Citroen C4 review
The comfortable Citroen C4 undercuts many of its established family car rivals, making it hard to overlook
Our opinion on the Citroen C4
The latest Citroen C4 family hatch may not have the most cutting-edge technology or the most premium interior, but it rides well and provides plenty of practicality for a family. It’s a car that simply gets on with the task at hand and will likely prove a tempting option thanks to its affordable price.
About the Citroen C4
The fourth-generation Citroen C4 is the French brand’s bold entry into the family hatchback sector. Its focus is on providing superior comfort rather than sportiness – a long-standing Citroen tactic. It launched in 2020 and received a significant facelift in 2024.
This review focuses on the petrol and hybrid-powered Citroen C4 hatchback, but we also have reviews of the saloon-shaped Citroen C4 X, as well as the fully electric Citroen e-C4 hatch and Citroen e-C4 X saloon.
We’ve tested the standard Citroen C4 in pre-facelift form against the Skoda Scala, and put the post-facelift e-C4 against the VW ID.3. We have also run both an e-C3 Sense Plus hatch and C4 X saloon in pre-facelift forms as part of our long-term test fleet.
Citroen C4 prices and latest deals
There are only two trim levels of Citroen C4 to choose from: Plus or Max, along with either a petrol or hybrid powertrain, and the very cheapest car is the petrol-powered Plus from around £25,000.
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Opting for a hybrid-powered variant bumps the price up to just over £26,000. The range-topping Max, meanwhile, starts from around £27,000 in petrol form, rising to around £28,000 for the hybrid.
Performance & driving experience
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On the move in the Citroen C4, it’s quickly apparent that its wonderfully cosseting seats and standard-fit ‘hydraulic cushions’ (more commonly known as bump stops) are extremely effective at filtering out most potholes and road imperfections. Citroen has been keen to promote the comfort delivered by the C4, and it’s particularly apparent in the ride.
The Hybrid 145 features a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with an in-built electric motor. These work together to produce a combined 145bhp and 230Nm of torque. This power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
We’d like more engagement from the electrical side of the hybrid system, because while the PureTech three-cylinder is a capable engine that serves many of Stellantis’s products well, it’s blown away by the all-electric Citroen e-C4 for refinement. With the C4’s focus on ride quality, the engine’s occasional grumbles are a little at odds with this.
The alternative option is the Petrol 130, which also utilises a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine but produces 129bhp due to the lack of electrical assistance. This model comes with an eight-speed automatic.
We thought the pre-facelift petrol C4 was better when paired with the six-speed manual transmission (which was axed as part of the facelift) rather than the eight-speed automatic you get now.
The Hybrid 145’s automatic gearbox is a bit of a let down. While it’s slick between shifts, we found it laggy when kicking down during testing. This is not improved by using the paddle shifts on the steering wheel, because the C4 all too often ignores the commands.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| C4 Petrol 130 | 129bhp | 9.4 seconds | 124mph |
| C4 Hybrid 145 | 145bhp | 8.0 seconds | 130mph |
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
If you’re after the fastest C4, the hybrid is the one to go for. This model dispatches the 0-62mph run in a fairly brisk 8.0 seconds, and the top speed is 130mph.
The petrol has more leisurely acceleration, completing the same sprint in 9.4 seconds, and the top speed is a bit slower at 124mph.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The C4’s Advanced Comfort suspension does an excellent job at ironing out the seemingly endless imperfections that can be found on the tough city streets. Both powertrains offer a good amount of shove from a standstill, too, so you won’t have too many issues if you want to get away from a red light in a bit of a hurry.
Front visibility is good thanks to a lofty driving position, but it’s less impressive at the rear, where you’ll find a rather obstructive spoiler. A rear-view camera helps here, but you’ll only get that if you opt for the pricier Plus trim.
Country road driving and handling
The Citroen C4 doesn’t claim to be a car you’ll regularly chuck into corners, but reassuringly, it manages to hold the road well if you do decide to channel your inner Sebastien Loeb. The steering is light and requires an extra input or two to get some feel for the front wheels, although this hatchback is agile enough when pushed hard. We also found the skinny eco-optimised tyres served up plenty of grip.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
Once again, Citroen’s suspension expertise pays dividends when you take the C4 on a longer trip. Very few elements are allowed to compromise the ride quality, and the cabin is well protected against any exterior noise. It’s not quite a Rolls-Royce, but at this price, we doubt you’ll have any complaints.
