Citroen C4 unveiled

French firm's new Focus rival gains a hike in quality and more understated style.

Auto Express Car Reviews

July 2010

Meet the new, more grown-up Citroen C4. The Ford Focus rival has replaced the quirkiness of its predecessor with an increased emphasis on quality.

Measuring 4.33-metres long, 1.79-metres wide and 1.49-mertes high, the newcomer is 5cm longer, 2cm wider and 3cm taller than the car it replaces, liberating 408-litres of boot space, which Citroen claims is the best in its class.

The exterior features intricate surfacing on the bonnet and side panels, plus a more aggressive front end. The clamshell bonnet fits flush on top of the headlights and integrates gracefully with the twin chevron grille, with echoes of the C5. At the rear, there’s a clean, uncluttered bootlid which owes much to the current C3.

While the exterior is more conservative than the outgoing car's, the cabin goes some way to make up for this. Top-spec Exclusive trim models gets splashes of chrome, leather and soft-touch materials everywhere to emphasise the hike in quality.

The gear selector for the automatic gearbox has been miniaturised, and finished in sturdy metal and leather. Together with an electronic handbrake, it frees up room for a big refrigerated storage bin ahead of the gearlever.

Gone is the controversial fixed-hub steering wheel, replaced with a conventional multifunction wheel. Sculpted leather seats hold you firmly in place, while the hollow headrests add a degree of flair to the interior.

Neat touches include options to change the colour of the instrument panel, polyphonic alert tones, blindspot monitoring and a cornering light function.

Citroen’s new range of e-HDi stop-start powerplants will feature. The technology is compatible with 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesels, and the C4 will be offered with a 110bhp 1.6 e-HDi from launch, producing 109g/km of CO2, although a tax-dodging 99g/km variant will follow shortly afterwards.

Also debuting alongside the C4 at Paris is the production version of the DS4. It was previewed by the three-door High Rider Concept which was shown earlier this year in Geneva, but the production model is a five-door. It's the second addition to Citroen’s premium DS sub-brand, and puts the focus more on luxury than the sporty DS3 supermini.

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12 Comments

Well done the new French design teams!

What is happening to me? I'm starting to like the look of French cars. Something which has not happened for 20 yrs! Starting with the new C5, the Peugeot RCX, the SurVolt concept is gorgeous and now the C4! I think this Focus rival is actually better looking than the over due replacement Focus.

Still as always though is the questional reliability, depreciation and the woeful dealer network. But the current batch are a real step in the right direction. Well I never thought I would be writting this a year ago!

By Focus_your_mind on 19 July, 2010, 12:30pm

The only thing that kept me remotely interested in Citroen was its distinctive style.

I'm very disappointed. The only thing that kept me remotely interested in Citroen was its distinctive style. With that gone what do you have? Another also-ran. May as well get the comparable VW and not waste money here.

By mjgray100 on 19 July, 2010, 12:42pm

Why has the fixed-hub steering wheel gone? I thought it was well received by the public. To have as many controls as this has on a rotating hub looks a bit of a nightmare.

By PedroConejo on 19 July, 2010, 4:02pm

Not a popular choice anymore!

Oh dear citroen have lost there nerve!
Its clearly a nice car now but its not why we buy citroens.
If you want all the stuff this new car claims to be better on then you drive straight past citroen to the VW showroom!
I bought a C4 for its design, innovation and the barmy but brilliant steering wheel.
Its the same story with the Megane. When it was different, everyone bought one despite its SLIGHT downfalls but now its just one of the pack! Shame!

By spiffo on 19 July, 2010, 8:18pm

Diaappointing

The return of the ZX - a nice competent and ultimately dull car. the C4 was one of the few interesting Citreon's but now it looks rather like the last Mazda 323. And if you are going to buy a car that looks like a Mazda, you may as well have the reliability of a Mazda. The C4 will break down and bits will fall off.

By IronChicken on 20 July, 2010, 9:24am

Awesome!!

This is the best looking French car I have seen in a long time. Previous Citroen's were terribly unappealing. This car I would consider buying. Well done Citroen!!

By aplads on 20 July, 2010, 9:57am

Originality?

Front: Golf / Polo.
Sides: Auris.
Rear: Everything else.
Need to see this one "in the metal" to properly judge it, but so far.... oh dear...

By nhunt2 on 20 July, 2010, 11:32am

4-door saloon

Will there be one and will we be allowed to buy it?

By DerekGBevan on 20 July, 2010, 11:27pm

Back to the Xsara

A bit like the current BMW 5 - this seems to ignore the innovative nature of it's predecessor and looks very much like just an evolution of Citroen's 90's offerings. It looks like a nice car but I can't think of a car in it's class that isn't nice (or better than nice). The old C4 was that bit different to its competitors, but with good reason. This one sends out mixed messages - are Citroen going back to having just cars that aim to be class competitive without any distinguishing features and competing on special offers to make up for the perceived reliability shortfall compared to Golfs and the Japanese offerings?

Perhaps this one is deliberately dumbed down in preparation for the DS4. If that's the case then the DS4 had better be stonkingly good to make up for that.

By cakewalker90 on 21 July, 2010, 12:39am

This looks sexy and Citroen have cleaned up their act recently so will be a great car to drive with cool discounts. Great choice for those who don't want German. I could care less for depreciation

By thecardude on 21 July, 2010, 9:30am

FOCUS_YOUR_MIND

Think we have had this dicussion before Mr Fucus, glad your coming round, first the design team have a large British influence, I think you will also find quality on a par if not better than Ford,VW, see what Jeremy Clarckson thought of the DS3 and another mainstream mag thought the DS3 was better all round than the mini and the Audi A1, then you see the DS4 announce shortly, should take it up a notch, and looks superb.

By citroen5947 on 22 July, 2010, 10:50am

REVERSE GEAR

I am from Malaysia and own a C4 4-door hatchback but the new design seems like a predecessor rather than a successor to my model ...its too bland for me, why has Citroen gone into reverse gear?

even the rear end is too modest..

By ahmadjaafar on 23 July, 2010, 4:07am

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