Citroen e-C4 50kWh Review
04 Jul 2023|8,494 views
What We Like
Bold exterior design
Comfortable ride
Decent passenger space despite sloping roofline
What We Dislike
Slower than rivals with the same power output
Wide door sills can make exiting the car tricky
When we first drove the Citroen C4 we were impressed by its wild styling as well as the high comfort offered by its soft springs.
Could this e-C4 build on the traits of the C4 with the quiet and smooth operation of its all-electric drivetrain?
Plenty of lower body cladding and split tailgate glass give the e-C4 a distinctive look
On the design front, there's not a lot that visually separates the e-C4 from its combustion-powered stablemate. Up front and along the sides, the fog lamp surrounds and the accent pieces on the lower body panels are here finished in blue. The front doors have also gained a blue 'e' to set it apart from the C4.
And of course, the tailpipes of the C4 are also omitted here. This means the Citroen e-C4 doesn't look too different from the regular C4, but if you're a fan of the wild styling of the crossover/hatch that's probably a good thing: There's less to pull visual attention away from the bold head light design or the sloping roof at the rear.
Blue accent pieces at the front and side of the Citroen e-C4 distinguish it from the petrol-powered C4
While the exterior of the Citroen e-C4 may look dramatic and unusual, step into the car and you'll find that the driving experience is far more ordinary.
The layout of the controls here should be familiar to those coming from a car of any other marque. The car utilises an in-trend rocker switch for its gear selector on the centre console, and there's physical buttons and rotary switches for quick changes to the air-conditioning settings.
And the buttons to activate the adaptive cruise control are even located on the steering wheel instead of being on a separate and hard-to-see stalk like in the C5 Aircross. As in the combustion-powered Citroen C4, the 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster is a tad small, but that's something you'll easily get used to.
A 100kW maximum charging speed means you'll be able to top up the battery from empty in 30 minutes
Perhaps the one single feature that stands out here is how light the steering is when you're just crawling along, but even this will weigh up quickly once you've gathered some speed.
With just 130bhp and with a total weight of 1,561kg, the Citroen e-C4 doesn't feel particularly fast, and its official century sprint time of 10.8 seconds confirms this fact. The 100kW BYD Atto 3 and the Cat A Ioniq 5 we tested not so long ago both post sub-10 second sprint times.
Look out for the wide door sills when exiting the Citroen e-C4
It's not a car for the eager driver and it's not afraid to make this known with a steering that is devoid of feel. But if you're looking for something that will cosset you from the stress of driving, you'll find the e-C4 more agreeable.
On the go, you'll be able to simply glide over all sorts of road imperfections thanks to Citroen's Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension technology. Having said that, the e-C4 does fall short of the accomplished ride we saw in the C5 Aircross. It's not quite as settled as the SUV at low speeds, picking up more than its fair share of road imperfections, and feels insufficiently damped to arrest unwanted movement for comfortable cruising at high speeds on the highway.
The 130bhp electric motor is about enough to ensure the e-C4 does not feel slow in traffic
We managed an energy consumption rate of 5.2km/kWh over the three days which we had to car, which means you should be able to get a range of 260km between charges, quite a bit less than the 363km range that Citroen claims the e-C4 will accomplish.
The firm's Advanced Comfort Seats, which come with wider centres and offer plenty of cushioning with just a bit of support at the thighs, make the Citroen e-C4 easy to climb in jump out of, but you'll want make sure you keep an eye out when your children hop out of the vehicle: The wide door sills here can become a trip hazard.
Easy electric
At $191,999, shoppers eyeing this Citroen e-C4 will most likely cross-shop this car against the $194,800 Hyundai Ioniq 5 in 'Exclusive' trim - another car which blurs the line between hatchback and crossover, and also comes with a distinctive exterior, although the Ioniq 5 does come with a larger 58kWh battery. But if distinctive looks and a plush ride what you're after, the e-C4 might just prove to be an appealing option.
Shopping for an electric SUV? Be sure to catch our reviews of these other options!
The Kia Niro EV also comes with standout styling and offers quiet drives
You might also be interested in the spacious and quick Tesla Model Y
What We Like
Bold exterior design
Comfortable ride
Decent passenger space despite sloping roofline
What We Dislike
Slower than rivals with the same power output
Wide door sills can make exiting the car tricky
When we first drove the Citroen C4 we were impressed by its wild styling as well as the high comfort offered by its soft springs.