“The steering offers limited feedback, but while grip is good, the car is firmly biased to understeer and washes out sooner than the Skoda Scala when you explore its limits.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
MPG & running costs
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The tech in the Hybrid 145 isn’t just a token gesture towards lowering emissions, because this model is capable of returning up to 62.1mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while only emitting 125g/km of CO2. Citroen claims that its mild-hybrid technology can handle up to 50 per cent of low-speed town driving on electric power alone, and while we think Citroen’s claim is optimistic, we found that the engine was pretty happy to remain switched off when cruising or during slow-speed manoeuvres.
The petrol 130, meanwhile, isn’t too far behind the hybrid at 50.7mpg and 142g/km on the same test cycle. In our long term C4 X saloon, we saw an average of 41.7mpg from this engine. Most of its driving was down locally, but it could get much closer to 50mpg on a longer motorway run.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| C4 130 Plus | 50.7mpg | 134g/km | 19 |
| C4 130 Max | 50.2mpg | 134g/km | 19 |
| C4 145 Plus | 62.1mpg | 107g/km | 23 |
Insurance groups
The petrol-powered C4 sits in insurance group 19 (out of 50), while the slightly more powerful hybrid creeps up to group 23. That’s similar to the Vauxhall Astra range, which resides in groups 17 to 28. If you need a family car that starts in a lower insurance group, look towards the Skoda Octavia, which starts in group 14.
Tax
Neither the petrol nor hybrid C4 avoids the standard rate of VED road tax, but the luxury car tax surcharge isn’t a worry here, even if you go for the range-topper.
If you’re a business buyer, you’ll save far more on your company car tax if you opt for the electric Citroen e-C4 because this attracts a much lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rate than either the petrol or hybrid C4.
Depreciation
Our market data suggests that the Citroen C4 hatchback will retain only 39 to 43 per cent of its original value after three years or 36,000 miles. That’s better than the Vauxhall Astra, which only maintains 32 to 41 per cent, while the Skoda Octavia maintains between 41 and 45 per cent of its original value over the same period.
An outside-the-box family car choice would be the slightly cheaper Dacia Jogger, which not only has more seats (seven), but it retains more of its value than the C4, at between 49 and 51 per cent.
To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool...
Interior, design & technology
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When Citroen unveiled the striking Oli Concept back in 2022, it claimed its design would soon filter down into production cars. This is clearly evident in the C4’s rigid bodywork, angular LED lighting layout and new-look Citroen badge, which sits prominently on the nose. While design is a matter of taste, there’s no doubt the latest Citroen C4 stands out from the crowd, while neatly adhering to the brand’s identity at the same time.
Interior and dashboard design
It seems like most of Citroen’s efforts went into tweaking the exterior styling, because the interior remains virtually unchanged from the previous model. The only ‘major’ changes inside amount to a different Citroen badge on the steering wheel, and a new seat insert design with a bit more bolstering.
Unlike a number of rivals that have located such functions within the infotainment system, physical climate controls have been retained in the centre of the dashboard, allowing easy adjustment of the temperature while on the move. The head-up display that is standard on Max trim allows the driver to view key information such as speed limits and navigation directions without taking their attention away from the road.
Materials and build quality
The fit and finish help make the Citroen C4 feel plusher than a Dacia, but not quite up to the standard of a Peugeot 308, with a swathe of hard, scratchy plastic on the dash being the main offender. The key touchpoints, such as the gear selector (used across many Stellantis cars) and the leather steering wheel (standard on the C4), do help to lift the interior appeal somewhat.
It seems well constructed, and during our tests, we didn’t uncover any annoying rattles or loose trim. On Max-trimmed cars, there’s a hidden drawer in the dash that can hold small laptops, tablets, or act as a secondary glovebox.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
An updated 10-inch central touchscreen is standard on all models, and it’s simple enough to operate on the move, but it isn’t a class-leading system. Items such as the ‘Application Drawer’ sub-menu are a bit of a faff, with it weirdly featuring the sat-nav as the bottom item.
Speaking of which, the navigation system isn’t the smoothest, with the narrow widescreen display not being an ideal size for displaying the map clearly. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity are standard-fit, providing a welcome alternative. As part of the Connect Plus Pack, our car also featured ChatGPT as a voice-recognition feature. But we found this less than useful, with several frustrating misunderstandings.
“The seat cushions are soft, further emphasising the C4’s bias towards comfort, although they’re not so squidgy as to cause discomfort on longer trips.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
Boot space & practicality
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Interior storage in the Citroen C4 is good, with useful door bins and assorted cubbies, while Max trim includes a variable-height boot floor for a little extra versatility. Plus trim and above add a dash-mounted tablet holder for the front passenger, which folds away when unnecessary.
