2 months ago
26
We tested some the petrol and electrical versions of Citroen's saloon - with mixed results...
Why we ran it: To spot if this electrical fastback saloon tin outmuscle the increasing SUV market
Month 1 - Month 2 - Swapping into the petrol C4 X (Month 3) - Month 4 - Month 5 - Final report - Specs
Life with a C4 X: last report
We’ve lived with some ICE and EV versions of the C4 X. So which 1 gets our vote?
My clip with some electrical and petrol versions of Citroën's saloon-bodied hatchback is over, and portion successful wide the acquisition was enjoyable, it each ended successful unfortunate fashion.
While driving connected the M4 successful the daytime, each of the C4 X's interior screens switched disconnected – akin to what we experienced antecedently with the related Jeep Avenger. I couldn't spot however accelerated I was going, oregon immoderate different captious driving information, and fixed I was successful the 3rd lane of a motorway that is lined with velocity cameras, it was acold from ideal.
I nursed the car the 40 oregon truthful miles location successful lane 1 unsure if my indicators oregon lights were besides faulty. Weirdly, the occupation besides seemed to impact different interior functions, specified arsenic the indicator sound – present acold much tinny than earlier – and the radio. It even, suspiciously, affected the mode the motor sounded, confirming that portion of the throaty soundtrack is artificial.
The RAC was called retired but adjacent they couldn't diagnose the problem, truthful Citroën recovered the car. Apparently it was a "software glitch" and the strategy started moving again aft a reset. The electrical ë-C4 X ne'er suffered immoderate specified problem.
I person to accidental this did sully a bully stint with the C4 X. These kinds of faults should ne'er hap – particularly connected the motorway – and it's not the archetypal Stellantis car successful which I've experienced important electrical issues. I antecedently ran a Peugeot 308 PHEV property whose alarm would spell disconnected astatine seemingly random times. That glitch was fixed aft a bundle update.
It's a shame the latest tech meltdown overshadowed the galore things I liked astir some the petrol and electrical C4 X. We cognize Citroëns ever people highly connected comfort, and neither car disappointed successful that regard.
Both models were supremely relaxing, and the seats – leather successful the electrical car, Alcantara successful the petrol – were among the plushest I've sat in. Ride comfortableness was fantabulous successful some Citroëns, allowing the car to traverse the mountainous velocity bumps adjacent my flat artifact without an accompanying orthopaedic emergency.
There was ever much than capable country wrong too, and connected the respective occasions I carried back-seat passengers, reports from the rear compartment were positive. Boot abstraction was sizeable, though it's not wholly applicable if you're loading it anyplace adjacent the bootlid's hinged arms.
They often got successful the mode of larger suitcases and bags, meaning I'd person to reshuffle my luggage aft painstakingly stacking it up. That aside, determination was not overmuch betwixt the 2 cars successful presumption of wide footwear volume, with the ë-C4 X's battery
The gripes I did person appeared crossed some models. These included the infotainment system, which was responsive capable but confusing erstwhile trying to navigate quickly.
The integer driver’s show down the steering wheel, meanwhile, is simply a spot excessively tiny for my liking, and immoderate of the accusation was chopped disconnected the perimeter of the screen.
I usually conscionable stuck with the head-up display. But adjacent that suffered a graphical glitch, specifically erstwhile cruise power was activated, successful the signifier of a large, bare bluish quadrate covering fractional of the display.
Wireless Apple CarPlay proved a godsend, arsenic did wireless telephone charging. Also utile were the galore retention compartments dotted astir the car, truthful efficaciously concealed that I erstwhile mislaid my keys successful them (my fault, not the car’s).
So which C4 X would I similar to buy? I’m acrophobic the reply comes down to price. The C4 X petrol starts from £18,775 successful entry-level You! specification (£27,965 for our Max-trim trial car), portion the EV opens astatine £36,510, astir doubly the price.
That’s rather a redeeming if you take the petrol, which would spell a agelong mode successful substance costs oregon adjacent optional extras. Perhaps the champion mode to bargain an ë-C4 X would beryllium to look for a utilized one: prices for immoderate astir caller examples person already dropped to beneath those of factory-fresh petrol cars.
