes to induce compliance understeer. The rear shock absorbers were developed and constructed in house. The diesel and larger petrol engines were canted as far back as possible in the engine bay to improve weight distribution and minimise understeer.

The ZX's interior featured a sliding rear bench that could be moved rearwards for legroom or forwards for cargo space. Lower specification models had the rear seat cushion fold up to allow the seat back to lie flat. Most models offered power steering, electric windows, electric sunroof, airbags, and anti-lock brakes as optional or standard. The ZX range initially comprised four trim levels: Reflex, Avantage, Aura, and the sporting Volcane. Later models included the Furio, a 16-valve high-performance derivative, and many special editions. The Volcane TD was one of the first diesel hot hatches.

The ZX chassis was also used for the Peugeot 306 from 1993, and the Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Partner were built on the front half of the same platform. The ZX was replaced by the Xsara in September 1997, but European production continued until 1998. In China, a saloon derivative called the Citroën Elysée and the China-based ZX known as the Fukang continued to be produced by the Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile joint venture.

Reader's Guide

The Citroën ZX holds significance as the model that re-established Citroën in the competitive C segment after a five-year absence following the GSA's discontinuation. Its development was delayed due to the success of the larger BX, but the ZX arrived just months before the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra, giving it a market advantage. The car's rallying achievements were substantial: it won the Paris-Dakar Rally four times—in 1991 with Ari Vatanen and in 1994, 1995, and 1996 with Pierre Lartigue—claiming 59 stage wins. It also secured five FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies titles, four by Lartigue between 1993 and 1996 and one by Vatanen in 1997. In rallycross, the ZX 16V Turbo driven by Kenneth Hansen won two FIA European Rallycross Championship titles in 1994 and 1996. The ZX Kit Car, a front-wheel-drive naturally aspirated rally car built to F2 rules, won the 1997 Spanish rally championship with Jesús Puras. The ZX's platform later underpinned the Peugeot 306, which became even more successful, and the Berlingo/Partner vans. Its production in China as the Fukang and Elysée extended its life well beyond its European replacement.

Did You Know?

• The ZX's rear suspension used passive rear-wheel steering via specially designed bushes.
• The ZX Kit Car won the 1997 Spanish rally championship.