Citroën Saxo

The Citroën Saxo was a supermini automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003.

The Saxo, known during its development phase as "Project S8", was launched in 1996 to replace the ageing Citroën AX. Much of the Saxo's engineering was shared with the Peugeot 106 of Citroën's parent company, Peugeot. The Saxo was one of several Citroëns from the 1990s criticised for looking too conservative and ordinary, in contrast to the idiosyncratic, quirky design of earlier Citroëns like the CX, BX and XM. In particular, Citroën enthusiasts disliked its strong exterior resemblance to its Peugeot sibling; although the two PSA Group marques had been basing their cars on shared chassis since the mid-1970s, they usually featured completely different bodies, which was not the case for the Saxo/106.

A multitude of different specifications and models came and went during the Saxo's lifetime, although each different named model, e.g. Saxo First, Saxo Desire, Saxo Executive, Saxo Furio, used one of three engines; 1.1 and 1.4 petrol engines and a 1.5 diesel engine. Two high performance models called the Saxo VTR (using a 1.6 8v engine producing 98 bhp) and the Saxo VTS (using a 1.6 16V engine producing 120 bhp) were launched in 1998. The Saxo in general, and these high performance models in particular, was very popular with young drivers, many of whom personalized their cars with alloy wheels and body kits.

By the beginning of 2002, the end was in sight for the Saxo with its design now more than a decade old. The more spacious and practical five-door C3 attracted buyers, and Saxo sales fell dramatically. Only the 1.6 VTR and VTS models remained popular. The Saxo finally finished production in late 2003 when the three-door C2 was launched. Its twin, the Peugeot 106, also ceased production at this time.