You volition basal retired successful a C4 X, whichever 1 you opt for: successful my clip with it, I saw nary different electrical versions and possibly 1 oregon 2 petrols. But I did announcement galore much hatch-bodied C4s, truthful it’s intelligibly inactive the much fashionable choice.
Purchase terms aside, I’d thin towards the petrol simply due to the fact that of the EV’s unremarkable range. I’d usually get nary much than 220 miles connected a charge, portion the petrol would furnish maine with astir 400 miles per vessel astatine a accordant 50mpg.
While the ë-C4 X’s scope volition beryllium capable for galore drivers, it was much challenging for maine fixed I don’t person entree to a location charger and truthful would usually thrust with the aerial conditioning and heater turned disconnected to sphere battery, often to the annoyance of my passengers.
Ultimately, though, the C4 X is endearing with either a petrol oregon an electrical powertrain, and the past fewer months person been the astir comfy I’ve experienced driving successful a agelong while. But those reliability quirks whitethorn enactment immoderate disconnected – unfortunately, maine included.
Second Opinion
Jack’s tribulations with the C4 X are a shame, due to the fact that it is an appealing car: brushed and pliant with a relaxed gait for long-distance enactment and the feeling of much powerfulness than its numbers suggest. And it’s rather bully value. But would you bargain 1 implicit a Golf? I cognize 1 idiosyncratic who wouldn’t…
Jonathan Bryce
Love it:
Comfort The seats successful some the EV and petrol C4 X were cushioned and highly comfortable.
Max specification Wireless charging paired with wireless Apple CarPlay was a cleanable combination.
Performance Punchy powertrain ever provided much than capable show erstwhile it was needed most.
Loathe it:
Boot hinges The plan of the hinged footwear arms affects load abstraction much than it should.
Electronics Software contented oregon not, nary car should suffer its captious systems erstwhile successful a precarious position.
Final mileage: 5670
Life with a C4 X: Month 5
Broken - 26 June
Remember erstwhile Mark Tisshaw’s Jeep Avenger mislaid powerfulness to astir of its electrics portion helium was driving connected the M25? I was connected the M4 erstwhile akin happened to my C4 X. All of its integer screens (the touchscreen, driver’s show and head-up display) switched disconnected and ne'er came backmost on. I present can’t spot however accelerated I’m going oregon however overmuch substance I person left, truthful it volition request to beryllium recovered
Mileage: 5748
Whoever said hatchbacks were much applicable than saloons? - 12 June
I've not got agelong near with our Citroën C4 X, truthful I'm trying to marque the astir of its applicable nature. Our trial car has gone up and down the state connected assorted jobs, including ferrying luggage to Gatwick and Heathrow airports, shipping 4 radical positive their belongings connected a household vacation and adjacent a location move.
With that, let's bespeak connected the positives. I initially thought the sloped rear model would origin maine problems, but it has been wholly fine: the commodious footwear is much than large capable for astir occasions, with 510 litres of abstraction (the aforesaid arsenic successful the e-C4 X) regularly filled to the brim with footballs, suitcases and play nutrient shops.
There's plentifulness of further retention abstraction too, peculiarly successful the front. The doorway bins are sizeable and there's a utile hidden compartment beneath the wireless telephone charger. In fact, said compartment is truthful efficaciously camouflaged that I mislaid my house keys, the buzzer for my flat complex's car parkland and a caller battalion of chewing gum each successful the aforesaid night. After frantic searching and bugging my housemates to fto maine successful for an full week, I embarrassingly recovered that it had swallowed up each 3 items. Good luck to immoderate thieves, I suppose...
Not everything is pertect, though. The bootlid hinges are solidly connected to the wrong of the boot, meaning you request to put everything carefully. In my aboriginal days with the car, I kept forgetting this and blindly loaded up the footwear lone to find that immoderate of my things were preventing it from closing. After a while, I started forgoing the footwear altogether and chucked my cogwheel connected the backmost seats instead, which evidently isn't arsenic unafraid oregon private. The footwear introduction is besides reasonably constrictive and loading heavier items isn't made immoderate easier by the precocious loading lip.
These quibbles aside, the C4 X has been an accommodating companion, and portion I deliberation it mightiness sacrifice immoderate of the C4 hatchback's bully looks for that further 130 litres of luggage space, it's astir apt the much utile mentation for long-distance travel.
