Citroën · 1978–1994

Citroën Visa

The Citroën Visa is a supermini car which was manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1978 to 1988. It has a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout with two body styles: A five-door hatchback and a four-door semiconvertible. 1,254,390 examples were ultimately manufactured over a single generation, with a single facelift (1981). It was produced in both petrol and diesel variants. The car was also assembled in China as the Liuzhou Wuling LZW 7100 minicar; Chinese production started in 1991 and finished in 1994. Citroën commissioned Heuliez to produce a Visa convertible variant, marketed as the Décapotable (1984), and a box van variant (1985–2005) was marketed as the Citroën C15. A saloon car variant was prototyped but never manufactured.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Citroën Ami 6|Citroën Dyane · Successor: Citroën AX

All Citroën Visa data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Development

In 1965 Robert Opron began working on the Citroën G-mini prototype and project EN101, a replacement for the 2CV using its flat twin engine and intended to launch in 1970. The advanced space efficient designs with compact exterior dimensions and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient Cd of 0.32, were never fully developed because of negative feedback from potential clients. A subsequent program, the Citroën Prototype Y, was developed in the early 1970s in co-operation with Fiat, to replace the 2CV-based Citroën Ami — using lessons from the Citroën G-mini and EN101 projects. Prototype Y used the Fiat 127 platform with the pioneering transverse front-engine, front wheel drive layout Fiat had test-marketed in the Autobianchi Primula. When cooperation with Fiat ended, Citroën designed its own platform, and subsequent to the takeover of Citroën by Peugeot in the wake of the 1974 oil crisis, the renamed "Projet VD (Voiture Diminuée)" became the Citroën Visa, incorporating the floor pan of the Peugeot 104 and using the 104 engine, transmission (under the engine) and chassis. The Visa thus became the first model under PSA Peugeot Citroën's platform-sharing policy. In 1984, the original Citroën platform design from "Project Y" emerged as the Romanian Oltcit Club, using a Citroën Visa flat-twin engine and Citroën GS-based gearbox or the GS flat-four engine and gearbox. This was also marketed in Western Europe as the flat-four (only) Citroën Axel to recoup Citroën's Romanian investment, which the Romanian government could not repay. The resulting vehicle exhibited build quality issues, with 60,184 cars ultimately manufactured.

Model history and design

From its launch in September 1978, the front-wheel drive Visa was available in "Spécial" and "Club" models with a mapped electronic ignition (652 cc, 2-cylinder), and a "Super E" model (the 11RE after 1984), with the advanced Peugeot 1124 cc Douvrin engine / PSA X engine, a four-cylinder "Suitcase engine" — all aluminium alloy, chain driven overhead cam, with gearbox in the sump, sharing engine oil, mounted almost on its side. The 1124 cc was as economical as the Citroën 2CV-derived twin, but with much better performance. The flat-twin engine was mounted longitudinally; the four-cylinder engines were installed transversally. Later on it had 1219 cc (Super X) and then 954 cc (10E after 1984) and 1360 cc (1983 Visa GT and 14TRS after 1985) versions of the same engine. The original Visa's engines, while of Peugeot origins, were modified by Citroën's engineers with the aim of increasing fuel economy and responsiveness. The results were very limited and by the time of the introduction of the 1.4-litre models the engines were taken over wholesale from Peugeot without modifications. The Visa featured a soft but well-damped, long-travel, fully independent suspension (Coil-sprung MacPherson struts at the front, with coil sprung trailing arms at the rear) that contributed to a soft ride similar to the Citroën 2CV, but with less extreme body roll. New for 1983 was the Visa Super E GL, which offered more complete equipment and a redesigned, more comfortable two-piece rear seat. The two seats were easily removed (without requiring tools) to increase luggage capability. For model year 1983 the most powerful Visa yet, the Visa GT, arrived. In addition to the 80-PS engine, it offered alloy wheels with Michelin TRX tyres, spoilers, sideskirts and trim, special colors, and a more sportin

