Interior Citroen Friend

Interior retro, charging cable, carpet, centralization: you will find in this article all the answers to the questions that can be asked about this small car but also links to products very useful to equip it. After a dynamic first try that I was able to do, it was Jack who discovers and makes you discover the friend.

Test-Friend, electric micro-city-city without a Citroën license

Citroën explores urban mobility with the friend 100% ëlectric. This smaller car as a smart is both available for purchase on the Internet, at Fnac-Darty and in Self-Party in Paris.

A smaller car than a smart, 100% electric and accessible experienced drivers as well as adolescents from 14 years old, is the latest Citroën model: the 100% ëlectric friend (its official name).

When some car manufacturers are trying by cycling or scooter, Citroën is experimenting with different electric mobility, clearly turned to young urban people who are less and less desire to pass their license, but could always need to drive a car.

The good point: a UFO in Parisian traffic

The friend does not leave indifferent, and in a sometimes dull automobile universe, this characteristic slices. Photos, discussions with red light, looked at, our pot of yogurt is distinguished. Its size leads to a number of comments on its obvious practical side on a daily basis, its matte color brings a lot of questions.

Without any driving assistance (not to mention technologies such as alerts to crossing line or dead angles, the friend has no power steering), with very unregular seats and a polypropylene body, the Friend is she a real “car”? If we add an autonomy of 75 kilometers, we did not really leave when taking the road surrounded by bus and big SUV.

After an afternoon riding in Paris, without monitoring the level of the battery, two in the cabin, it is rather the good surprise. First of all, the autonomy does not drop too quickly. It seems enough for small journeys of a few kilometers, even repeated during the day. With its 5.5 kWh battery, the friend recharges in three hours on a classic socket, which means having a parking space with a simple point to connect. A cable (accessible as an option at 300 euros) also makes it possible to recharge on certain public terminals in Paris and near suburbs.

Then the friend finally offers a lot of interior space. Two, with a big backpack, we did not feel too cramped. With 2.41 meters long, 1.39 meters wide, the friend sneaks almost everywhere without giving the impression of a sardine box. Difficult, however, to imagine doing a full races or recovering a piece of furniture, even in kit.

The black point: fun but not so handy

The Spartan side of the friend is easily explained to reduce weight and costs. And finally, to move from point A to point B, the absence of electric windows or height -adjustable seats are forgotten. On the other hand, some details are sorely lacking. Like the absence of an inner mirror.

All glazed, the friend lets easily take a look at the outside. But in the aggressiveness of urban traffic, it is painful. Ditto for the power steering which is really lacking to fully exploit all the parking possibilities on a car in the turning department of 7.20 meters.

We can also regret the lack of powerful acceleration at start -up for an electric, even if it is limited to 45km/h. It’s a shame to ensure a slightly dynamic conduct in town, especially in traffic jams.

But at what cost? Reasonable but.

Much cheaper than a smart or his competitors without a license, the friend had the specifications of being affordable. At 6,900 euros (excluding bonuses of 900 euros) as a starting price, she fills her office. Citroën also offers it for a long -term rental at 19.90 euros per month in order to resume the codes of a younger audience.

But with a first rent of 3,410 euros, almost half of the basic price, this option is quite expensive, especially that certain elements, such as smartphone support (essential for music or GPS), are not included.

On the other hand, renting the friend via the PSA, Free2move self -sharing system to move to Paris can be a wise choice. Without subscription, she is billed 39 cents of Euro per minute.

Interior Citroen Friend

Interior retro, charging cable, carpet, centralization: you will find in this article all the answers to the questions that can be asked about this small car but also links to products very useful to equip it. After a dynamic first try that I was able to do, it was Jack who discovers and makes you discover the friend.

Find the videos of our test and questions answer at the end of this article.

Compared to my first try, I want to come back to certain points. I rushed the friend on a roundabout in cobblestones, in support of 45 km/h, steering wheel, picked up then brute braking, it really does not move, rather reassuring for a teenager behind the wheel. I am more and more doubtful on the heating/desemburation system, I hope that Citroën will be smart enough to make a free update at the Tesla. Likewise at maximum speed, I would like to try to listen to the music, to see if this is realistic on “a long journey”.

We find the friend for the Citroën press tests in the heart of Paris. Short -term test once again, because we will only have the friend for 2 hours. To leave the beaten track, we went to our friends from the small shop on the quays of the Megisserie in Paris. We wanted to assess its loading potential and we were able to put a lot in the friend. It has no trunk but the passenger volume is huge and allows you to put very bulky items. I managed to put a chair for example, when we could not enter it in the smart that we took for comparison.