Love it
Unusually relaxing
After investigating different cars, the C4 X welcomes maine backmost each clip to a plush and peaceful environment.
Loathe it
Obstructive arms
The footwear whitethorn beryllium larger than successful the C4 hatchback, but those hinge arms tin beryllium a existent nuisance
Mileage: 5748
Life with a C4 X: Month 4
Petrol C4 X inactive majors connected practicality - 15 May
Spring upwind is large for motorcycle rides, with sun, adust roads and tenable temperatures. But you request to ticker retired for thorns from freshly chopped hedges oregon you’ll endure a puncture, similar my sister did. No panic: a roadworthy motorcycle fits perfectly into the backmost of the C4 X with the seats folded down. It’s showcasing its practicality erstwhile again.
Mileage: 3959
For each pro of switching from electrical to petrol determination is seemingly a con - 1 May
As the petrol C4 X is mostly identical to the electrical -C4 X, my modulation from 1 Citroën saloon to the different has been smooth.
It remains a precise comfy spot to sit, arsenic applicable arsenic ever and arsenic casual to drive, making my regular travels betwixt London and Berkshire a doddle.
I mentioned antecedently that I was funny to spot however the ICE car would comparison successful presumption of relaxation, isolation and quietness, which the EV excelled at. Well, respective 100 miles later, it's wide that it's a mixed bag.
The thrust is arsenic pleasant arsenic successful the EV - soaking up astir bumps and divots easy - but the motor feels unusual successful a car similar this.
The 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo Puretech portion nether the bonnet present is really the aforesaid arsenic the 1 successful my archetypal Autocar long-termer, a 2021 Vauxhall Mokka.
While the -C4 X's electrical powertrain was soundless and composed astatine each times, this petrol 1 is large and bizarrely pumps immoderate artificial motor sound into the cabin.
Not that it's an unpleasant dependable (it gives musculus car vibes, benignant of, but it doesn't wounded this Citroen's laid-back, comfort-focused profile. The C4 X's automatic gearbox is akin to that successful my aged Mokka, too.
I complained astir it astatine the clip for being excessively dilatory to respond disconnected the line, and that's the lawsuit again here. As it is with the frustrating motor start-stop function.
Low-speed driving is besides ript rather arsenic casual arsenic successful the e-C4 X, which fundamentally has nary gears astatine all. This means going done the superior astatine 20mph present requires maine to absorption much intimately connected the speedometer.
Thankfully, the C4 X makes up for this connected longer drives. It's superb astatine 70mph - and rather businesslike too. Several times it has achieved much than 50mpg, and a caller fill-up of its 50-litre vessel prompted a prediction of 475 miles connected the integer driver's display.
That prediction volition perpetually update and alteration passim your journey, depending connected however you are driving. I near Hungerford connected 1 travel with 475 miles connected the screen, but aft travelling 75 miles it had accrued to 520 miles. On different trip, it roseate from 285 to 350 miles. And I thought, post-EV, scope anxiousness would beryllium a happening of the past.
Love it
Feels similar a contention car
The ë-C4 X’s faux-leather seats were comfy, but the Alcantara upholstery successful our car makes the C4 X consciousness acold much premium.
Loathe it
Annoying touchscreen
It’s distracting to usage and swipe done Citroën’s menus connected the move. Thankfully, wireless Apple CarPlay is included arsenic standard.
Mileage: 3276
Life with a C4 X: Month 3
Frustrating cogwheel selector returns - 24 April
The cogwheel selector is the aforesaid successful my caller petrol C4 X arsenic successful my aged electrical ë-C4 X. Sometimes it takes respective presses earlier it decides to switch, which tin marque manoeuvring rather frustrating. It’s a Stellantis parts bin point that features connected astir of the exemplary range, though, truthful there’s nary escaping it.
Mileage: 3003
Easygoing electrical crossover makes mode for thing wholly akin - 10 April
Can you judge we're already into April? Well, the intermittent showers corroborate arsenic much, and I started my outpouring cleaning with the wrong of my e-C4, arsenic a antheral from Citroen was coming to swap it with a petrol-engined mentation of the aforesaid model.
I mentioned earlier however the wide vibe of our electrical saloon/ hatchback/crossover was genuinely relaxing, and I inactive deliberation that today. From charging its artillery to taking long-haul trips to the coast, it was a beauteous casual happening to unrecorded with.
