For years if you wanted a people carrier you had little choice, it was a Renault Espace or nothing. But in the mid nineteen nineties a whole host of competitors entered the market. Amongst the most popular was the Citroen Synergie. With plenty of used examples around good used examples can now be bought for as little as £2,500 making it one of the cheapest used people carriers you can buy.

Launched in January 1996 the Synergie model line-up was simple, a 123bhp, 2.0-litre petrol which later gained 16-valves and an extra 15bhp in October ’00, or a 92bhp, 1.9 turbo diesel which was to be replaced by a 110bhp 2.0 HDi common-rail unit in October ’99. Being a fairly large vehicle none of these engines endows the Synergie with sparkling performance but it’s the diesel units that suit it best. The earlier 1.9 litre diesels do struggle with a load on board but cruises happily when tested more lightly. The larger 2.0HDi feels far more comfortable and despite the useful extra power losses nothing in terms of economy. Citroen offered the Synergie with a choice of 5, 6, 7 and 8 seats but the 5 and 8 seater versions were least popular and used examples are very rare.

Most used buyers will decide between the 6 seater with individual seats and the 7 seater with a middle bench seat. By removing individual seats the Synergie offers a bewildering array of seating and luggage permutations and combinations. But beware; removing them can be a tricky task. The fiddly catches and heavy seat construction makes it a perfect breeding ground for scuffed knuckles and pinched fingers. But the Synergie does score well in other areas; the twin sliding side doors are ideal when parking in tight spaces and reduce the risk of putting dents in the doors of neighboring cars, something anyone with children will appreciate. On higher specification models extra storage in trays under the front seats is a nice touch and all models benefit from the placement of the handbrake to the right of the driver’s seat keeping the floor between front seats clear. The Synergies relatively boxy design also maximizes the cars internal dimensions whilst not making it overtly long or wide. At 14 ft 7inch long and 6ft wide it’s 3 inches shorter than the a Renault Espace of the same vintage and 9 inches narrower, a big difference when trying to squeeze into tight spaces. Specification levels on the Synergie are pretty straight forward,

LX is the base model, SX the mid range and VSX (which became Exclusive in October 1999) the top model. With the premium between models reducing as they age the best advice is to go higher rather than lower spec. The mid range SX model, which post Nov 1997 came with the all important air conditioning, virtually essential on a car with so much glass gives a good level of specification and is the most desirable with plenty about on the used market. Top Spec VSX and Exclusive models look attractive with the addition of the CD stackers and electric front seats but used buyers wanting seven seats are likely to struggle as many of these top spec cars were ordered with the 6 seat option when new. Sit inside the Synergie and you should find it’s pretty well screwed together but don’t expect fancy options like satellite navigation or DVD players.

A key pad operated engine immobiliser was fitted to early vehicles but in 1998 was replaced by a less fussy transponder immobiliser integrated into the body of the key. During its life the Synergie underwent few other modification of note, another reason why the early cars still look good when sat next to newer examples. The Synergies on road manners are also a pleasant surprise, much more ‘car than van’. The steering isn’t quite as precise as a saloon car and the brakes aren’t as sharp but then this is a tall, heavy vehicle. The Synergies softish suspension also provokes under steer when pushed through the corners but does make up for it with high levels of comfort at all other times. The high seating position, deep screen and large mirrors give excellent visibility and the gear shift, mounted on the dashboard, falls easily to hand. Citroen did offer an optional 4-speed auto box, married to the 138bhp 2 litre petrol unit, in May 2000 but sales were low and used examples are hard to find.

The Synergie was replaced in late 2003 by the new Citroen C8 but priced at a fraction of the newer cars cost to me it looks like something of a bargain at the moment.

• Sliding doors - twin sliding doors make access a doodle and avoid the children hitting other cars when opening them, check both slide freely and that the runners are not buckled and edges not chipped
• Air conditioning - standard on SX, VSX and Exclusive since Nov 1997
• Sunroofs – Many models fitted with twin sunroofs, front is manually operated, rear is electric
• Front tyres - Front tyre can be heavy so check them regularly and if in doubt check the tracking
• Spare tyres – Stored under the boot floor in a cradle it can be a target for theft, and check it regularly to make sure it remains inflated
• Engine immobilizer – floor mounted key pad immobilizer was replaced with more conventional key mounted transponder immobiliser in 1998
• Key – Cruciform key design makes locks more difficult to pick
• Seats - 5 seat vehicles are rare but have the floor mountings for the extra seats, beware though, it can be a false economy as replacement seats are expensive.
• Gear stick – dash mounted gear shift falls to hand naturally
• Handbrake – mounted to the right of the drivers seat it keeps the floor between the front seats clutter free and allows access to the rear
• Servicing interval – Both petrol and diesel engines have an 12month/12,500 interval
• Safety - impressive 4 star performer in the 2002 Euro NCAP
• Engines – 2.0HDi unit is the pick of the crop with good performance and economy
• Boot space – disappointing boot space if all three rows of seats are in place
• 3rd row of seats – smaller seats and tricky access make them best suited to children easily
  
  

• Citroen Synergie 2.0HDi SX 7-Seater
  5 speed manual gearbox
  1999 ‘V’ with 40,000 miles
  Pay £7,550 at a dealer with a 12 month warranty £6,750 privately
  

 © Jason Dawe Productions Limited September 2004