Citroën C2 Crash Test

this page shows you the famous CITROËN C2 when tested on safety!

C2 CRASH TEST 2002
Citroën C2 1.1 SX LHD | 3-door supermini
2003 model year | 932 kg | on the same platform: C3 & Pluriel

front and side impact rating

pedestrian test rating

child protecting rating

how the tests are done -

C2 crash test mpeg 153 kB (Windows Media Player)

C2 crash test mov 1.587 kB (Quick Time)

Test Scores: Front 13 (81%); Side 14 (78%); Belt Reminder 1; Overall 29; Pedestrian 12 (33%);Child Protection 29 (59%)

The C2 has a strong and stable passenger safety cage. Its restraint systems and airbags kept the driver’s chest and head away from the steering wheel and protected occupants well. The C2 had seat-mounted (thorax) airbags that performed adequately. But protection for children was patchy and that for pedestrians was only average.

Frontal Impact
The C2 survived the impact well, suffering minimal distortion around its sills and screen pillars and only minor intrusion into the driver’s footwell. Its restraint system uses single-stage non-tethered airbags combined with belts fitted with pre-tensioners and load limiters. The driver’s and front passenger’s chests were well protected. As with any small car, it is difficult to provide room to protect the driver’s knees fully. Here the steering column and ignition lock presented hazards but other threats had been cleared away. The C2 has rear seating for two, each protected by a three-point belt.


driver	passenger	driver side

Side Impact
The seat mounted (thorax) airbag worked efficiently. The car’s performance was relatively good throughout, although significant levels of force from the airbag reached the driver’s chest. The door trim below the arm rest was pushed in and could have resulted in chest injuries.

Child Protection
Kiddy Life restraints were used for both children. These were placed forward facing and were secured using the car’s belts. These protected their heads from hitting the inside of the car in the frontal impact but both children risked head injuries in the side impact. Chest loads reaching the younger child were also on the high side. The passenger frontal airbag has an on/off switch. This was explained by a pictogram and a text label on the passenger’s end of the fascia, but this could be peeled off and lost. Eye-catching text labels fixed to both sides of the passenger’s sun visor warned against fitting a rear-facing restraint opposite a ‘live’ airbag.

Pedestrian Protection
The bonnet top gave some protection where a child’s or adult’s head might strike but the car’s bumper was ‘unfriendly’.

Model history and safety equipment
The C2 features dual frontal airbags, side airbags (thorax), front belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, ISOFIX mountings on both rear seats, a seat belt reminder for the driver and ABS.

what Citroën writes about the C2:

A reinforced structure

The front end is the same as on the C3. Cantrails with built-in crumple zones are attached to two shock absorbers and a cross-beam manufactured from very high yield-strength steel.
The subframe and windscreen pillars are designed to absorb energy and dissipate it towards the rear of the vehicle.

The doors feature two built-in tubes measuring 30 mm in diameter and a reinforced upper trim to protect the passengers in the event of side impact.
The rear part is also specific to the C2, since the floor is completely flat. A cross-beam and two shock absorbers are positioned at the rear end of the vehicle, as they are at the front.

Passive safety equipment for a complete and dependable system

Alongside its reinforced structure, the C2 boasts a wide range of safety equipment:

• two front airbags,
• two side airbags,
• two curtain airbags protecting the occupants at front and rear (depending on the country),
• two reinforcing beams and impact-absorbing structures in the doors,
• impact-absorbing structures in the dashboard to protect the occupants’ knees,
• a steering column that retracts over 50 mm.

Running gear designed for performance and safety

The running gear components are similar to those of the C3. The MacPherson type suspension features a decoupled anti-roll bar linked directly to the shock absorbers.
The rear suspension features a flexible transverse beam with hydraulic shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar. The shock absorbers are fixed to the exterior parts of the arms in order to maintain a generous minimum of 1,014 mm between the wheel arches.
Damping control is adapted to the characteristics of the C2 (weight, tyres, aerodynamics, etc.) and to its type classification.
With its 16-inch wheels, the 1.6i 16V VTR version is a perfect illustration of the car’s dynamic positioning.

The C2 also features top-level active safety equipment including:

- ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution,
- emergency braking assistance,
- hazard warning lights activated automatically by strong braking,
- ESP (on the 1.4i and 1.6i 16V engines depending on the version and destination)..

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this page was created 27 november 2003
last change 13 december 2003