Citroën Saxo Hatchback (1996-2003) engines, drive and performance

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Performance rating: 3.5 out of 53.5

Written by Keith Adams Updated: 11 February 2021

The 1.1 litre is well-suited to the Saxo chassis, nippy around town and able to hold its own on the motorway. The hot 1.6 VTS is torquey with brisk acceleration, while the warm VTR is pleasing to drive.

Sales of the 1.5 diesel are not strong as it’s a clunky, noisy old unit that vibrates too much. With petrol engines achieving upwards of 40mpg and typical Saxo usage being short trips, the oil-burning option is seen by many buyers as unnecessary.

Fun to drive thanks to accurate steering, well-thought out suspension settings and a chassis designed by someone with a bit of va-va-voom inside them. Not plush and a bit noisy at speed, but definitely fun.