2002 CITROEN C8 2.2i 5MT FWD (158 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The Eurovans continued their mission to put more people inside a family car and still offer plenty of room for luggage, and the Citroen C8 was one of them.

Peugeot-Citroen Group and Fiat rallied together to beat the Renault Espace at its own game by introducing a badge-engineered vehicle range in 1994. Their alliance worked well enough to continue the alliance for a second generation of the so-called Eurovans. Thus, Citroen produced the C8, Peugeot entered the 807, Fiat the Ulysses, and Lancia the Phaedra.

In 2000, Citroen started a new front-fascia theme for its entire lineup, starting with the Xsara and continued with the C5 in 2001 and the 2002 C8. Its tear-shaped headlights featured a straight cut toward the hood and rounded on the exterior. The chromed slat on the grille that supported the “double-chevron” badge was part of the theme as well. From its sides, the C8 showed its sloped front side that started with a steep and short hood continued by a long windshield. In the rear, the slim and very tall taillights flanked the tailgate.

Inside, Citroen installed three seats of rows, with an option for up to seven seats. Apart from the front seats, all other places could slide, recline, or be removed. The carmakers that built the Eurovans didn’t consider that a folding system would be a better idea. Its instrument panel was installed in the middle of the wide and long dashboard. Thus, it was cheaper for them to build LHD or RHD vehicles.

The two partners installed some common and some different engines under the hood, with Citroen-Peugeot and Fiat-sourced powerplants. The C8 was available with up to ten engine versions, with either manual or automatic transmissions.