The lessers

– Look/Personalization

– Price offer /

– Hard seats

– Handling

– Regeneration braking by adjustable

– Habitability / Brightness

– Current knowledge of the Si Savi network

And to use the questions and answers we addressed in this video, you find them in writing, with the links to the products concerned

During our first attempt we had seen retro exterior which were moving, there is indeed a screw which allows to correct this problem, and the cars that we saw with “tight” mirrors

The insurance rate is a major subject, some insurances are little aware of the insurance of quadricycles, whether or not you have the permit and you share it with a teenager. Peugeot insurance often seems competitive and the Macif is also in the leading peloton of “reasonable” insurers, count from 35 to 65 euros depending on your profile, place of life, bonus etc. etc.

With what we have seen and questioning users, real autonomy is 75 km, with a small reserve beyond “zero”. However not yet return to this autonomy in colder weather in particular.

Price of delivery, 200 euro direct at home, 100 in dealerships if purchased online, 0 if bought in concession. Suddenly a lot to have the concession in dealerships, with a real grip, and the assurance that everything works before leaving. Only defect, the friend is not available, far from it, from all the dealers of the brand.

Latable info in Paris, electric quadricycles are not exempt from parking payment. A tacana at 197000 euros is because it is an electric car. Welcome to the country of Hidalgo anything.

The friend is delivered registered and with his front and rear plates, it is included in the price, the front is not compulsory, if you want to do the Californian go there remove the .

The tire inflation sticker is on the side of the passenger seat 😉 I saw an info circulating like what the friend was not sold to a company, this is not the case, but it does not There are no specific commercial conditions for the particular client. For those who anxious not to have indoor retro, it is less than 10 euro at Ali Express

For those who on the forum are worried about finding brake pads on the friend, I reassure them that will not be for immediately. The front axle has taken up the 208, so it is on dimensioned which contributes to its super handling.

There were some small quality problems on the first vehicles delivered, which seems to have disappeared. On the other hand, the Citroën post-sale seems lost and or nonexistent on the subject. It will change because PSA is not a small shop around the corner of the street but it is all the more unfortunate.

To date Citroën does not offer an adapter cable to connect the friend to a charging station that has no conventional domestic socket (some have). At Citroën it’s in progress, a little zero when you want to sell the friend to urban users. I link you two products, one on a cables for electric cables, the second on Ali Express sold for Asians who use Twizzy, at 50 euros.

Twizzy charging cable on Ali Express. Click here	Twizy charging cable on www.more.Fr. Click here

The heating works but is coupled with a very noisy ventilation: we saved poorly placed on the quality of the ventilation engine. I am quite skeptical about the efficiency of heating / de -breeding in the middle of winter. For what we were able to assess, the use of continuous heating induced an overconsumption of 10/15% or send. 10km on a full load. To be confirmed if we have the possibility of doing a long -term test. In all cases to limit the fogging I think that the application of a Rain’X anti bué product will be of great help inside the windshield and the rear window

Anti Bué Rainx. Click here	Anti-fog ali express click here

Instead of the original friend mats at 35 €, think rather of the rubber carpet at 1.50 € that can be blocked with the screws like those of original, to be found at Carrefour or at Norauto

Norauto rubber carpet. Click here	Norauto rubber carpet. Click here

The vehicles rented via Free2 Moove have a centralized closure, which is not the case on the cars on sale, and the option or the kit does not exist. Citroën looks overwhelmed on the subject, “we’re going to see, we think about it”. From my experience if the product can be mounted on the storage parks before delivery to freetomove, that should not be very heavy to install, and the cost is ridiculous: € 15 delivered to Ali Express.

Centralization kit. Click here

Likewise for telephone media, mine bought at Fnac is top and products like Ali Express are doing very well, the Citroën has € 7.50 does nothing.

Basic Ali Express support. Click here	Fnac support. Click here

The interior accessory net costs 30 € at Citroën, you will find a link for a clever product at 1/3 of the price.

Color net click here

And a chic and inexpensive response for the interior retro. FYI, Citroën will very quickly offer a very simple sun face for the glass roof

Retro central suction cup click here	Suns before first Citroën

Thanks to Gaetan Colombier to whom I stung a lot of these links

Francois Bouet

If you find nice accessories to equip the friend, do not hesitate to make me pass the link, I will activate this article

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