The styling shared cues with the larger Bertone designed Xantia, but was regarded as bland by the motoring press.

The familiar range of PSA powertrains drove the front wheels of a seemingly conventionally designed chassis.

The rear end of the car saw slight changes to the light cluster and the introduction of a new hatch with a prominent logo.

Trims and materials were improved and the new steering wheel taken over from Citroen C5 enabled the installation of a bigger airbag.

Now Xsara is offered with following engine choices: The model of 2002 had slight interior modifications (e.g. a different way of controlling the sound system from the steering wheel).