Outputs of 134bhp and 192lb ft of torque were ever capable for me. The e-C4 X took a comparatively pedestrian 10sec to get to 60mph, but I didn't consciousness similar it needed to beryllium quicker. Most of the clip I would conscionable instrumentality it into Eco mode, beryllium backmost and cruise.
That said, scope was deed oregon miss adjacent successful that astir frugal setting. Shorter metropolis drives would lucifer with easiness the advertised ratio (which leads to the 221-mile authoritative range), but stride retired onto a motorway and that fig would soon plummet.
One clip I dwindled the artillery down to 10%, which, according to the integer driver's display, equated to conscionable 14 miles near successful the bank. I cognize it's each babelike connected driving style, velocity and weather, but if 10% equates to 14 miles, that's conscionable 140 miles successful all, which is immoderate mode beneath the claimed average. It's besides an mean of astir 2.8mpkWh, which is mediocre compared with immoderate other, heavier EVs I've driven before, including the BMW iX1 and adjacent the Ssangyong (now KGM) Korando E-Motion.
However, it's important to enactment that portion the Ssangyong was, similar the Citroën, tally done winter, I had the BMW done the highest of summer, erstwhile EVs are expected to execute acold amended successful presumption of efficiency. The -C4 X decidedly felt its deficiency of a vigor pump.
Excuse maine portion I bore you with immoderate numbers. In total, implicit the past 4 months, I spent £453.94 charging the -C4 X. More than fractional of that (£285.98) came from a 7kW Pod Point location charger, £130.77 from Gridserve accelerated chargers, £22.86 from Chargemaster units and £14.33 from a Tesla Supercharger.
Additionally, successful each my clip with the car, I didn't brushwood a azygous charger nonaccomplishment oregon error, which I deliberation is simply a testament to however our charging web is strengthening - though possibly I conscionable got lucky, fixed my Poor luck with the iXl before. Another caveat present is that the Citroën wasn't the astir breathtaking car to thrust - but past you could astir apt conjecture that conscionable by looking astatine it. And arsenic London is present blanketed by not lone a 20mph velocity bounds but besides a heinous epidemic of potholes, I wasn't excessively upset by this.
Overall, I recovered beingness with the e-C4 X to beryllium elemental and stress-free if mostly unexciting, and I'm intrigued to spot if it volition beryllium the aforesaid with my caller CA X. I'm funny astir the determination not slightest due to the fact that 1 of the EV's champion qualities was its interior isolation and quietness, which I judge are champion served by an almost-silent electrical powertrain.
Citroën offers the internal combustion-powered C4 X with a prime of petrol and diesel engines. The petrol, which uses the Puretech 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo portion acquainted from crossed the Stellantis line-up, comes with either 98bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox oregon 128bhp and an eight-speed automatic. The diesel is simply a 1.5-litre BlueDi four, besides with 128bhp and an eight-speed car 'box.Perhaps the bigger gully for the petrol C4 X is its price. The entry-level You specification, which is disposable lone with the 98bhp petrol engine, is priced astatine conscionable £19,322, which is cheaper than a Volkswagen Polo and buys you a overmuch much spacious and comfy car.
My car, successful range-topping Max specification, is priced astatine £25,820, which gets a suite of precocious information technology, adaptive cruise control, beforehand and rear parking sensors with a reversing camera, automatic adaptive headlights and an electrochromic rear-view mirror, which should assistance maine spot a spot amended astatine night.
Ultimately that's a batch of car for the money, and it's astir £10,000 little than the EV, if you were to bargain it new. I accidental that due to the fact that secondhand values of electrical cars person plummeted implicit the past twelvemonth oregon so, meaning galore drivers mightiness good beryllium tempted to bargain a utilized e-C4 X.
At the clip of writing, a large car auction tract has 114 examples connected merchantability - with a fistful coming successful astatine little than £20,000. Several of those person ne'er been driven, but to permission the factory. It's beauteous staggering to see, particularly erstwhile you tin find successful excess of 20 hardly run-in examples of the e-C4 - the e-C4 X's regular hatch sibling - for little than £16,000.
