Design Review: Citroen C4 and e-C4

Citroen first unveiled its new C4 back in June 2020, when many parts of the world were reeling from the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The car also has an electric variant, the e-C4. Nine months later, the OEM was finally available to allow press to get into the models for a ride.

In-between shapes

It is immediately clear that the new C4 represents a step change for Citroen. From the outside, the car looks completely different from its predecessor, with sharp lines and angular body work replacing the old curvaceous, dated styling. It is altogether much fresher and more modern.

There is a distinct SUV-like appearance to the model, with bold protruding wheel arches and a chunky rear. This approach is likely due to the fact that Pierre Leclercq took over as head of Citroen design in 2018 after spending two years in the Chinese market, taking Great Wall’s Haval brand into the crossover SUV segment with the Haval H6.

The funny thing is that, despite the clear SUV influence and the modernisation, the new C4 is still very Citroen, retaining a distinctive and slightly quirky appearance. There are several legacy Cactus cues that make this possible.

At the front, the split-level lighting arrangement with narrow daytime running lights (DLRs) and large headlamps underneath remains, with the two chrome strips extending from the Citroen Chevrons out to the DLRs (a feature that arrived on the facelifted Cactus in 2017). There are also the familiar fog lamp inserts.

Pictured above: Citroen C4 1.2-litre petrol

But new details breath some life into the front and the sides, particularly the angular body work. Ridges frame the headlamps, the bonnet includes two deep indentations, the belt line is more defined, and a new crease in the front door adds to the emphasis on the protruding wheel arches.

The biggest change comes at the back. The sloping roof meets a bold wedge of body work the slices through the glass, with a very small window left beneath. This two-panel wedge design draws inspiration from the 2004 C4 Coupe. The rear light signature is characterised by two angled LED strips, while a substantial glossy black bar runs the width of the car and connects the two lights. Two slitted narrow air vents sit at the flanks, again emphasising the haunches, and the large bumper pushes up into the body work to accentuate the ride height.

One of the aims of the design team when working on the previous Cactus was to make it look lower and wider. Although this latest generation has an SUV feel with a heightened stature, the sloping roofline makes it seem close to the floor and chunky wheel arches evidently extend outwards. The result is that the C4 ends up being somewhere between an SUV and hatchback, but it’s an intersection that seems to work.

The differences in exterior design between the petrol and diesel variants when compared to the electric C4 are barely noticeable. The fog lamp inserts come in a different colour on the electric, as do the small squished circular shapes on the side skirts of the car. In place of the chrome exhaust pipes on the ICE versions, the electric C4 has two small textured shapes, and it also includes a small ‘e’ badge beneath the wing mirror.

Citroen has purposefully kept the exterior of the electric very close to the ICE variants. The thinking behind this is to prevent those that opt for the electric from standing out in the hope of making electric the new norm, a commendable goal.

Take a load off

There is also barely any difference when comparing the interior of the models, apart from the lack of gearstick in the electric variant. Instead, a large glossy area with a few silver switches for changing driving modes is placed in the middle of the centre console.

The goal for the interior of the new C4 was to maximise comfort while simultaneously keeping costs down. Comfort is not often the main selling point of new cars today – most go for fuel efficiency or functionality. But the team at Citroen targeted comfort from the get-go.

Pictured above: Citroen C4 interior

Its ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats, first featured on the C4 Cactus and C5 Aircross, are decorated with new patterns as are the door panels. The foam on the surface of the seat has been thickened by 15mm for extra cushioning, ensuring passengers sink into place.

Space has been maximised inside thanks to the layout. The dash and centre console are simple in their shape, and don’t encroach into the footwells. Rear seat passengers benefit from best-in-class knee room (198mm), and while the sloping roof is ever-present, there is plenty of head room for a person measuring 6ft tall.

Another key ingredient for enhancing comfort is light. A large electric openable panoramic sunroof lets in as much natural light as possible into the cabin, while LED ambient lighting illuminates the digital instrument cluster at night.

One downside to the interior of the C4 is its materials. The dash is cladded in a hard plastic with a new chevron graphic grain. It is not particularly soft to touch and at a first glance seems dull, but the grain is a nice touch. There are some glossy black surfaces and a few strips of chrome surrounding the air vents and on various buttons, but it is far from flush. There is also a little strip of patterned fabric on the doors, which changes in colour depending on the interior scheme chosen.

That said, the inside doesn’t feel cheap because the HMIs (human machine interfaces) are of a high quality. The angular 10-inch touchscreen that sits astride the dash is thin and edgy, with a distinctly modern feel. It has sharp graphics and doesn’t suffer from lag or sluggish performance.

Pictured above: Citroen e-C4 interior

Unlike the touchscreen that is out for everybody to see, the digital driver instrument cluster is tucked away and encased within its housing, providing something close to a cockpit feel for the driver. Again, the graphics are sharp, and the ambient lighting that surrounds it achieves a certain elegance. Above this is the head-up display that gives the driver essential information in colour.

On the topic of colour, Citroens of the past had a somewhat bold approach when it came to interior colour schemes. However, the new C4 takes a measured approach and is infinitely more mature. A choice of six schemes is on offer: ‘Standard’, ‘Urban Grey’, ‘Metropolitan Grey’, ‘Metropolitan Blue’, ‘Hype Black’, and ‘Hype Red’. It is clear even just from the names of the schemes that the interior colours are restrained.

Electric or petrol?

With comfort being the aim of the game, Citroen has included its patented suspension system with ‘Progressive Hydraulic Cushions’. It works by using two hydraulic stops for compression and decompression, essentially eliminating the ‘bouncing’ effect that happens with conventional mechanical systems.

Citroen describes the effect as a “magic carpet ride,” and although it’s an exaggeration, it’s not a million miles off. The C4 certainly takes on bumpy roads with no problem and doesn’t make a meal out of potholes.

The electric C4 has a 50kWh battery and an electric motor that produces 136bhp. Citroen claims that it has a range of 350km (217 miles) when measured on the WLTP cycle (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure). We didn’t get the chance to test that out, but after a couple of hours driving on motorways and A roads on a 60-mile round route, the battery depleted from 100% to 73%.

Pictured above: Citroen e-C4 all-electric

All electric cars will be fairly fiery from a standing start due to the fact that there is no need to wait for combustion and electric motors provide instant torque. But speed isn’t the name of the game for the C4. Acceleration is apt at lower speeds, but it gets steadier above 40mph. It will do 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds – so there should be no hair-raising moments.

As for charging, a flat battery will be charged to 80% in 30 mins when using a 100kW fast charger at public stations. Citroen is also offering installation of a ‘Wall Box’ at home for its customers, which will charge the battery to 80% in five hours, while use of a regular domestic socket will take over 24 hours.

The petrol variant we tested was equipped with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine. It has a maximum output of 129bhp – so a little less than the electric – but 0-62mph is achieved a little faster at 8.9 seconds. Higher speeds feel like they take less effort in the petrol when compared to the electric. Citroen’s best estimate of fuel economy in the petrol is 47.3mpg and the car will emit around 120g/km of CO2 (again using the WLTP cycle).

So, there isn’t much to differentiate the electric from the petrol when it comes to speed or design. Choosing between the two, then, would come down to the consumer’s patience for charging. Citroen is making it very simple.