Citroen C4 review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

While the C4 is competitively priced, with a bit of determined haggling you should still be able to negotiate a discount with your Citroen dealer. With no plug-in hybrid tech on offer, it’s a straight choice between petrol, diesel or all-electric power.

Citroen claims that the C4 petrol is capable of returning up to 54.8mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, although the PureTech 130 automatic will achieve 50.3mpg at best, according to the French firm. CO2 emissions range from 121g/km to 143g/km.

During our own test with a 128bhp PureTech petrol (six-speed manual) version, we struggled to match the manufacturer’s economy figures, achieving just 37.4mpg. Even allowing for variables such as different driving styles, road types and weather conditions, this is a disappointing real-world result.

A company car driver covering more miles will be better served with a C4 diesel version, because the claimed fuel economy figure climbs to well over 60mpg, while CO2 emissions fall to between 113g/km and 125g/km.

Although the e-C4 is more expensive to buy, because it produces zero tailpipe emissions, it sits in a far lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax bracket. The EV is also currently exempt from road tax (VED) and the London Congestion Charge until 2025.

Electric range, battery and charging

At launch, the e-C4 was only available with a 50kWh battery, but the electric hatchback will soon be offered with a choice of 50kWh and 54kWh batteries. The former allows for a maximum range of 220 miles, while the new larger unit boosts the car’s range to 260 miles.

We’ve yet to test the 54kWh e-C4, but we covered more than 3,200 miles in our 50kWh e-C4 long-term test car and managed to average 3.2 miles per kWh. That equates to a real-world range of 160 miles on a full charge. 

Speaking of which, the e-C4 has a maximum charging speed of 100kW, which allows for a 10 to 80 per cent charge in half an hour, while a typical 7.4kW home wallbox will fully charge either version in around seven hours.

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Insurance groups

The entry-level C4 1.2 PureTech in Sense trim sits in insurance group 13, while the top-spec 153bhp Shine Plus petrol variant is in group 22. In comparison, the Kia XCeed petrol range starts from group 12, rising to group 19 for a 158bhp ‘4’ spec model.

Insurance premiums won’t be particularly affected if you go for a C4 with a diesel engine, because all of the oil burners sit in groups 16 to 21, meanwhile, the e-C4 lands in groups 22 to 23.

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Depreciation

Citroen cars don’t typically have a reputation for holding their value on the used market, but the C4 shows some promise. Our latest expert data suggests that the C4 will retain between 50 and 55 per cent of its original value after three years and 36,000 miles of ownership, with the PureTech 130 petrol in top-of-the-range Shine Plus expected to perform the best on the used market. The all-electric e-C4 on the other hand is forecast to retain less than 40 per cent of its value over the same period.

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