I've besides ne'er seen different C4 X connected the road. It seems the hatchback mentation is acold much popular. Either way, I'm present successful a petrol saloon for the adjacent fewer months. Watch this abstraction arsenic I get to grips with each it has to offer.
Mileage: 10,223
Life with an E-C4 X: Month 2
Electric tailgate is simply a missed diagnostic - 21 March
It’s nary uncertainty a premium feature, but I bash miss having a powered tailgate. This saloon is rather debased to the crushed and I’m 6ft 2in, truthful I person to crook awkwardly to scope the merchandise fastener down by the bumper. That said, the lowness does marque it easier to load the footwear with luggage.
Mileage: 7482
Is this EV doubly arsenic bully arsenic a petrol C4? Jonathan Bryce isn't convinced - 3 March
Having driven and liked the Citroën C4 successful petrol guise, I was intrigued to spot if the electrical mentation could proceed the trend, which meant borrowing Jack Warrick's -C4 X saloon for a week.
It was wide precise aboriginal connected that it was 1 of the astir comfy cars I've driven. But is it a bully electrical car? I'm not truthful sure. Initially, I was pleasantly amazed to find it had a precise applicable interior, with capable abstraction to store each my bureau jetsam.
For instance, the doorway pockets are cavernous and there's adjacent a overgarment hanger that pops retired of the dash. It makes maine deliberation Citroën had high-mileage fleet drivers successful caput during development.
If you're looking for a car to simply fto you get successful and thrust away, though, the -C4 X (or astatine slightest our ë-C4 X) isn't the astir welcoming. I pushed the starter fastener erstwhile and thing happened. I pushed it again and inactive nothing.
A 3rd time? You mightiness get thing (I often did, but a 4th effort is ne'er acold off. And I was not unsocial successful having this issue: colleagues person struggled with temperamental electronics, too.
I was besides warring to navigate an ergonomically troubled dashboard. Wrapping my caput astir Citroen's infotainment was hard astatine first, and I didn't adjacent announcement the 'home' paper connected the touchscreen until aft 3 days with the car.
Even then, I lone recovered it due to the fact that idiosyncratic showed it to me. I assumed the fastener with a location awesome adjacent to it would instrumentality maine there, but aft I pressed it, the surface did nothing
The car redeemed itself connected time two, however. I had to get to Gatwick airport, which meant motorway driving and bumpy surfaces that would enactment the suspension to work.
I had heard bully things from my colleagues, and suffice to accidental I wasn't fto down. The e-C4 X soaks up bumps and potholes with a measurement of relaxation that astir makes it characterful.
Meanwhile, the airy steering makes it precise casual to manoeuvre, if you tin forgive the deficiency of engagement. It besides has a footwear large capable to swallow a ample suitcase and respective jackets, astatine 510 Litres, though the opening could bash with being wider.
The cars scope wasn't a immense interest that day, due to the fact that it was a comparatively mild greeting (8deg C) and the driving was mostly connected motorways. On the 52-mile circular trip, I stayed beneath 65mph and it averaged 4.0mpkWh. I returned having reduced the travel computers scope prediction by astir 80 miles. Not the best.
I felt beardown scope anxiousness a mates of days later. I was owed to question a 94-mile circular travel to Bicester Heritage and made definite I near with a afloat charge. The car predicted 216 miles.
I wanted to spot however acold I could spell without utilizing immoderate of its battery-draining systems, similar the aerial conditioning and radio, and I stuck to 56mph the full clip connected the M40, adjacent slipstreaming trucks.
It was uncomfortable (I could spot my enactment astir of the way), dull and not worthy the hassle. I arrived astatine Bicester with a predicted scope of 123 miles, truthful I had utilized 93 miles connected a 47-mile travel with everything switched off. Oh dear.
A hard pill to swallow, then, and it's made worse by the information that this car costs astir £40,000 - doubly arsenic overmuch arsenic the £19,495 petrol C4.
Love it
Can footwear back
It’s supremely comfy and relaxing connected agelong distances, truthful agelong arsenic you cognize erstwhile and wherever you volition beryllium capable to charge.
Loathe it
But can't relax
Cold upwind and speeds supra 65mph marque the scope driblet faster than an anchor.
Mileage: 7255
Life with an E-C4 X: Month 1
Outstanding comfortableness and superb municipality ratio marque for a blessed commuter - 21 February
The e-C4 X's comfortableness levels are truly impressive.
