► Citroen’s left-field family car gets an upgrade
► More technology, fresh looks and more comfort
► Plus, the electric model now has more range
Citroen had quite a busy stand at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Hiding in the shadow of the striking C5 Aircross Concept and the so-cute-you-could-eat-it Ami facelift, there was these – the updated versions of the Citroen C4 hatchback and C4 X saloon.
They’re quite involved updates, too. Citroen has dragged the cars’ styling into step with the new C3, while tweaking their interiors, technology suites and powertrain range. Plus, the brand promises they’ll be more comfortable and convenient to own than the old models. Obviously. Or it wouldn’t have bothered.
You won’t need to wait long if you want one, either. They’ll hit showrooms in early 2025, offering renewed competition for the smorgasbord of jacked-up C-segment Stellantis cars, as well as stuff like the Kia Niro, Honda Civic and Toyota C-HR. Scroll down to learn everything we know about the new car.
What’s changed?
It’s even more comfortable. Citroen has redesigned its Advanced Comfort seats, adding an extra 15mm of foam and a new, denser section of padding in the centre of the squab. The driver’s seat has some extra height and lumbar adjustment, too.
Citroen has tickled the cars’ infotainment systems, too. They have the same 10.0-inch screen as before, but they’ve been updated with a new connected 3D sat-nav system and a new digital assistant that’s activated by screaming ‘Hello Citroen’ at the dashboard.
You also get a new 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster, which is 1.5 inches better than the old car’s. It looks and works much like the old car’s, but it’s a little sharper – and the extra space on the screen is a welcome improvement. Like the old car, you can have a head-up display as an optional extra.
Lastly, Citroen has introduced vehicle-to-load (or ‘V2L’ if you’re one of the cool kids) on the pure-electric Citroen e-C4 and e-C4 X. It means you can now use both cars like giant, mobile power banks, siphoning the energy in their batteries to feed external appliances such as laptops, kitchen appliances or even power tools.
And the powertrains?
Yep, they’re different too. You can still have the C4 with both petrol and electric powertrains – but Citroen has been fiddling with the petrol models.
The old car’s non-electrically assisted petrol engines have been scrapped for two new mild hybrid units – one with 134bhp and one with 99bhp. They’re based on Citroen’s familiar 1.2-litre three-cylinder Pure Tech engine, but they’re supported by a new 28bhp 48-volt electric motor and a dinky 0.4kWh battery pack.
Citroen says these electrified engines produce 20 percent less CO2 than the old, non-electrified Pure Tech C4. Plus, because that 48-volt motor is punchy enough to move the car around on its own at low speeds, the brand reckons you’ll be able to potter around town in zero-emission smug mode for 50 percent of the time.
The EVs haven’t changed. As before, the e-C4 is offered with two electric powertrains. The entry-level model has a 50kWh battery pack and a 134bhp electric motor, which Citroen says gives the car a driving range of 223 miles.
In 2023, Citroen introduced a longer-range version of the e-C4 – and that’s sticking around for the facelift. It has a 54kWh battery and a more efficient 154bhp electric motor that boost the car’s maximum official range to 260 miles.
What about the practicality?
This hasn’t changed either. The C4 hatchback still has ample space inside for five and it still boasts the best-in-class rear legroom. Boot space remains the same at 380 litres with the rear seats in place and 1250 litres with the bench folded flat.
The C4 X has the same amount of interior as its hatchback sister, but its boot is a bit roomier. You get 510 litres of boot space but, because it has a saloon boot rather than a hatchback, it’s a little less convenient to load up.
How much will the new C4 and C4 X cost?
Erm. Well, Citroen hasn’t yet told us how much the revised C4 and C4 X will cost, but we’re not expecting any huge price increases. For reference, the pre-facelift C4 You! had a starting price of £19,720, so we suspect this revised car will kick off from around £21,000.