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This third generation C4 proved to be a far more creditable offering for Citroen in the family hatchback sector. The French brand hoped that this car could play its part in rejuvenating this segment by integrating SUV style and the option of full electric power into traditional family hatch design. Plus there was a clever suspension system to make this contender feel really Citroen-esque. If you're fed up with clinical family hatchbacks and want an affordable, charismatic one from the 2020-2024 period, here's one that might charm you.
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History
"This car", said Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee back in 2020, "is Citroen to the core". The third generation C4 C41-era model's task was to return the brand to credibility in the Focus and Golf-dominated family hatch sector. The previous MK2 B7-era C4, launched in 2010, hadn't been particularly Citroen and wasn't particular successful either, selling mainly on low price - and towards the end of its life not even on that. In 2017, Citroen tried to replace it with an evolved family hatch-orientated version of its C4 Cactus crossover, but that didn't work either.
This third generation C4, launched in mid-2020, tried to play the crossover card too in terms of some aspects of its visual appeal, but unlike with the previous C4 Cactus, in buying one, you won't feel you're being forced into an SUV rather against your will. Instead, this C4 plays to the things people tend to like about Citroen - innovative design, a distinctive feel and exemplary ride quality.
Though this C4 was intended to be a Focus-sized family hatch, under the skin it sat on a stretched version of the Stellantis Group's CMP supermini platform. The reason why was that these underpinnings were able to support all-electric drive, which appeared here in the form of an e-C4 battery-powered model the brand offered as an alternative to the conventional petrol and diesel variants. Most customers though, stuck with the PureTech petrol versions.
So, at last with a modern Citroen, here we were being offered innovation that was more than skin deep. Which was appropriate given the historical significance of some of the nine generations of compact Citroen car model lines that preceded this one; the very first Andre Citroen-inspired C4 of 1928; the Ami models of the '60's; the futuristic GS of 1971; and the stylised BX of the '80's. More recent compact Citroen hatches - the ZX of 1991, the Xsara of 1997 and the previous two generations of C4 (in 2004 and 2010) - were rather less memorable. But this car set out to remind us of what a Citroen of this kind really ought to be. The C4 and e-C4 hatches were joined a year later by C4 X and e-C4 X saloon models. And all these C4 models sold until late 2024, when the line-up was significantly facelifted. It's the pre-facelift versions of the C4 we look at here.
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What you get
So, how is Citroen going to be Citroen - different, individual, trend-setting - in the modern family hatch market? The individualist look for the original version of this third generation C4 gave us our first answer to that question. The idea with this C-segment family five-door was to deliver the crossover look the European market was by 2020 craving, without the traditional SUV drawbacks that lead to inefficiency - things like a big frontal area and an overly raised ride height. This C41-era design was the result, ostensibly a family hatch but also almost an SUV coupe in the style of, say, a Kia XCeed or a Toyota C-HR. It was an interesting look - no question.
This generation of C4 has been called the most individualist family car to wear this maker's double-chevron badge since Citroen's GS model of the Seventies and if you're old enough to remember that car, you might recognise elements of it in this C41 design's rear three-quarter view. There's also plenty of signature Citroen design, much of it borrowed from the brand 'CXperience', 'Ami One' and '19_19' concept cars, particularly at the front, where the bonnet is high and horizontal and the V-shaped lighting design is evolved from the company's previous double-stage headlight signature.
In profile, you'll note the swept-back rear roof line, the interesting kink at the base of the rear C-pillar and the large wheels which can be up to 18-inches in size. Overall, it's a good-looking car, designed by the stylist who fashioned Citroen's last truly innovative model, the C6. Interesting details are everywhere, especially at the back where the two-piece rear window claimed inspiration from the C4 Coupe of 2004, with a rear spoiler that splits the tailgate glass.
From launch, Citroen described this car's interior differently as being 'comfortable and cosy'. It'll certainly be comfortable if you stretched to a model with the thicker 'Advanced Comfort' seats upon which you perch with a slightly higher vantage point than the family hatch norm. Through the oddly-shaped three-spoke wheel, you view a pared-back version of the quite innovative digital instrument panel used in the first generation version of the brand's C5 Aircross SUV, whose read-outs you flip through here by jabbing the left indicator stalk. The lower part of the centre console stretches broadly away in front of you into a deep smartly backlit area at the base of a centre stack topped by a large, glossy 10-inch infotainment touchscreen which includes virtually all the media features you could need. Plus there's little to fault about the ergonomics, unless you object to the slightly restricted view rearwards that comes as part of Citroen's decision to fit that split rear tailgate screen.
Let's consider the rear. Your expectations here might not be that high, given that this C4 is 4.35-metres long, which isn't huge for a Focus-sized hatch. But once inside, space is actually quite reasonable on the rear seat. Citroen reckoned from launch that knee room back here was close to being 'best-in-class' (which isn't true at all), but it was pretty close to the class standard and will be fine for a couple of adults on medium-length trips
The boot is reasonably sized at 380-litres (about the same as a Focus or a Golf), though the fact that this model's Peugeot 308 close cousin can give you 32-litres more betrays that car's use of a more class-appropriate basic platform. At least the capacity you do get is the same whether you want this car with a combustion engine or full-electric power. Push forward the 60:40-split backrest and you can improve the space on offer to 1,250-litres.
