REPRINT FROM #4 1985
REVIEW OF HESSENBURG 2000 RSi 16v
SPORTY COMPACT FOR ADULTS
Hessenburg calls the notchback 2000 a sporty coupé. 2 door sedan is more what we think of it, but the styling is clean, crisp and well proportioned in our opinion.
A paintjob as white as snow, some discrete alloy wheels, a small front spoiler and an equally small one in the rear. And of course, the RSi 16V badge in the grille. Here, you won’t find any neon colours, wild graphics, popup headlights, oversized TURBO badging (not that the RSi 16V even has a turbo, but you probably understand what we mean anyway), Hessenburg has an almost teutonic approach to building sporty compacts. “Good” says people that is still interested in performance without wanting a disco on wheels. “Boring” in the opinion of some other people. But the car in itself is far from boring, but can it offer anything more than fun?
DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
Sticky low profile rubber on light alloys will keep the car planted to the road. On the skidpad it manages 1.01 G which is a good value. As the front wheel drive car it is, it offers stable handling but also understeering, maybe more than we would like. The amount of wheelspin and torque steering is not alarming, even if it’s present. Brakes are excellent anyway. Standard ABS, vented discs up front and short stopping distances (35 metres from 100). Fading is almost non-existant.
City driving is a joy with the Hessenburg. Small dimensions and power steering of the variable ratio type means that parallell parking, as an example, is an easy job for its driver.
Hessenburg has not completely eliminated some of the drawbacks the front wheel drive layout has, but believe us, it is pretty close to a 5 star rating here.
VERDICT: ****
PERFORMANCE
The first generation RSi more or less redefined what “performance” meant in a small car overnight. The current generation is almost scary fast for such a compact car. 0-100 takes only 7.62 seconds, 80-120 5.04 seconds and the quartermile 15.66 seconds. It tops out at 215 km/h. Convincing enough?
VERDICT: *****
COMFORT
As the sporty car it is, the suspension is set up quite firm. The seats are nothing special, and lacks some side bolstering one would have liked. The contoured back seat improves seating comfort for rear seat passengers though.
The engine has some growl but not the amount that some so called “sporty” cars has. Sound insulation is average for its class and the engine is somewhat revvy at highway speeds.
VERDICT: **
ROOMINESS & PRACTICALITY
2 doors and 4 seats, the question is how you look at the car, normal for a sporty coupé, a bit less great for a family sedan. The luggage space is not really suited for a large family, but the interior space is decent. Notchback styling with a small lid means that loading is harder and flexibility compromised, compared to a hatchback. At least the load capacity is good for its class.
VERDICT: **
Stumpy rear end does not fit any huge amounts of luggage.
EQUIPMENT
Variable ratio steering, alloy wheels and ABS are positive surprises. Other than that the level of equipment is quite normal for its class. The interior has a tweed upholstery that has the word “regular” written all over it, and of course carpeting on the floor, other than that it is lots of black plastics, not fancy but functional. You got everything you need though, like a clock, interval wipers, remote mirrors and a rather average sound system with FM radio and tape player.
VERDICT: ****
ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
Some years ago, this engine would have been formula 1 technology. Double overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, fuel injection and separate runners. The 1798 cc inline four is made of cast iron, with an alloy head, and has a power output of 138 hp. Sure, at idle it is a bit rough but it doesn’t need that much of revving to run reasonably smooth. But it is obvious that it is meant for sporty driving rather than relaxed cruising.
It is mated to a slick 5 speed gearbox that is a joy to shift. Spacing is maybe a bit wide to get that “sporty” feeling but in reality it works well. A welcome addition in a light car with a relatively powerful engine is the limited slip differential.
VERDICT: *****
QUALITY AND RELIABILITY
Predicted reliability is relatively high. Earlier Hessenburgs have been good and there is no reason why this one should not be it too. It also appears to be decently well built. The protection against rust is among the best in its class too.
VERDICT: ****
ECONOMY
Small does not mean economical in this case. $24200 AMU for a car this size is not cheap. Even more worrying is the service costs at $1001.10 AMU. It also gulps quite an amount of fuel, 10.7 litres per 100 km. Positive, however, is that second hand values probably will be high.
VERDICT: **
SAFETY
Not every small car is a deathtrap. The Hessenburg has a well engineered bodyshell combined with the latest in equipment such as a drivers side airbag and pretensioning seatbelts. US government crash testing was recently passed with flying colours. In a crash against a larger car, however, size might handicap it a bit, but it is absolutely among the safest cars in its class.
VERDICT: ****
FINAL VERDICT: 32/45
It’s hard not to like the Hessenburg. The few drawbacks it has is hard to avoid when building a sporty compact car. But in every important area, it shines. It is aimed at people that actually wants a driver’s car, but that does not care for or even want war paint. Simply put, this is the sporty compact for grown ups. A “mature” car for its class.
But it comes at a cost, it’s not cheap to buy, to own or to drive, and that should probably be kept in mind before buying.
Thanks to @BannedByAndroid for the car!
