Citroen C4 - Engines, performance and drive

On the move in the Citroen C4, it’s quickly apparent from its wonderfully cosseting seats and standard-fit ‘hydraulic cushions’ (bump stops to you and me) 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 136 (introduced to the range in the last few months before the facelifted model was launched) features a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with an in-built electric motor, the latter of which can provide an extra 28bhp and 55Nm of torque.  There’s a Hybrid 100 too, which comes with the same overall layout as the Hybrid 136, but with 99bhp instead of 134bhp. The less powerful model is obviously slower to 60mph (by 2.7 seconds).  

We’d like more engagement from the electrical side of the Hybrid 136 system in truth, because while the PureTech three-cylinder is a capable engine that serves many of Stellantis’s products well, it’s blown away for refinement by the all-electric Citroen e-C4. With the C4’s focus on ride quality, the engine’s occasional grumbles are a little at odds with this. 

We thought the pre-facelift C4 was better when paired with the six-speed manual transmission (which has been axed for the facelift) rather than the eight-speed automatic, and the automatic-only Hybrid 136 is also letdown by its automatic gearbox. It’s a six-speed gearbox here and while it’s slick between shifts, it can be laggy to kick down when you need it to. This is not improved by using the paddle shifts on the steering wheel, because your commands are simply ignored by the C4 all too often.

The Citroen 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 the C4 is agile enough when pushed hard. We also found the skinny eco-optimised tyres served up plenty of grip. 

Front visibility is good thanks to a lofty driving position, but it’s less impressive at the rear, where despite a redesign the obstructive spoiler remains.

The all-electric e-C4 is offered with two battery choices – a 50kWh unit paired solely with a 134bhp front-mounted electric motor and a 54kWh battery with a 154bhp motor. There’s not much between the two in terms of straight-line poke and while the e-C4 feels smoother to drive than the slightly clunky C4 Hybrid 136, the steering, brakes and overall performance from the chassis are pretty similar – no surprise given the suspension settings are carried over from the C4. There’s no one-pedal driving offered in the e-C4, although ‘B’ mode does result in stronger regenerative braking, and for daily duties it’s the mode we’d always leave on. 

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

If you’re after the fastest C4, then the 136bhp Hybrid version is the one to go for; 0-62mph is dispatched in 8.0 seconds, and the top speed is 130mph. The slowest C4 is, obviously, the least potent 99bhp Hybrid with a 0-62mph sprint time of 10.7 seconds and a 119mph top speed. The 129bhp petrol sits between the two, managing the same acceleration sprint in 9.4 seconds before going on to a top speed of 124mph.

If you predominantly drive around town, the 99bhp Hybrid will cope just fine, but it might be worth spending a bit more for either the 128bhp petrol or the 136bhp Hybrid for better out-of-town performance and easier motorway cruising. 

The 134bhp e-C4 will sprint from 0-62mph in 10.0 seconds and hit a top speed of 93mph. Performance is best described as adequate, but where the e-C4 really shines is from 0-30mph, because all of the electric motor’s 260Nm of torque is available from the moment you touch the throttle. The e-C4 simply zips off the line – handy when driving in town. The 154bhp version is a little swifter off the mark, taking just 9.2 seconds to get from 0-62mph. The latter still has a 93mph top speed, though.