Exterior Features, Quality:
The Cien, presented at NAIAS 2002, was undoubtedly the star of the show, captivating the hearts and minds of young and old alike. The Cien's combination of futuristic styling with traditional Cadillac styling cues was appealing enough to earn it the "Best Concept Car 2002" award from AutoWeek. Though it is unlikely that the Cien will ever go into production, it has evidently drawn attention to the current Cadillac model line and is a fantastic subject for a 1/18 scale model.
I generally like Mattels: they're cheap and offer decent detail and excellent fit and finish. However, the Cien Concept disappoints in these categories. That doesn't mean that it is a bad model, however. For example, the paint, while a bit dull, is nicely applied and looks good. The scale is spot on and there are no visible mold defects. Front lights look pretty detailed but have very noticeable mounting posts in the center. Otherwise, they're well done but the mounting posts detract from the model's appearance. The grille is shaped accurately but is not perforated or even textured. The lower vents are textured, but other vents around the model are not: they're just painted black and in some cases, shiny, which is a big no-no. Tires are not branded and wheels do not have very much detail. Brake discs imitate the drilled appearance and calipers are present, but there is nothing here to really rave about.
Badging are done by decals and some can be easily peeled off. However, "Cien" and "XV12" on the rear are actually separate pieces, which is a nice touch at this price level. Rear lights are shaped accurately shaped but have huge mounting posts, like the fronts. The license plate looks good but is not applied that well, and is slanted slightly. This obviously won't be an issue for most Cien models but is an example of hasty quality control. The exhaust pipes are textured but not hollow. Overall, this is pretty disappointing, and certainly unlike the several Mattels that I have reviewed.
17/25
Interior Features, Quality:
Lift up those striking scissor doors, and you notice the interior of the Cien is certainly as interesting as the exterior. Upon entry, the Cadillac name is engraved, which is a nice touch. The seats are a beautiful burgundy color and look good but they're hard plastic with nonexistent texturing. Ditto for the floor, with no carpeting or even floor mats. The futuristic dash is one of the best features of the interior, with all buttons and switches modeled. However, the futuristic speed and RPM display looks a bit cheesy as just a sticker. Steering wheel appears to be a bit crude but is on scale. The major problem here is that the roof is not finished and parts of the hinges used to lift up the engine cover are present here, along with screws holding the hinges in place. This is very "old-school", to put it bluntly, used in models eight to ten years old. To see it today is pretty disappointing, especially after all the progress the diecast industry has experienced over the past few years.
19/25
Features:
The Cien Concept features opening doors and engine cover. Unfortunately, Mattel did not replicate an opening front cover. However, the doors open very well, and use almost unnoticeable hinges. The engine cover looks as if it was made out of plastic, which it probably was, as it is extremely light. The engine is not very well detailed at all, lacking any sharp detail, plumbing or wiring. The main parts are there and can be identified, but really, this is a pretty poor attempt, even though Mattel has done worse in this field.
21/25
Value:
It really depends. As you can see, there isn't much detail here, even though it's not bad. The subject itself is superb, as you can yourself see, but the execution is not. The price, however, is low and Mattel models seem to be discontinued rather quickly. There is a chance that the Cien Concept model will be rare, but most likely, Mattel's wide distribution will take care of any demand for the model. The only color released is silver, which is the color the car itself was shown in. Mattel is the only modelmaker to replicate the Cien Concept in 1:18 scale, although the wide popularity of the concept will probably inspire other modelmakers to follow suit in production, although theirs will most likely be superior.
23/25
Overall:
As a car, the Cien is beautiful, perhaps one of the most beautiful concepts ever shown, at least in past years. However, my hypothesis for Mattel's replica is that it was seriously rushed to production so as to capitalize on the popularity of Cadillac's concepts. The model just appears unfinished, and I'm not holding a prototype in my hands, this is the final version. The detail is not bad, and some things are replicated well, like the dash and exterior shape. However, the quality here cannot match that of current Maisto releases, not to mention Beanstalk models. This is an above-average model; there is reason enough to buy it because of its cheap price and striking subject matter, but really, there's nothing special here. Too bad, because it's a great car.