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What to look for
As usually with family hatchbacks, check for child damage inside and alloy wheel scuffs outside. And of course you'll want a fully stamped-up service record. What else? Well we've heard reports that the infotainment system can be glitchy and various customers have had electrical issues, including non-engine electrical faults relating to the air conditioning and warning lights. Check that the air conditioning works and that the pixels on the centre display are all good. Also check for rear bumper scrapes. Finally check that the Bluetooth pairs reliably with your phone handset. As we said, electrical glitches are relatively common, so make sure everything electrical in the car works and double-check that there are no unexplained warning lights on the dashboard. Citroen's infotainment touchscreen software can sometimes cause the monitor to freeze or fail completely. A software reset may solve the problem, but some owners have had to replace the entire unit, which is not a cheap operation.
The drive battery in used e-C4 models should have quite a bit of life in it, unless you happen to be looking at one of the very earliest '20-plate versions. When the battery is on its way out, you'll obviously find that it won't go as far on each charge - and when it starts to run low on charge, you'll find that the car will particularly start to struggle going uphill. When it gets old, the lithium-ion battery used here can suffer from the ionised liquid in the battery freezing certain cells; those cells are then unable to receive charge.
Before going to all that trouble though, make sure the issue really is the battery. If the car won't charge, it could be a problem with your home electrics (or those at the public charge point you're using). Check the charge light to make sure that electricity really is going through the charge port. And make sure there really is charge in the socket you're using to power from - plug something else into it to see - say, your 'phone. If that charges OK, it could be that your charging cable is demanding too much power, so try another power source. Another problem could be that the circuit may have tripped due to a circuit overload. Or perhaps there could be a problem with the charge cable: this needs to be cared for properly. Repeatedly driving over it (as previous owners may conceivably have done) will damage it eventually. Make sure you do a charge-up before signing for the car you're looking at. When you do this, make sure that when you plug in to start the charge cycle you hear the charge port and the cable locking and engaging as they should; that's all part of the charger basically confirming with the car's onboard computer that everything's good to go before releasing power. But if the charging cable fails to lock as it should, then that won't happen. If there is a failure to lock, the issue could be actuator failure, caused by a blown fuse.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2021 e-C4 excl. VAT - autodoc.co.uk) A pair of front brake pads are between £23-£75 depending on brand. A pair of rear brake pads are between £17-£53. A pair of front brake discs start in the £23-£74 bracket, Rear shock absorbers are in the £83-£100 bracket. Cabin filters cost around £7-£24 and wiper blades cost from around £7.
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On the road
Whether you prefer this third generation C4 hatch with full-electric drive, diesel power or the PureTech petrol unit, you'll find that it offers an uber-laid back approach to what a C-segment hatch should be. Primarily, this comes courtesy of what Citroen calls its 'Advanced Comfort programme', the pillars behind which are more thickly padded 'Advanced Comfort' seats, and, rather more significantly, the brand's heavily patented 'Progressive Hydraulic Cushion' suspension. Here, the car's springs and shock absorbers work in concert with hydraulic compression and rebound stops, which are supposed to slow body movement over bumps and tarmac tears. It's not quite as good as an air suspended set-up, but in terms of ride comfort from conventional springs, it's the best set-up we've tried on a car from this period.
But not one conducive to cutting edge levels of handling or body control; that's not the kind of thing this this Citroen really prioritises, though it doesn't float about through the turns as much as you might fear it might. And you're compensated with exemplary cruising refinement, even in the combustion-engined models. From launch, there were five of those. A trio of PureTech variants use Citroen's familiar three cylinder 1.2-litre petrol turbo engine - it comes in either a 100hp manual guise, the 130hp form most opted for (offered with manual or 8-speed EAT8 auto transmission) or in an auto-only 155hp state of tune. Citroen also offered a couple of versions of its 1.5-litre BlueHDi diesel - a manual gearbox 110hp model and an auto-only 130hp derivative.
As for the full-electric e-C4 variant, well that uses a 134hp electric motor powered by a 50kWh lithium-ion battery and boasts a 217 mile WLTP-rated driving range between charges that will take around 7.5 hours using a 32amp home wallbox. Those preferring to buy forward motion from a fuel station rather than a plug socket may want to know that this PureTech 130 auto petrol model returns WLTP-rated stats of up to 50.3mpg on the combined cycle and 130g/km of CO2.
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Overall
Whatever drivetrain you choose for it, the original version of this third generation C4 certainly ticked the two trending themes of crossover style and electrified power. Yet we think it delivered them within a package that traditional buyers in this segment looking for a used family hatchback from the 2020-2024 period could be comfortable with.
And comfort here is, as usual, the Citroen keynote. Travelling comfort, thanks to the Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension and squashy seats. Comfort of the mind, thanks to the soothing cabin ambiance. And comfort of use, thanks to the twenty available driving assistance technologies. Unless all these things are priorities for you, you probably won't like this car at all. But if they are - or can be - you'll probably really appreciate what the brand has tried to do here. Ultimately, what really matters is that what we have here is a proper Citroen - with all that means. Thank goodness for that.
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