The five-door herringbone is now available in a second body, stretched and grafted with a rear trunk, with the hope of moving from the status of a simple compact to that of a more opulent sedan. Yes this is it.
The chances of the Citroën C4 X catching your eye are pretty slim. Even here presented in its best light, in this Elixir red livery (a whole program), bathed in the Madrid sun. It’s not in bad spirit with regard to the stylistic habits of the herringbone brand. It could have, I grant you, but no; it’s just statistics.
Supporting sales figures, notchback sedans to which this new variant of the C4 is similar are much more popular with Middle Eastern and Chinese motorists, among others, than with Europeans. Hence the abandonment of the genre by most generalist manufacturers in recent years on our market.
But Citroën, which does not hide here from targeting regions of the world other than ours as a priority, obviously applies an unstoppable doctrine, erected by a famous skier with a mustache belonging to the Splendid troop: you never know, on a misunderstanding, it can work.
Some nostalgic for the dad sedan or the most tired of yet another SUV can indeed find their account. By having a trunk grafted to his behind, the herringbone compact boasts a gargantuan trunk. Its volume reaches 510 litres, ie 130 liters more than on board the 5-door body, even before folding the bench seat backs.
In return, you have to put an end to the practical tailgate and make do with a simple trunk lid, making loading much less easy. Those for whom it is insurmountable will go to Renault to afford an Arkana, equipped with a fifth door.
Apart from that, this C4 X remains above all… a C4. Although the total length increases by 24 cm to reach 4.60 m (i.e. 10 cm more than a C5 Aircross!), this stretch is distributed only at the level of the rear overhang, the wheelbase remaining strictly identical from one body to another. Consequently, habitability only changes marginally. But this status quo is not necessarily bad news.
The rear seats are still distinguished by generous legroom, which allows adults, even adults, to travel there without suffering. Only the roof guard regresses very slightly due to a slightly more pronounced drop in the flag. A downside that this new member of the X range tries to compensate for with a more relaxed position, obtained by an inclination of the rear seatbacks accentuated by a handful of degrees.
The growth that appeared at the stern obviously causes even less change in the front row, from all points of view. The C4 X is a sedan, yes, but statutory, no. By taking exactly the furniture of her sister, functional above all, which favors storage, she adapts to materials that are just as unremarkable and not always impeccable adjustments.
The difference is just within the 10” central screen where appears a more recent version of the multimedia interface, released by the great C5 X. Which is not a panacea. His lack of responsiveness inevitably ends up annoying.
Certainly supplemented by a head-up display on this Shine finish, the display of the digital instrument cluster, quite basic, is not very rich either. This economy design even impacts certain aspects of driving, such as ergonomics. The adjustment range of the seat and the steering wheel prove to be a bit tight so that older children can settle in comfortably.
Too bad because once on the way, this Citroën does honor to the brand’s reputation by pampering the crew as best it can. The high-density upholstery still goes just as well with the soft cushioning. The high ground clearance allows the suspension to maintain significant travel, to which are added hydraulic stops for foolproof progressiveness.
With such great flexibility, the C4 can initially disconcert when the course begins to zigzag. But let those less familiar with the brand’s universe persevere. This does not call into question the efficiency of the running gear, unsuspected in view of this apparent nonchalance.
This PureTech 130 version even shines with a touch of dynamism thanks to the tonicity of its engine. Too bad that this engine necessarily goes hand in hand with an automatic gearbox Hesitant 8-speed EATlittle adept at driving removed.
More than a first youth, the 3-cylinder 1.2 turbo also lets out some unwelcome vibrations in this atmosphere of sweetness. Unless it bears less and less well the comparison with its electric equivalent, of unequaled pleasure and discretion under the hood of the Ë-C4 X which we also took the wheel briefly. A battery-powered version which, unfortunately, does not benefit from the latest developments in power and autonomy, unlike other models from the Stellantis group such as the DS 3.
That said, it was not necessary to dream either. Finally lucid about the added value of this C4 X, Citroën limits its additional cost to a range between €700 and €900 depending on the finish chosen compared to the C4 “very short”.
Our Verdict
This new notchback variant of the Citroën C4 will delight fans of (almost) inexpensive sedans. Unfortunately, we are not very many in this case.
WE love
- Walking comfort
- Stable but generous habitability
- Huge Chest
We love less
- Automatic gearbox imposed on PureTech 130
- Poor finish
- C4 Competition
Fiche technique Citroën C4 X PureTech 130 EAT8 Shine
ACHETER
- Version tested: €33,950
- From €31,900
- Average manufacturer consumption/during the test (kWh/100 km): 5.7-5.8/6.6
- CO2/malus: 129-131/190-230 €
- Fiscal power: 7 hp
- Country of manufacture: Spain
Range offered
- Petrol from 100 to 131 hp, from €27,650 to €35,050
- Diesel 131 hp, from €33,700 to €36,850
- Electric 136 hp, from €39,950 to €43,450
CONDUCT
- Engine: transverse front, 3-cylinder turbo, direct injection, variable timing by belt, 12 valves, stop & start, 1,199 cc3
- Transmission: front-wheel drive, 8-speed automatic
- Maximum power (hp at rpm): 131 at 5,500
- Maximum torque (Nm at rpm): 230 at 1,750
- Weight (kg): 1,289 empty
- Long.xlarg.xhaut. (m) : 4,60×1,80×1,53
- Wheelbase (m): 2.67
- Tank (l): 50
- Max speed (km/h): 210 (electronically limited)
- 0 to 100 km/h: 10”3
- Standard tires: 195/60 R18
- Test tires: Michelin e.Primacy
VIVRE
- Width at front/rear elbows (cm): 145/144
- Rear legroom (cm): 73
- Chest at 5/2 (l): 510/1,360
RECOMMENDED OPTIONS
- Heated seats: €200
- Panoramic sunroof: €900
- Inductive smartphone charger: €150
MAIN COMPETITOR
- Renault Arkana, from €31,800
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