In fact, Id spell truthful acold arsenic to accidental it's 1 of the astir relaxing cars I've driven. Not lone are the seats plush and comfy but besides the compartment is good insulated from roadworthy and upwind noise.
Even connected the astir stressful roads (looking astatine you, London's North Circular), the soundless powertrain and easy-going steering marque beingness overmuch much serene.
This has made my crack-of-dawn journeys from northbound London to the Autocar bureau successful Twickenham a peculiarly casual task - and the French EV's ratio bolsters its pacifying credentials adjacent further. On my 20-odd-mile municipality commute, it regularly returns 4.5mpkWh.
With the artillery having a usable capableness of 46.2kWh, that means it returns a scope of astir 208 miles connected a azygous charge. Considering that I thrust astir with the aerial conditioning connected (albeit connected the lowest instrumentality velocity setting), I'm beauteous blessed with that figure.
Overall, it's averaging astir 3.9mpkWh, which translates to a somewhat much disappointing 180 miles of scope connected a charge.
But I person been rather lucky. This wintertime has been comparatively mild, truthful I've not needed to crank up the clime power to wide crystal from the windscreen, lukewarm up the compartment oregon demist. I bash wonderment however severely the scope volition beryllium affected if temperatures driblet beneath zero - thing each EVs truly hate.
The e-C4 X is astatine its champion successful Eco driving mode, alternatively than Normal oregon Sport. Not lone bash you summation an further 20 miles of predicted scope arsenic a effect but there's besides inactive ample acceleration and capable powerfulness for cruising astatine 70mph. It's cleanable for London's 20mph zones.
While the compartment is each astir operator relaxation, I've had immoderate issues with its technology. The infotainment strategy is simply a symptom to usage connected the move, due to the fact that everything is navigated with onscreen swipes and resistance gestures and the dependable adjunct pops up portion I'm chatting with my passenger.
The solution of the integer surface down the steering instrumentality is besides truly mediocre compared with what you spot successful caller cars from different Stellantis brands. It adjacent cuts disconnected immoderate of the substance connected the right-hand broadside of the surface erstwhile you've plugged the car successful to a charger.
I alternatively mostly conscionable notation to the integer head-up display, which shows maine each the accusation I request - adjacent if, astatine 6ft 2in, I americium somewhat excessively gangly for it.
Love it
X-Rated
The 510-litre footwear is simply a decent size and immoderate 130 litres bigger than that of the ë-C4 hatchback.
Loathe it
Letting it slide
The seats set electrically but not for moving backmost and forth, which I ever forget.
Mileage: 5739
Welcoming the E-C4 X to the fleet - 7 February 2024
The Citroën e-C4 X is simply a hard car to classify, adjacent erstwhile you've spent a spot of clip with one, arsenic I person since ours arrived connected the semipermanent trial fleet.
The EV sits intriguingly wrong the progressively blurred lines that abstracted antithetic car categories, riding somewhat higher than a accepted saloon but not rather by capable that you could telephone it an SUV. Coupé-SUV hatchback?
Raised fastback saloon? One of those descriptions is astir apt correct. Citroën itself calls the car a "fastback with the modern look of an SUV", truthful that's cleared that up...
One perfectly wide happening is that Citroën has stayed existent to its comfort-biased roots due to the fact that the e-C4 X has already made a case for it being among the Stellantis group's astir relaxing cars to drive.
This electrical fastback prioritises comfortableness supra each other - a constituent emphasised by its gloriously plush seats and bump-absorbing ride.
To that end, it's equipped with the French brand's Advanced Comfort suspension, which features dual hydraulic stops astatine the beforehand and rear. In immoderate ways, it feels similar a Rolls-Royce Spectre for the everyman.
Okay, truthful evidently it's not going to beryllium taking connected the £330,000 ultra-luxurious Spirit of Ecstasy successful immoderate forthcoming examination tests, but it is jolly bully wrong and it comes with a 10.0in touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, positive a crisp head-up display, arsenic good arsenic a 5.5mm integer surface down the steering wheel.
It feels precise quiescent connected the determination too. There are nary rattles inside, roadworthy sound is kept to a minimum and I've struggled to observe the dependable of upwind rushing past, adjacent connected faster roads.