Engines

== Sporting Variants == GT. The first mass-produced sport variant of the Visa was the GT in 1982. It was powered by the 1360 cc XY engine with two downdraft Weber single-barrel carburetors and produced. A lower power single-carb engine was produced for Switzerland. In 1985 a limited production 'GT Tonic' version was released with the addition of a sportier body kit incorporating the riveted wheel arches from the 'Chrono' motorsport model. Trophèe. Built in late 1981 the Visa Trophée was produced in limited numbers for homologation in the Group B rally category. It used the 1219 cc XZ engine as used in the Visa Super X but with heavily modified cylinder head, breathing through two side-draft Weber 40 DCOE carburetors and producing an impressive 100 PS (74 kW). The Trophée was designed specifically for the entry level rally car market such as privateers and dealership teams. It had weight savings over the GT such as lighter weight fibre glass body panels, re-designed dashboard and lexan side windows allowing it to weigh in at just under 700 kg. Rally versions were sometimes increased in capacity up to 1299 cc and could produce up to 140 PS (103 kW). Chrono. The Visa Chrono was released in 1982 intended for competition in the same vein as the Trophée but in the larger capacity group B engine class. It used the same 1360 cc XY engine as the GT but with a modified, larger valve head and two double-barrel side draft Solex C35 carburetors and produced 93 PS (68 kW). Aside from the exterior body decals other modifications to the car such as the bodykit, with Cibie fog lights, and dashboard also differentiated it from the GT. 2160 were produced for the French market and a further 1600 produced for continental Europe outside France. The non-French models did not have the Solex c

Chinese production

Liuzhou Wuling began assembling Visas in 1991 from kits imported from Europe. Called the Wuling LZW 7100, production in small volumes continued until 1994; official registrations in that period totaled 901 but total production was 1,314 examples. Wuling did not have a license to assemble cars and the Chinese government halted sales, leaving the company with a number of cars on their hands which were still in storage as late as 1997. It is unknown if the kits were sent from Citroën's Spanish or French plants, but they used the Visa Diesel's bodywork and were sent to China complete aside from engines. Liuzhou Wuling bought three-cylinder, 1-litre 376Q engines of Daihatsu origins from the nearby Tianjin factory. These produce 48 PS (35.3 kW) at 5,600 rpm, enough for a 130 km/h (81 mph) top speed. The Wuling's diesel bodyshell mounted the spare tyre beneath the boot floor rather than in the engine compartment as on petrol-engined Visas.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Citroën Visa
Manufacturer: Citroën
Assembly: France: Rennes (Rennes Plant), France: Cerizay (Heuliez: Décapotable), Belgium: Forest, Portugal: Mangualde (Mangualde Plant), Spain: Vigo (Vigo Plant), Yugoslavia: Koper (Cimos)
aka: Wuling LZW 7100/ Wuling Visa (PRC)
Production: September 1978–1988, 1991–1994 (China)
Engine: 652 cc V06 air-cooled H2, 954 cc XV I4, 1,124 cc XW I4, 1,219 cc XZ I4, 1,360 cc XYI4, 1,580 cc XU5 I4, 1,769 cc XUD7 diesel I4
Transmission: 4 or 5-speed manual
Class: Supermini (B)
Layout: FF layout, F4 layout
Body style: 5-door hatchback, 4-door cabriolet
Predecessor: Citroën Ami, Citroën Dyane
Successor: Citroën AX
Wheelbase: 2436 mm
Length: 3690 mm
Width: 1530 mm
Height: 1410 mm
Kerb weight: 870 kg
Related: Citroën C15, Karenjy Visa (RM), Citroën LN, Peugeot 104, Talbot Samba, Citroën Axel / Oltcit Club

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q963533CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_VisaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1361611523 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citro%C3%ABn_Visa_1979.jpgCC0 · Photo: Citroënist · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.