- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.2T, 3 cyl.
- Engine Power
96kW, 230Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 5.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
6 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Citroen C4 Exclusive road test review
French cars haven't always been as palatable to Australians as Gallic fashion or food.
Renowned for their avant-garde looks and quirky innovations – while praised by critics for their comfort – brands such as Citroen, Renault and Peugeot have found niche loyalists over the years, but have rarely gathered mainstream momentum.
Things are changing though, particularly as urbanised city slickers shift away from traditional suburban family sedans to smaller hatchbacks from European brands that offer a bit more style and cache.
However, the transition has been a bit slow for Citroen's C4 – the most mainstream model in the French brand's range – which has been held back by out-dated drivetrains and a lack of modern equipment, but has now been updated to address its shortcomings.
What do you get?
While the C4 nomenclature is used as a prefix across most of the Citroen range, including its Picasso people mover and upcoming Cactus baby SUV, in standard form it is simply a regular five-door hatchback.
Rather than chasing after big volume sellers such as the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3, Citroen is targeting the premium end of the small car segment with the base-level Seduction model commanding a significant premium over regular rivals with a starting price of $29,990 (plus on-road costs).
For that, the C4 features a new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed automatic transmission as the only drivetrain choice. Even in the Seduction grade, the list of equipment isn't that flash, as it comes with 16-inch wheels and cloth trim, but picks up modern conveniences such as dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, rear parking sensors and a 7.0-inch colour touchscreen with sat nav, Bluetooth connections and an 8GB hard drive to store music.
The range-topping Exclusive model we're testing costs $33,990 (plus on-road costs) and brings 17-inch alloys, partial leather trim, keyless entry and push-button start, a glass sunroof, front parking sensors and blind spot monitoring. A full leather interior with heated front seats that feature a massage function is a $2500 option on Exclusive models, while metallic paint is $800 (or pearlescent paint is $1000) on both grades.
What's inside?
The C4's cabin isn't all that you'd expect from Citroen, a brand that has traditionally pushed the boundaries of design in the past.
The five-seater cockpit is fairly conventional and, against more modern rivals, is starting to show its age, even if it feels well built with soft-touch materials in all the tactile places. The recent update does, however, bring some added convenience and simplicity with its new 7.0-inch multimedia touch screen deleting an array of buttons that cluttered the centre console on its predecessor. The interface though is a little fussy with some necessary functions hidden in sub menus and the Bluetooth connection in our test car didn't pick up the microphone, meaning phone calls were frustratingly one-way conversations.
The driving position is a little awkward too, with short cushions not offering a lot of under-thigh support and the steering wheel lacks the kind of adjustment for it to be positioned in the right spot.
There is, on the other hand, a decent amount of space in the cabin, with good headroom for all occupants, adequate legroom in the back for two adults to travel without too much discomfort and its 408L boot is capacious enough for a full family.
Under the bonnet
The biggest change to the C4 is under the bonnet, with the hatch ditching its underwhelming 1.6-litre four cylinder for a smaller 1.2-litre turbocharged three cylinder petrol – the only engine now on offer.
While it's overall capacity has decreased, the turbo helps increase its maximum outputs to 96kW and 230Nm – up from 88kW and 160Nm – as well as making the power more accessible across a wider range of engine speeds.
It's a charming little engine that defies its numbers with plenty of low-rev pulling power and a smooth delivery that makes it feel bigger and stronger than it really is, therefore giving the C4 a rather effortless character - both around town and out on the open road.
It won't win any traffic light race starts and still needs to shift down a few cogs on steep inclines, but the extra ratios in the new six-speed automatic transmission (still one short on other Europeans with a more modern dual-clutch unit, but much better than the four-speeder in its predecessor) ensures the motor is spinning at the optimum speed, even if it feel a little clumsy in the way it swaps cogs on occasions.
The little engine and bigger gearbox also provides a significant reduction in fuel consumption, with Citroen claiming it consumes 5.1L/100km on average. We found it drank a little more than that over a mix of urban and freeway driving, recording just over 7L/100km.
On the road
With the update, Citroen has taken the liberty to give the C4's suspension a bit of a tweak with the aim of improving its overall comfort – something the French brand has been renowned for over the decades.
But it has missed the mark by a fraction, as the settings make the car feel neither plush over rough roads or agile through the bends. It is reasonably inoffensive over most road irregularities, but rough patches will crash through the cabin, irregular corrugations are transferred back through the steering wheel and mid-corner bumps can upset its line through the bend.
Verdict
The update to the C4 helps make it more appealing than before, particularly its charming engine and standard automatic. But it isn't the sharpest, most stylish or best-equipped car of its type and yet still commands a fairly sizeable premium.
2015 Citroen C4 Exclusive price and specifications
Price: $33.990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 96kW at 5500rpm
Torque: 230Nm at 1750rpm
Transmission: 6-spd automatic, front-wheel drive
Fuel Use: 5.1L/100km
Pros:
Charming engine
Spacious cabin
Good build quality
Cons:
Price premium
Odd suspension settings
Poor Bluetooth connectivity
The Competitors:
Peugeot 308 Allure
Price: $32,790 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 110kW at 3750rpm
Torque: 240Nm at 1400rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel Use: 6.5L/100km
Our Score: 8/10
Volkswagen Golf 110TSI Highline
Price: $32,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 110kW at 5000-6000rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 1500-3500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed auto
Fuel Use: 5.4L/100km
Our Score: 8/10
Mazda3 SP25 GT
Price: $29,790 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.5-litre 4-cyl
Power: 138kW at 5700rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 3250rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel Use: 6.5L/100km
Our Score: 9/10