Citroen C4 Hatchback 2004-2008

The designers at Citroen were given free reign when it came to designing the Citroën c4 and they haven't disappointed. The look may not be to every ones taste, and the same goes for the interior, but it does have its fair share of fans. The C4 handles well despite the light steering and the ride is comfortable, although a little harder than we are used to from Citroën.

Pros and Cons:

• Extremely high safety rating
  Diesel engines have excellent fuel economy
  Wide range of engines

• Controls and instruments can be hard to read
  Small boot space
  The C4 received multiple recalls in the early stages of its release

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Exterior and Interior

The new radical design of the C4 is appealing to the majority of drivers with most people seeing it as a step in the right direction. The newly designed interior also diverts from previous Citroen models with the implementation of a fixed boss around the steering column where most of the controls are held in place. The new sloping lines of the roof and side make the interior feel slightly cramped. Citroen claim to have improved the quality of their interiors but only time will tell if this is true. The boot is a bit on the small side for what you would expect from a family car.

Safety wise the C4 is up there with the best with 6 airbags and multiple aids to help the driver.

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Engines

The engines in C4 offer a good choice including a range of both petrol and diesel options. The petrol engines come in the form of a 1.4-litre 90bhp, a 1.6-litre 120bhp and a 2.0-litre with 178bhp. There are also three diesel engines to choose from which includes two 1.6-litre engines producing 92bhp and 110bhp and a 2.0-litre HDI producing 138bhp.

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Performance and Economy

All the engines in the range offer good fuel economy with the two 1.6-litre diesels proving the most efficient managing 60.1mpg. The 1.6 manages the best out of the petrol range which manages up to 39.8mpg. The 1.4 engines offer fairly good efficiency too but they are underpowered for the car making it feels sluggish and slow. The ride is surprisingly firm for a Citroens but not in a bad way as it helps to keep the car stable on the road and reduces body roll, but it does transfer the worst of the bumps through to the cabin.

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What it's like to Drive

The introduction of the steering boss will take time to get used to for most drivers but with the controls being fixed in place you soon get used to their positioning. The steering is on the light side with not much feeling being conveyed back to the driver. However, saying that the C4 still turns sharply into the corners with minimum body roll. In general the Citroen C4 is a massive improvement on previous models and really closes the gap between Citroen and their competitors.

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Faults and Repairs

With the promise of better materials being used in theC4 it was hoped that it would fair better than Citroens of the past. Unfortunately this hasn't happened. The C4 was recalled several times with regards to issues with the brakes, short circuits and the front airbags not being deployed in an accident. The trim has held up fairly well though in most cars with only a few reporting loose parts. Unfortunately there have also been electrical glitches when it comes to the radio, speedometer and cruise control.

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