Citroen AX GT review

You can sum up the AX’s GT’s underdog status by the fact its engine came from the sub-GTI Peugeot 205 XS. 86bhp is not a lot of poke. However, it’s got character. This engine sounds angry. At idle it’s a little lumpy but, as it revs with gusto toward 6,000rpm, it gains an almost Japanese banzai spirit. Because the power delivery’s smooth, and there ain’t that much of it, you’re unlikely to spin the wheels even in the wettest conditions. The gearshift is slick, true and positive. Brakes are over-specified – there’s no ABS and almost no weight to stop, and with only a 175-section tyre providing the purchase, it’s easy to lock all four wheels in damp or cold conditions. The pedal feel is stodgy and heavy too, in contrast to the lightweight throttle and its cheeky responses.

You might think “oh, how ironic, something that’s heavy in a lightweight car". Ho-ho. There’s no power assistance here sunshine, and at parking speeds it’s not so much weighty as “hmm, I don’t remember parking in the middle of freshly poured concrete". Once you’re above 30mph it’s fine, but pretty much always a two-hands-on-the-wheel job. 

Because of the suet-pudding steering and square stance, the AX GT feels a lot more sure-footed on the road than its weight suggests. There’s little sense that the draught from a passing cyclist might blow it onto its roof, like there is in a 205. It’s also not as tip-toey. There’s surprising amounts of grip, and you can lift off the throttle mid-corner pretty severely without ending up facing your own skidmarks. It’s a car that comes alive when you drop any airs and graces about it being a classic, and drive it like a joyrider.