Editing Citroën ZX (section)

== Model History ==
[[File:1994 Citroen ZX Dimension 1.9 Rear.jpg|thumb|left|Citroën ZX Dimension (five door, facelift)]]
[[File:1993 Citroen ZX Volcane TD (9758856532).jpg|thumb|Citroën ZX Volcane (three door, pre-facelift)]]
[[File:Citroën ZX interior.jpg|thumb|Interior]]
The [[Citroën GS]] had been a ground breaking and radical new model in the small family car market on its launch in 1970, scooping the [[European Car of the Year]] award, and was facelifted in 1979 and gained a hatchback which saw it transformed into the GSA.

However, such was the success of the larger [[Citroën BX|BX]] after its 1982 launch, that PSA decided to delay the launch of an immediate replacement for the GSA when it was finally discontinued in 1986. Development work began on a new C segment hatchback, which was originally expected to be launched as the Citroën FX at the beginning of the 1990s.

Although the Rally Raid version of the ZX debuted during 1990, the ZX was officially launched on the [[Left- and right-hand traffic|left hand drive]] continental markets on 16 March 1991, with [[United Kingdom|British]] sales beginning in May that year, initially only with petrol engines. The diesel ZX went on sale later in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|first=Julian | last = Marsh |url=http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/psa/zx/zx1.htm |title=Citroën ZX |publisher=Citroenet.org.uk |access-date=2011-08-07}}</ref> The ZX was helped at the time of introduction by having reached the market a few months before the new version of the [[Opel Astra|Opel]]/[[Vauxhall Astra]].

The sales target was about 230,000 vehicles per year, with half of that number going outside of [[France]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=February 1991|first=Xavier | last = Karcher | title = Nous ferons école! | language = fr | magazine =L'Action Automobile et Touristique|issue=352}}</ref>

It went on sale in New Zealand in the beginning of 1993, as a five door in 1.6 Aura or Turbodiesel trim, with the naturally aspirated diesel and Volcane GTi (1.9) models joining a few weeks later. New Zealand's unleaded petrol was of a low octane rating, meaning that initially only uncatalyzed cars were on offer.<ref name="NZCarp44">{{cite journal | ref = NZC393 | journal = New Zealand Car | title = Sweet Package | page = 44 | volume = 7 | number = 5 | date = March 1993 | editor-last = Anderson | editor-first = Donn | location = Auckland, New Zealand | publisher = Accent Publishing Cnr | issn = 0113-0196 }}</ref>
[[File:Citroen ZX Aura Turbo D Heck.JPG|left|thumb|Citroën ZX Break/Estate]]

In January 1994, the estate of the ZX debuted, and went on sale in May, shortly thereafter followed by a mid-cycle facelift.

The first examples of the ZX had been produced in 1990, with the three door Rally Raid model being the winner of the [[Paris-Dakar]], which started just after Christmas. The first prototypes of the ZX had actually debuted at the [[Baja Aragon]] on 20 July 1990. Drag resistance ranged from Cds 0.30 to 0.33.<ref name=NZCarp46>[[#NZC393|''Sweet Package'']], p. 46</ref>

The launch of the ZX marked the return of Citroën into the C sector of the car market; it had discontinued the GSA in 1986 with no immediate replacement, largely due to the success of the larger BX. However, Citroën had decided to phase out the BX between 1990 and 1993, by at first launching a smaller model, and then adding a larger model (the [[Citroën Xantia|Xantia]]) to its range.

The ZX's interior space and value received praise from critics and consumers. Of particular note was the unusual rear seat arrangement: the rear bench was mounted on a sliding platform that allowed it to be moved rearwards to increase rear legroom, or forwards to increase cargo space or to allow the seat back to be tilted backwards.<ref name="TV1191.11">{{cite magazine | ref = RC91 | title = Cittra med klang | trans-title = Citroën with tone | language = sv | magazine = [[Teknikens Värld]] | publisher = Specialtidningsförlaget AB | location = Stockholm, Sweden | page = 11 | date = 1991-05-30 | issue = 10 | volume = 43 | first = Robert | last = Collin }}</ref> Unfortunately, only the seat backs folded forward on models so fitted; lower specification models had more ultimate cargo capacity as the rear seat cushion folded up, allowing the seat back to be laid down flat. The ZX's specifications were good for its class, with most models getting [[power steering]], electric windows, electric sunroof, a driver's side (and sometimes passenger's side) [[airbag]], and [[anti-lock braking system]] as either optional or standard equipment. It remained competitively priced though, unlike the Mark III [[Volkswagen Golf Mk3|Volkswagen Golf]], which was priced at a premium when launched in August 1991.

The familiar range of PSA powertrains drove the front wheels of a seemingly conventionally designed chassis. At the front was a standard [[MacPherson strut]] layout with [[anti-roll bar]], while the rear used the PSA Peugeot-Citroën fully independent [[trailing arm]]/[[torsion bar]] set up that was first introduced on the estate of the [[Peugeot 305]].

However, PSA's chassis engineers employed some unusual features, including [[Steering#passive|passive rear-wheel steering]] to induce compliance understeer by means of specially designed bushes in the rear suspension.<ref name="TV1191.11"/> At high mileages, this is prone to wear off the axle mounting bushes, which is easily fixed. The rear shock absorbers were developed and constructed in house.

[[File:1994 Citroen ZX Dimension 1.9 Front.jpg|left|thumb|1994 Citroën ZX (five door, facelift)]]
It is also prone to wear in the rear axle trailing arm bearings, which then wear the trailing arm axle tubes, requiring an expensive rebuild or a replacement axle assembly.<ref>{{citation | title = Citroen ZX Petrol/Service and Repair Manual: 1991-1998 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140912025936/http://www.docstoc.com/docs/122038287/Citroen-ZX-Suspension-and-steering | archive-date = 2014-09-12 | url = http://www.docstoc.com/docs/122038287/Citroen-ZX-Suspension-and-steering | first = Mark | last = Coombs | isbn = 978-1859607503 | publisher = Haynes Manuals Inc. | location = Sparkford, Somerset, UK | date = 2000 | page = 10·1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sspengineering.co.uk/ |title= Peugeot Rear Suspension Replacement & Citroen Rear Suspension Replacement | publisher = R.Mountjoy Engineering - Formerly SSP Engineering |access-date=2 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901110154/http://www.sspengineering.co.uk/ |archive-date=1 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The diesel and larger capacity petrol engines are canted as far back as possible in the engine bay, in an effort to put as much weight as possible behind the front axle line, also reducing the centre of gravity, while improving weight distribution and minimising understeer.