Citroen C4 Review

The facelifted C4 is not a radical reinvention, but it does sharpen the car’s appeal. Citroen has reworked the front end with the brand’s latest logo and lighting signature, refreshed the interior with improved Advanced Comfort seats and kept the things that already made the car feel different from more conventional hatchbacks.

That matters because the C4 still occupies an unusual place in the market. It is not quite a traditional family hatch in the mould of a Golf, Focus or Astra, but nor is it a full SUV. Instead, it blends hatchback dimensions with a slightly raised stance, coupe-crossover styling cues and a comfort-led setup that gives it a very different flavour from most direct rivals.

For this review, the focus stays on the petrol and hybrid line-up rather than the e-C4. That leaves the 130PS petrol automatic and the Hybrid 145 as the key versions to consider, with the non-EV range now more tightly focused than before.

What has not changed is the basic appeal. The C4 is still a car for buyers who want to be cushioned from bad roads rather than encouraged to attack them. It is one of the few mainstream family cars left that genuinely feels tuned for comfort first, and that still counts for a lot.

For most buyers, the sweet spot is the Citroen C4 Plus Hybrid 145.

The 130PS petrol automatic is still a perfectly viable option, but the Hybrid 145 is the more convincing match for the car’s easygoing character. It offers stronger efficiency, a more relaxed feel in everyday use and a broader spread of ability for mixed family driving.

Plus is also the trim that makes the most sense. It already gets the 10-inch touchscreen with connected 3D navigation, a reversing camera, tinted side windows, 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning, Advanced Comfort seats and a head-up display. That is enough equipment to make the car feel complete without stretching to the pricier Collection.

Collection does add worthwhile extras such as adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, a heated steering wheel and a more distinctive look, but Plus remains the better-value choice.

The C4 range starts at £25,285 OTR for the Plus and rises to £28,145 OTR for the Collection.

That still leaves the C4 looking competitive in context. It is not a bargain-basement family hatchback, but it undercuts many more conventional rivals once you start matching equipment, and the facelift has helped reinforce the sense that it is offering something slightly different rather than merely trying to blend in.

The obvious alternatives are the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and Vauxhall Astra if you want a conventional family hatchback. If you like the C4’s raised stance and coupe-crossover shape, then rivals such as the Kia XCeed, Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-30 and Renault Arkana also belong on the shortlist.

The C4’s closest mechanical relatives sit within Stellantis, but the Citroen still manages to feel distinct because of the way it prioritises comfort and because it looks less conventional than most cars built on similar underpinnings. That remains its strongest argument.

The C4’s 380-litre boot is not especially large for the class, but it is usefully square and the adjustable floor helps reduce the loading lip. Rear-seat space is respectable too, although legroom is only average and three adults across the back will feel cramped.

The C4 is at its best in the front. The slightly raised seating position makes getting in and out easy, there is plenty of adjustment in the driving position and there are enough storage areas to make it a straightforward family car to live with.

If outright load space matters more, the C4 X offers a much bigger 510-litre boot, albeit with a more awkward saloon-style opening.

The Citroen C4 measures 4,350mm long, 2,032mm wide & 1,525mm high.

Those figures explain why the C4 feels slightly unusual on the road. It has the footprint of a family hatchback, but the stance and ride height make it feel more crossover-like when you climb aboard.

All versions get a 10-inch central touchscreen, and Citroen has usefully kept a physical volume knob and some shortcut controls. That instantly makes the system easier to live with than many rival setups. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, while Plus adds connected 3D navigation and a head-up display.

It is not the slickest infotainment system in the class, and some of the connected features can feel fussier than they need to, but the basics are sound. There is enough here to make the C4 feel contemporary without the system becoming the sort of over-complicated talking point it never needed to be.

This remains one of the C4’s weaker areas. The upper cabin is reasonably well judged and there are some soft-touch materials where you want them, but lower down you still find a few flimsy finishes that stop it from feeling especially rich. The glossy black trim looks smart enough at first, though it may not wear especially well over time.

That said, the cabin is still better than the brand’s older efforts, and it does not feel out of step with mainstream rivals at this price point. It just does not quite deliver on the promise of the exterior.

For this petrol and hybrid review, the key engines are the 130PS petrol automatic and the Hybrid 145.

The 130PS petrol automatic returns 44.9 to 50.7mpg. The Hybrid 145 is the more efficient option, posting the equivalent of roughly 58.9 to 60.1mpg and offering up to 621 miles of combined range.

The hybrid is the more convincing option on the move because it suits the C4’s comfort-first character better, even if the gearbox can be leisurely when you ask for a quick response. The petrol is perfectly adequate, but it is not especially smooth when extended.

The Citroen C4 remains pleasantly different to drive because it does not chase sportiness. The steering is slow and there is noticeable body roll if you start pressing on, but the payoff is a genuinely supple ride that deals with broken roads more gracefully than many rivals.

That makes it easy to forgive the fact that it is not engaging in the conventional sense. The C4 is here to soothe rather than entertain. Around town and on rougher UK roads, that works very well.

On the motorway, you notice more wind and road noise than in the very best rivals, and the three-cylinder petrols are not the smoothest, but the overall experience is still far more relaxing than many fashionable alternatives.

The pre-facelift C4 received a four-star Euro NCAP rating in 2021. The updated car is still well stocked with driver-assistance technology, including automatic emergency braking, lane assist, driver-attention alert, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors and reversing camera systems.

That leaves the C4 looking well equipped on active safety, even if some rivals have managed a stronger five-star Euro NCAP headline.

All Citroen C4 models will be fairly cheap to run. The Hybrid 100 and 136 aren't far off the pre-facelift diesels in terms of efficiency, both quoting WLTP Combined cycle figures of 51.1-62.1mpg, with CO2 emissions rated at 107-125g/km depending on specification.

The Puretech 130 isn't too far behind at 44.9-50.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 131-142g/km.

Citroen’s standard warranty covers three years, with unlimited mileage in the first two years and a 60,000-mile cap in the third. The brand also offers its We Care programme, which can extend essential cover up to eight years or 100,000 miles if the car is serviced within the authorised network.

That helps strengthen the ownership story, even if the standard manufacturer warranty itself still looks merely average next to some rivals.

Insurance groups run from 18 for the entry petrol to 22 for the higher-spec hybrid versions.

That keeps the C4 competitive enough by class standards, even if the hybrid does command a modest premium.

After the first year, C4 owners will pay the standard annual VED rate, currently £200. The first-year rate varies by CO2 band, so lower-emission hybrids are cheaper in year one than the conventional petrol.

The useful current detail is that retail prices remain below the Expensive Car Supplement threshold for non-EV cars, so there is no extra annual charge to worry about.