Dimensions and size
The C4 has a bigger footprint than a typical family hatchback, and it’s longer and wider than the Volkswagen Golf. In fact, this car is comparable to the Toyota C-HR, being just 2mm shorter than the Japanese SUV.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Citroen C4 | Vauxhall Astra | Volkswagen Golf |
| Length | 4,360mm | 4,374mm | 4,282mm |
| Width | 1,834mm | 1,860mm | 1,789mm |
| Height | 1,525mm | 1,441mm | 1,483mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,670mm | 2,680mm | 2,620mm |
| Boot space | 380 litres |
422 litres 352 litres (EV and PHEV) |
381 litres 341 litres ( R ) 273 litres (eHybrid and GTE |
Seats & passenger space
The cabin certainly feels spacious enough for a car in this sector, and a six-foot driver or front seat passenger shouldn’t have any issues with the available head, leg, or shoulder room on offer. The cabin certainly feels spacious enough for a car in this sector.
Comfort is measured not just in interior space, and in Plus and Max trim, you’ll get Citroen’s latest ‘Advanced Comfort Seats’, with new side bolstering and some interesting rectangular inserts. They’re excellent seats that help soak up rougher roads.
There’s lots of legroom in the rear of the C4 (more than in a Golf, for example) and very tall adults will have no complaints about headroom, although squeezing an extra passenger in the middle rear seat would be better when undertaking shorter journeys. The C4 is perfectly adequate for family life, but consider its bigger Citroen C5 Aircross sibling if you need more space.
The requisite Isofix child seat mounting points are provided on the outer positions of the rear bench. They have fiddly zipped covers that are hard to remove, though.
Boot space
Whether you choose the petrol or hybrid, all C4s have 380 litres of boot space with 1,250 litres available when the rear seats are lowered. That’s relatively competitive for the class, with the regular Volkswagen Golf’s boot capacity being just one litre greater.
However, if you need to maximise practicality, you might be better off with the Skoda Octavia. This also offers plenty of passenger space, along with a whopping 600 litres of boot space in hatchback form.
If you don't think the regular C4’s boot is big enough for your needs, the slightly longer C4 X might be a better fit. This model has a 510-litre boot, which expands to 1,360 litres when you fold the rear seats down, although there is quite a pronounced step when you do.
Under the floor, the combustion-engined C4s have a wheel well, although we’re unsure why it does, because a spare wheel isn’t even offered as an option.
“The C4’s door bins are small when compared with the Skoda Scala’s, the armrest bin is awkwardly shaped, and ahead of it are two simple cup-holders beneath a sliding cover. In front of the gearlever are two shelves, and the lower one flips up to reveal another cubby, although the hinged shelf is only loosely attached.” - Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
Reliability & safety
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The Citroen C4 has a four-star Euro NCAP rating, which might be a little disappointing to some, given that the majority of its rivals get the full five stars.
However, the C4’s pricing structure means it could be considered a rival to Dacia's Jogger, which only earned a one-star rating due to its lack of safety technology. In most scenarios, the C4 should hold up well in a crash, with its least impressive results coming in road user protection and safety assist technology.
The Citroen C4 and e-C4 topped the owners’ Driver Power survey back in 2023, with ride and handling and overall smoothness highly rated. Owners found reliability to be a strong suit, too, with further good showings for economy and servicing costs. However, more recently, the brand only managed a pretty meagre 16th place out of 31 in the best manufacturer rankings, so there’s clearly work to be done here.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Four stars (2021) |
| Adult occupant protection | 80% |
| Child occupant protection | 83% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 57% |
| Safety assist | 63% |
Buying and owning
- Best buy: Citroen C4 130 Plus
In order to maintain the Citroen C4’s appeal as a budget-friendly family hatchback, we’d keep things simple by opting for the petrol car in base Plus trim. This model still offers decent efficiency and enough kit for most daily use, and you’ll save a good few thousand pounds compared to the fancier specs.
Citroen C4 alternatives
The traditional hatchback market has suffered in the wake of the SUV, but the remaining competitors are certainly worth a look. The Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia, SEAT Leon, Volkswagen Golf and Honda Civic are some of the C4’s longest-standing competitors. If you want to go a bit left-field, though, there’s also the Mazda 3, Skoda Scala and Cupra Leon to consider.
Several of the models we just mentioned are also available as fully electric cars, and there are a few bespoke zero-emission hatchbacks to choose from, too, such as the Volkswagen ID.3, DS 4 E-Tense and MG4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Owners have previously raved about the Citroen C4 in the Driver Power survey, with highlights including the comfort, ride quality and low costs.