The C4 X uses the aforesaid e-CMP level arsenic respective different Stellantis models, including the DS 3, the Peugeot 2008 and the smaller Vauxhall Corsa, and it besides shares overmuch of its internals with the electrical versions of those cars.
You could even, successful effect, deliberation of this car arsenic an electrical mentation of the Peugeot 408, which was tally by main sub-editor Kris Culmer towards the extremity of past year.
Anyone eyeing up an -C4 X is astir apt looking for an EV with practicality successful mind, and it doesn't disappoint connected that front. There's 510 litres of footwear abstraction with the rear seats raised and that increases to 1360 litres erstwhile they're folded. That compares favourably with the 425 litres offered by the Tesla Model 3 and the 405 litres of the Polestar 2.
There's country for 3 adults to acceptable comfortably successful the backmost too. Where the e-C4 X is wide outclassed, though, is connected range. Its 50kWh artillery (46.2kWh usable capacity) is claimed to connection conscionable 221 miles connected a azygous charge, though Citroen says this tin emergence arsenic precocious arsenic 303 miles successful the city. That's a fig I'll surely beryllium putting to the test, due to the fact that my driving volition beryllium divided mostly betwixt London usage and longer stints connected the motorway.
Power looks comparatively humble connected insubstantial arsenic well. A single, front-mounted imperishable magnet synchronous centrifugal supplies 134bhp and 192lb ft of torque. However, truthful acold I've recovered it to beryllium much than capable successful astir situations. It helps that the 1623kg kerb value is reasonably airy for an EV.
Besides, the e-C4 X is simply a car to beryllium driven successful a mode befitting its aura of calm, alternatively than ragged astir corners. It's surely nary driver's car and nor is it intended to beryllium one, arsenic its leisurely 0-62mph clip of 10.0sec attests. In that respect, it volition beryllium a marked opposition to the 308bhp BMW iX1 that I ran astir recently.
The e-C4 X is priced from £32,195 but successful Shine Plus signifier starts astatine £35,495, rising to £37,140 with the options fitted to ours. Beneath this range-topping exemplary are the much affordable Sense and Shine trims.
Owners get a batch of instrumentality for their money. In summation to LED headlights, a reversing camera, dual-zone clime control, automatic wipers and a heated steering instrumentality (which are each standard), our car features optional metallic paint, wireless smartphone charging and a tablet cradle to support your rider entertained connected the move.
The optional Hype Black interior ambience battalion fitted to our car is besides worthy mentioning due to the fact that it's each precise Citroën. It adds grey stitching, heated beforehand seats, a plusher leather steering wheel, four-way adjustable electrical seats and electrical lumbar enactment and massage functions.
By spanning the saloon and SUV classes, the e-C4 X finds itself up against a immense scope of contention from some segments. Our occupation implicit the coming months is to spot if it's up to that task. First impressions suggest it could beryllium a bully enactment for those seeking an affordable electrical institution car, truthful that volition beryllium connected our radar too.
And that's not all. While this electrical mentation of the C4 X has been connected merchantability since 2022, Citroen has present besides decided to bring its interior combustion equivalent to the UK this twelvemonth successful effect to lawsuit demand.
So we program to power to a petrol car down the line, which should marque for an absorbing examination of 2 comfort-driven sibling models. But we're successful nary unreserved to find retired which C4 X is best. This simply isn't that benignant of car.
Second Opinion
It flies nether the radar and it’s truthful precise comfy – 2 favourable qualities compared with big, bulbous SUVs. I anticipation Jack has much luck successful coaxing a decent scope retired of it, though. In my experience, it stopped acold abbreviated of the manufacturer’s claim, adjacent with ‘wasteful’ systems turned off.
Jonny Bryce
Citroen E-C4 X 50kWh Shine Plus specification
Specs: Price New £35,495 Price arsenic tested £37,140 Options Hype Black interior ambience battalion £800, Platinum Grey metallic overgarment £595, wireless smartphone charger £150, Citroën Smart Pad Support £100
Test Data: Engine 1x front-mounted electrical motor Power 134bhp Torque 192lb ft Kerb weight 1623kg Top speed 93mph 0-62mph 10sec Fuel economy 4.4mpkWh (claimed) CO2 0g/km Faults None Expenses None
English (US) ·