C-CHANGE (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_citroenec4_2021

By Jonathan Crouch

The e-C4 adds a bit of colour to the EV part of the family hatch segment. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 37

The looks have a crossover vibe, the range is a reasonable 219 miles and the cabin is the most comfortable in the class. If you're fed up with clinical family EVs, here's one that might charm you.

Backgroundword count: 150

Citroen is a company with a reputation for trying to do things differently. Unfortunately though, the reality is that it's not always been a company able to do things differently from sister brand Peugeot. In the last few decades, a depressing cloak of conformity has characterised family offerings from the double chevron marque. But gradually things seem to be changing and Citroens are being set apart once more. First, with details things like Airbumps and squashier seats. And now with more fundamental engineering. For an example of that, take the subject of this test, the e-C4. It's all-electric - which is significant because electrified versions of Peugeots bigger than supermini-size usually prefer a plug-in petrol/electric PHEV drivetrain. Brand owner Stellantis apparently now gives its brands a choice between PHEV and BEV and Citroen wants to be different. But how different in this case? That's what we're here to find out.

Driving Experienceword count: 257

Rather interestingly, this is one EV that doesn't spear away from rest like a scalded cat. That attribute's a bit pointless, it cuts across this car's laid back Gallic demeanour and it needlessly depletes battery reserves, so Citroen hasn't bothered with it here. The e-C4's a bit like Mazda's rival MX-30 in that respect. Not that the e-C4 is slow; the 136bhp electric motor in the base 50kWh version allows 62mph to be dispatched in 9.7s on the way to a maximum you'll never bother with (97mph). What you'll notice more is the relaxed gait. It's inevitably not as light on its feet through the corners as a combustion-engined C4: the weight of that battery has to tell somewhere. There's also a 54kWh battery version available, which gets a punchier 156bhp motor and goes 260 miles between charges. Your driving position is somewhere between that of a family hatch and an SUV and you get a couple of pedals, along with a small straightforward gear selector. There's no 'one pedal' driving option, like you get in a Nissan LEAF, but there's an extra B mode, which gives greater lift-off deceleration, so boosting the battery's energy-harvesting efforts so that you can get somewhere close to the claimed 222 mile range figure. The ride is very comfort-orientated, as you'd expect from a Citroen thanks to the clever Progressive Hydraulic suspension set-up. 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.

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