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Dn the road
Page 46
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rime might not be on the Relay's side in terms engineering, but it hides its age well enough vhen on the move.Through the bends it feels veil planted, turning in positively and ;ornering with little body roll. Put it under nessure and it under-steers with no real urprises lurking for inexperienced drivers, ;yen with a full payload.
On the downside, suspension travel is .estricted when it comes to absorbing bumps ind potholes; the Relay fairly crashes into hem, revealing its chassis' limitations.
High-speed cruising is a relaxed affair with ittle interference from crosswinds for such a )ig vehicle. Citroen makes much of the .einforced body that includes strengthened ills and beefed up cross nembers and we're inclined o believe them as there is ittle in the way of body flex.
The steering feels solid :nough at speed,if a little nuted in its feedback, but at a slower pace it offers little in the way of communication. Working in its favour is a strong engine that gives a decent spread of torque from low-down. It also spins willingly through the revs, but can get a bit raucous when near the limit.
The gear change does let it down, however. It can't be rushed and the gate isn't as defined as it could be. It's the same with the brakes. Even though they come complete with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution) overall sharpness is not as strong as the competition. as our test results show.
Cab comfort
The Relay's interior won't set your world alight, but through the haze of grey it does get the fundamentals right. So let's start with the seat, which has limited movement but does provide decent support without succumbing to cheek ache over long jounieys.And if that wasn't enough it comes with an armrest that's surprisingly practical over longjourneys.
The driving position is helped by the adjustable (for rake) and nicely sized steering wheel.This is coupled with a decent view forward thanks to a high seating position and large windscreen with the twin electric door mirrors giving excellent rear vision.
Further plus points are earned through the amount of storage space, which includes decent-sized door bins with large bottle holders, a driver's side phone/wallet corapartment,central invoice/file holder at the bottom of the dash, passenger cup holder and a glovebox.There's also a central document clipboard for maps and so on above the radio, and the second passenger seat has a fold-down backrest on which to write.
Cross cab access is OK, though the dash mounted gearlever does protrude further than would be liked and the passenger seat can accommodate two in relative comfort.
Far be it from us to pass style judgements on a commercial vehicle when the CM test team is still coming to terrns with demise of kipper ties,but the overall quality of the Relay's cab is shown up by the more modern offerings. It looks old and feels it too; the plastics used are hard and the fittings not as tightly screwed together as some rivals. And for such a big vehicle it feels cramped inside as the dash extends further back than is ideal.
Cab insulation is also less effective than it might be, with excessive engine noise and vibration filtering through above Omph. •