Citroen C4 review - Engines, drive & performance

Citroen isn’t a brand you’d associate with sportiness, and you can expect the same from the C4. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, because where it does excel is in comfort. The C4’s ride is comfortable thanks to plush seats and a suspension setup that absorbs bumps and potholes well.

That last fact is particularly welcome in Britain, where the roads are pretty poor, but it does come with a downside, since the C4 predictably feels far less willing to play along a twisting back road than a Ford Focus. Its steering is light and somewhat vague, while there's also a fair bit of body lean.

Citroen C4 petrol engines

Citroen's willing 1.2-litre PureTech three-cylinder engine has been around for some time and fitted in various Peugeot, Vauxhall and Citroen models. Here it's available with 128bhp, while the previous 99bhp version has been discontinued. There’s no option of a manual anymore, either, so there’s just the automatic eight-speed here – that’s a shame because we preferred the manual, which felt more responsive and had quicker acceleration. With the auto it manages 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds.

The pure petrol is no longer the cheapest option, however – under it is now a Hybrid 100 model (more of a mild hybrid despite the name) and it has 99bhp. This version gets much better fuel economy, but the trade-off is even more sluggish performance – 0-62mph will take you 10.7 seconds, and it’s got a top speed of 119mph. Go for the Hybrid 136 with 134bhp and the 0-62mph time is reduced to eight seconds, while the top speed increases to 130mph, despite identical fuel economy and emissions figures. 

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Electric motors

There’s an electric version of the C4 called the e-C4 – now though, there are actually two, because you can choose from a 134bhp version and a 154bhp version that gets a slightly larger battery. The added weight of the battery means it’s not all that much faster, however, so go for this version solely if the longer range appeals – the 134bhp model will do 0-62mph in 10 seconds, while the 154bhp version does the same in 9.2 seconds.