Could this e-C4 build on the traits of the C4 with the quiet and smooth operation of its all-electric drivetrain?
Plenty of lower body cladding and split tailgate glass give the e-C4 a distinctive look
On the design front, there's not a lot that visually separates the e-C4 from its combustion-powered stablemate. Up front and along the sides, the fog lamp surrounds and the accent pieces on the lower body panels are here finished in blue. The front doors have also gained a blue 'e' to set it apart from the C4.
And of course, the tailpipes of the C4 are also omitted here. This means the Citroen e-C4 doesn't look too different from the regular C4, but if you're a fan of the wild styling of the crossover/hatch that's probably a good thing: There's less to pull visual attention away from the bold head light design or the sloping roof at the rear.
Blue accent pieces at the front and side of the Citroen e-C4 distinguish it from the petrol-powered C4
While the exterior of the Citroen e-C4 may look dramatic and unusual, step into the car and you'll find that the driving experience is far more ordinary.
The layout of the controls here should be familiar to those coming from a car of any other marque. The car utilises an in-trend rocker switch for its gear selector on the centre console, and there's physical buttons and rotary switches for quick changes to the air-conditioning settings.
And the buttons to activate the adaptive cruise control are even located on the steering wheel instead of being on a separate and hard-to-see stalk like in the C5 Aircross. As in the combustion-powered Citroen C4, the 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster is a tad small, but that's something you'll easily get used to.
A 100kW maximum charging speed means you'll be able to top up the battery from empty in 30 minutes
Perhaps the one single feature that stands out here is how light the steering is when you're just crawling along, but even this will weigh up quickly once you've gathered some speed.
With just 130bhp and with a total weight of 1,561kg, the Citroen e-C4 doesn't feel particularly fast, and its official century sprint time of 10.8 seconds confirms this fact. The 100kW BYD Atto 3 and the Cat A Ioniq 5 we tested not so long ago both post sub-10 second sprint times.
Look out for the wide door sills when exiting the Citroen e-C4
It's not a car for the eager driver and it's not afraid to make this known with a steering that is devoid of feel. But if you're looking for something that will cosset you from the stress of driving, you'll find the e-C4 more agreeable.
On the go, you'll be able to simply glide over all sorts of road imperfections thanks to Citroen's Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension technology. Having said that, the e-C4 does fall short of the accomplished ride we saw in the C5 Aircross. It's not quite as settled as the SUV at low speeds, picking up more than its fair share of road imperfections, and feels insufficiently damped to arrest unwanted movement for comfortable cruising at high speeds on the highway.
The 130bhp electric motor is about enough to ensure the e-C4 does not feel slow in traffic
We managed an energy consumption rate of 5.2km/kWh over the three days which we had to car, which means you should be able to get a range of 260km between charges, quite a bit less than the 363km range that Citroen claims the e-C4 will accomplish.
The firm's Advanced Comfort Seats, which come with wider centres and offer plenty of cushioning with just a bit of support at the thighs, make the Citroen e-C4 easy to climb in jump out of, but you'll want make sure you keep an eye out when your children hop out of the vehicle: The wide door sills here can become a trip hazard.
Easy electric
At $191,999, shoppers eyeing this Citroen e-C4 will most likely cross-shop this car against the $194,800 Hyundai Ioniq 5 in 'Exclusive' trim - another car which blurs the line between hatchback and crossover, and also comes with a distinctive exterior, although the Ioniq 5 does come with a larger 58kWh battery. But if distinctive looks and a plush ride what you're after, the e-C4 might just prove to be an appealing option.
Shopping for an electric SUV? Be sure to catch our reviews of these other options!
The Kia Niro EV also comes with standout styling and offers quiet drives
You might also be interested in the spacious and quick Tesla Model Y
Car Information
Citroen e-C4 Electric 50 kWh (A)
$173,999
CAT A|Electric|6.9km/kWh
Horsepower
97kW (130 bhp)
Torque
260 Nm
Acceleration
10.8sec (0-100km /hr)
Promotion
Ready to ditch the ordinary? Meet the oh-so-French Citroen e-C4 Crossover—your new favourite obsession.
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- Bold Exterior
- Sensible Cabin
- Comfortable Cruiser
