The Stellantis Puretech engine is often at the centre of discussions and criticism regarding its reliability, with many riders pointing out recurring problems, particularly with the first generation. All this creates a cleverly orchestrated bad buzz that discredits this engine, despite the many awards it has won. The story of Wiel Willems, who has just passed the million kilometre mark with his Citroën C1, offers a different perspective. This 89-year-old brand enthusiast proves that the Puretech engine is capable of impressive longevity with rigorous maintenance.
A Citroën C1 with a purpose
Originally from the Netherlands, Wiel Willems has been a Citroën enthusiast since 1968 and has owned no fewer than 45 Citroëns. In January 2015, he bought a second-generation Citroën C1 with an 82 hp 1.3 Puretech engine for €13,000 and embarked on an ambitious project: to cross the borders of neighbouring countries and visit Citroën dealers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and northern France every year. Last October, after almost nine years of use, he reached one million kilometres on the clock, an achievement all the more remarkable given that the car shows no major damage, apart from an engine replacement in 2020 at 500,000 kilometres, not because of a major problem but simply as a precaution to ensure that his vehicle continues to run smoothly.
The 82 bhp Puretech 1.2 engine, although often criticised for its reliability problems, is the beating heart of the Wiel Willems C1. This is the very first generation of the engine, the one with the most reported problems. However, Wiel Willems' experience shows that these problems are largely avoidable with rigorous maintenance. With proper care, this engine can easily run hundreds of thousands of kilometres, or even, as this feat proves, a million. Wiel Willems confirms: "I bought the C1 to drive a lot of kilometres, because I wanted to prove that a car can last a long time if you maintain it properly". What is more, in 9 years of intensive use, the C1 has not encountered any major problems that would have allowed it to achieve this feat.
A costly but rewarding passion
Wiel Willems' journey is not only a mechanical masterpiece, but also an investment in time and money. After one million kilometres, the running costs are high: 100,000 euros for fuel and 50,000 euros for maintenance. But Wiel does not seem to mind the expense: "It's a fun hobby, but an expensive one," he says with a smile. At 89, he has no intention of slowing down. He has set himself a new goal: to reach two million kilometres with his trusty Citroën C1, a prospect that seems within reach as long as the car continues to run well.
Although there has been criticism of the reliability of the Puretech 82 engine, Wiel Willems' performance shows that these Puretech engines, like any other engine, can offer impressive longevity when properly maintained. In fact, out of several million Puretech engines produced, only a minority experience problems, and those that have been meticulously maintained, such as the one in Wiel's Citroën C1, can easily run for hundreds of thousands of miles without a problem. Criticism is often justified, but it should not overshadow the many examples such as that of this Dutch enthusiast, who has not only broken mileage records with his C1, but has also proved that the reliability of an engine depends above all on the care given to it.
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