Citroen C4 Exclusive 2015 Review

Citroen C4 Exclusive
Road Test

The Citroen C4 has been updated for 2015 with a host of new features including technology upgrades, a new powertrain and styling changes. Priced at the top end of the segment, however, the C4 Exclusive model competes with some excellent small cars and is hard to recommend against its rivals. The two-variant C4 range begins at $29,990 (plus on-road costs).

At the heart of the new C4 is a punchy three-cylinder turbocharged engine with six-speed automatic transmission – no manual or diesel options are now available on the C4 here in Australia. In fact you have no choice in your engine at all if you're buying the C4... You get the new 96kW 'PureTech' petrol engine. That's your lot.

Not that it's all bad news.

To meet tough new Euro6 emissions standards Citroen has replaced its outgoing 1.6-litre four-cylinder powerplant with a 1.2 litre triple. As a result, they've succeeded in improving the C4's power and torque figures while claiming better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

While the C4 engine loses 25 per cent of its cylinders, it gains 10 per cent more power and over 40 per cent more torque, which is readily accessible under acceleration with no noticeable turbo lag. It's a pretty impressive set-up and certainly not what you might anticipate from a three-cylinder vehicle. But even though it copes admirably with inclines and under load, we didn't get close to achieving the claimed fuel economy figures.

With a stated combined fuel consumption figure of just 5.1L/100km, the range topping Exclusive model we tested should have delivered some of the best fuel economy numbers of any petrol car in its segment. Yet despite our best efforts, its real world figures seemed somewhat off the mark. On a combination of country roads, urban driving and 110 km/h freeway driving, the best we achieved was 7.5.

It's a shame as the new powertrain deserves to shine. Last month, PSA Peugeot Citroen made a statement that it will soon be publish real-world fuel economy figures for its main vehicles, with the process overseen by an independent body. It's clearly a shot across the bows of Volkswagen and an attempt to distance themselves from their dramas, however, if it's a genuine attempt to offer car buyers more transparency around fuel efficiency than that's a great development – it will be very interesting to see what real world figures the new Euro6-compliant engines will really be achieving.

There's not much economy when it comes to the purchase price either. At $33,990 (plus ORCs) for the range topping Exclusive model, it's priced at the top end of the competitive small car market, yet for the price there is at least a good long list of features. These include keyless entry and start, blind-spot monitoring, front parking sensors, auto wipers, lumbar support with massage function for the driver and a large 7.0-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation which is standard on both the tested Exclusive model and the entry-level Seduction variant.

And as experienced in our test model, for an additional $2000 you can add the massage function for your passenger, get full leather and add heating to both front seats. Styling changes include a panoramic glass roof, revised exterior changes including two new colour options and new front lighting including a new LED signature and 3D effect tail lights. The C4 Exclusive has bags of room too, with a huge boot, large storage bins in the doors and under-seat storage.

But rather than the 'je ne sais quoi' you expect from a French car, with the C4 you get oddities instead. The ignition button has been located in the centre console, so now there's only room for a single cup holder. There's also no provision at all for drinks for your two rear-seat passengers as the fold-down arm rest is bereft of cup holders.

The heated seat controls are situated on the edge of the seat, rather than on the dashboard, so you can't see at a glance which setting it's on. The massage function is a bit lack lustre – it's too low to give your lower back a decent work out and ends up just being a bit of annoyance to your buttocks. Perhaps that's how they like it on the continent, but it's not really for me…

I suspect the push to meet the strict fuel economy requirements of Euro6 has also had an impact on the efficacy of the windscreen wipers as a significant amount of water enters the cabin if the windows are wound down and the wipers are in operation. Has aerodynamics won over practicality? You see there's no channel around the windscreen to guide water up and away from the side windows so you can get a decent soaking if you're not careful.

As for the infotainment system? Well it's definitely not as intuitive as it could be either; and it's got some odd features like a touchscreen calculator which can be used while driving. Who needs to use a calculator on the road? It's tres bizarre.

I jumped into the C4 with high hopes but while I expected to find quirky French features, I got niggles. I loved the performance from the new engine and transmission, and the car drives well enough. But disappointing interior packaging and that high price point will surely continue to hinder sales of the Citroen small car here in Australia.

2015 Citroen C4 Exclusive pricing and specifications:
Price: $36,790 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 96kW/230Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 4.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 113g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

What we liked:
>> Impressive engine performance
>> Smooth six-speed auto
>> Smart styling

Not so much:
>> Real-world fuel economy
>> Interior packaging
>> High price

Also consider:
>> Mazda Mazda3 (from $20,490 plus ORCs)
>> Renault Megane (from $20,990 plus ORCs)
>> Volkswagen Golf (from $22,490 plus ORCs)