Citroën's 1.6-litre C4 VTR Coupé makes an affordable entry point to the coupé world if you're looking for interesting styling but not too worried about performance.
It was launched in November 2005 at R154 995, including a two-year/60 000km service plan, and offers a R45 000 saving over its more powerful C4 two-litre VTS brother, which produces a lively 135kW and 180Nm.
The 1.6 gets by with a more modest 80kW and 147Nm.
The shape is quite offbeat with radically angled windscreen and swoopy roofline straight out of the coupé textbook - but it ends in a chopped-off tail that makes it look as if a hatchback was involved in its parentage.
The most interesting part is the tailgate's split windscreen, which extends up onto the roof and provides a skylight for your luggage. It's different and chic but not very practical as the windscreen is split exactly in the centre of your line of vision in the rear view mirror. No matter, most South Africans don't check their mirrors anyway.
It's not a show-stopper but the C4 Coupé attracts its fair share of admiring glances even from teenagers, those ultimate arbiters of what's cool.
The aerodynamic body has a class-leading drag coefficient of 0.28 but despite its low-looking roofline the car has decent interior headroom. Two full-sized adults will fit into the rear seat without unwanted intimacy or their legs going numb.
Living with a two-door car is always a hassle in tight parking spaces, where you have to be careful not to bash its extra-long doors when opening them but at least getting into the C4's back seat is not an issue as the front seats move forward with a quick and simple lever release.
The interior design is one of the C4's shortcomings. The cabin looks very plain Jane, in contrast to the flamboyant exterior styling, with a rather unfortunate choice of cheap-looking plastics; it's almost as if the dashboard was hurriedly designed as an afterthought.
It does have a few unusual design features, however; a digital display perched on the centre of the fascia incorporates a digital speedometer, trip computer and fuel and temperature gauges. There's no instrument pod in front of the driver, just a thin horizontal rev counter, while the steering wheel has buttons for the cruise control and audio system.
The centre of the steering wheel doesn't turn with the rim, leaving space in the hub for what Citroën calls the world's first anatomically-shaped driver crash bag. There are six crash bags in total as well as seatbelts with pre-tensioners, making the C4 one of the safest cars in its class and one of the highest scorers in the EuroNCap crash tests.
The 1587cc 16-valve petrol engine isn't lazy but offers little real excitement; Citroën claims it will reach 100km/h in 10.6sec at sea level, which should translate to around 12 seconds up in Johannesburg.
More importantly, its good low-down torque gives it an easy-driving nature and it doesn't need high revs to get it moving. The controls are smooth and easy, though there's a lot of play in the five-speed gearshift.
Once at cruising speed it maintains pace with little effort and has more than enough ability to set off the traffic department's one-eyed bandits, with an impressive top speed of 194km/h thanks to its slippery aerodynamics. Wind and road noise are not intrusive; passengers are ferried in agreeable silence.
Our town/freeway fuel consumption averaged 9.4 litres/100km, which is a bit greedy for a 1.6 and quite a lot higher than Citroën's claimed 7.1.
Agility is one of the car's strong points; it gets through corners neatly and without much body roll thanks to front and rear anti-roll bars, while the electric power steering is sensitive to speed and steering angle. The 205mm tyres cling doggedly to the tar and although there's no traction control you seldom feel it's needed.
It stops in a hurry thanks to its all-disc ABS brakes with brake assist, and the hazard lights come on automatically under emergency braking to warn drivers behind you.
The ride is good over smooth surfaces and longer undulations but the car jiggles uncomfortably over smaller bumps and scarred road surfaces. This sends shimmers through the body; the C4 doesn't seem as solidly built as some of its rivals - so much for the myth that all French cars have a great ride quality.
The car is well equipped for the price, including a radio/CD player with audio controls on the steering wheel, electric windows, air conditioning, cruise control, and a refrigerated glove compartment.
The ventilation system is scented and there's a choice of nine different smells - but you can switch it off if you prefer natural Eau de Gauteng. Storage space is reasonable and includes a tray under the driver's seat.
The boot volume is a modest 193 litres but the rear seats can be folded down to expand it to generous proportions. The spare wheel is full-sized, not one of those dreaded dustbin lids.
SUMMARY
Underneath its foxy styling the 1.6-litre C4 Coupe is a competent if not exciting car. Adrenaline seekers should ignore it.
The cheap interior and imperfect ride quality are drawbacks but its refreshingly different shape and high level of safety and trim come at an attractive price.