Citroen C4 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The C4 is practical enough for day-to-day family use, but rivals offer bigger boot space
Citroen definitely receives plus points for returning to physical dials to operate the heating and air-con functions. Previously, these controls were located within the infotainment system and weren’t easy to use while on the move. A head-up display is also standard on all but the entry Sense version, allowing the driver to view key information such as speed limits and nav directions without taking their attention away from the road.
Interior storage is good with useful door bins and assorted cubbies, while there’s a variable height boot floor for a little extra versatility. For an extra £100 you can even specify a dash-mounted tablet holder for the front passenger, which folds away when not needed.
Size
The C4 has a bigger footprint than a typical family hatchback: for instance, it’s 76mm longer and 45mm wider than a Mk8 Volkswagen Golf. With overall dimensions of 4,360mm (length) and 1,834mm (width), the C4 is comparable to the Toyota C-HR, being just 30mm shorter and 39mm wider than its Japanese rival.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Space inside the C4 is good, with enough leg and headroom for four six-footers to sit in decent comfort, although squeezing an extra passenger in the middle rear seat would perhaps be better when undertaking shorter journeys. The C4 is perfectly adequate for family life, although you might want to consider its bigger C5 Aircross sibling if you need more space.
Boot
All Citroen C4s have a 380-litre boot, which lags behind the Mazda CX-30’s 430 litres of load space. The C4 is more on a par with a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus in its luggage carrying ability, but if you need to maximise practicality, then you might be better off with the class-leading Skoda Octavia. Folding down the C4’s rear seats increases the luggage capacity to 1,250 litres.
If you don't think the regular C4’s boot is big enough for your needs, the slightly longer C4 X may be a better fit. It 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, but a spare wheel isn’t even offered as an option. The e-C4’s battery eats into this space, so you can’t even add a spare wheel as an accessory.
Towing
The maximum braked towing capacity for the C4 is 1,200kg, which isn’t as capable as some Ford Focus versions that offer up to 1,800kg, but easily outstrips the Toyota C-HR’s 725kg rating.
