Skip advert
Advertisement

Citroen C4 hatchback (2010-2018) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The C4 makes a very comfortable family cruiser, with room for lots of luggage

Practicality, comfort and boot space rating

3.8

How we review cars
RRP
£22,295 £26,625
Avg. savings
£4,383 off RRP*
Find your Citroen C4
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

The big expanses of plastic not only give a cramped feel to the cabin, but they reduce usable storage. The tray in front of the gearlever is recessed, which makes it difficult to put modern smartphones in (another trait of the C4’s age), while right-hand-drive cars get a smaller glovebox thanks to the fuse box and its fixed position to the left of the dashboard. However, the C4’s worst trait is its driving position – in particular, the way your body lines up with the high-set pedals. Plus, there is less space for rear passengers.

Size

The C4 hatch is 4,329mm long, 1,789mm wide and 1,489mm tall. In comparison, the Ford Focus is a little bigger at 4,360mm x 1,823mm x 1,469mm, while the VW Golf is a little smaller, measuring 4,255mm x 1,799nn x 1,425mm.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The car is a full five-seater, but the C4 struggles against roomier rivals such as the Skoda Octavia because a large load area eats into the rear seat space.

However, it’s not too bad in the back, especially if you only usually carry kids. Taller adults who are over six foot may feel a little cramped, both for legroom and headroom. There are no such problems up front.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The rear doors open wide for easy access, the seats in the back fold down in a 60:40 split and there are ISOFIX child seat mounting points as standard.

Boot 

While the Citroen’s 380-litre boot shows the limits of the platform’s packaging, this rises to 408 litres if you include the under floor storage. Fold the rear seats and there’s 1,300 litres of space, but this means the C4 still trails a Skoda Rapid by 190 litres.

Sadly the car's design does make it rather awkward to load when you fold the seats down, because they lie at an angle – a shame as the total load volume goes up to 1,300 litres.

All C4s come with a compressor-based get-you-home kit instead of a spare wheel, so we’d recommend the extra £75 for a full-size spare or space-saver.

If you want to pull a caravan, the 2.0-litre diesel is the best for the job with a maximum towing capacity of 1,750kg. That’s a couple of hundred kgs more than the 1.6-litre diesels and the petrol. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.2 Hybrid You 5dr e-DCS6
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £22,295
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.2 Hybrid You 5dr e-DCS6
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £22,295
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    1.2 Hybrid [136] Plus 5dr e-DCS6
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £24,735
Select car
Senior test editor

Dean has been part of the Auto Express team for more than 20 years, and has worked across nearly all departments, starting on magazine production, then moving to road tests and reviews. He's our resident van expert, but covers everything from scooters and motorbikes to supercars and consumer products.

New & used car deals

Citroen C4

Citroen C4

RRP £19,720Avg. savings £4,383 off RRP*Used from £10,700
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £1,676 off RRP*
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £25,235Avg. savings £1,824 off RRP*Used from £24,000
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,405Avg. savings £2,749 off RRP*Used from £12,220
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: High-spec Nissan Qashqai for £191 a month is a steal
Nissan Qashqai - front cornering right

Car Deal of the Day: High-spec Nissan Qashqai for £191 a month is a steal

The Nissan Qashqai is a family favourite, with plenty of style and kerb appeal. It’s our Deal of the Day for 13 February
News
13 Feb 2025
New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped
Volkswagen Transporter e-Shuttle - front

New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped

The Ford-based Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle is refined, good to drive and has plenty of space in all three rows
Road tests
14 Feb 2025
It’s not just electric cars that are overpriced
Opinion - expensive cars

It’s not just electric cars that are overpriced

Not matter how good a new car might be, Mike Rutherford thinks it will ultimately fail if it's overpriced
Opinion
16 Feb 2025